That doesnt mean were not going to sign some guys from outside we did, and we will but an emphasis on homegrown talent. 233, Edge / 207, TE / BLACKSBURG, Va. While signing day went off without a hitch for Virginia Tech, that doesnt mean there werent some nervous moments leading up to it. Pry said the Hokies are still pursuing some transfers in the first week of January who could still be spring semester enrollees, with three on the docket to make official visits as of now. 6-7 / Really high football IQ, great wheels and can spin it. Prior to the beginning of the NFL Combine,NFL Analyst LanceZierlein gave Conner's evaluation: Conners size and versatility could buy him time on a roster, but he might need to keep fighting for his spot. Note: We are told that Ezekiel Wimbush, previously listed as a commitment, is currently preferred walk-on status. Those are the rankings to focus on as they combine the different recruiting services. Its been a while since Tech had an All-ACC caliber player who was a consensus top-five in-state prospect. The 2018 class is probably the last one with a strong finish that paid dividends on the field, with the Hokies landing future NFL tight end James Mitchell before the early signing period that December and coveted linebacker Dax Hollifield in February to punctuate a class ranked 22nd nationally, back before the wheels fell off during Justin Fuentes tenure. Hes a leader. 1 wide receiver for the Hokies and a four-star transfer. Some of them, you had a new head coach in the Big Ten celebrating, This is our first offer, a Virginia Tech commitment! And it went as far as guys had graphics of taking official visits to other places, which they never did. Cotman was once considered one of the top players in Virginia, and if you go back and watch him in high school, he is a really good football player. Football Dec 2 TBA. 6-2 / Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. Tim Sullivan HokieHaven. 6-3 / Period. You can see that the area under the curve gets smaller both as the rating for a commit decreases and as the number of total commits for a school increases. The Hokies have not had many top-five in-state signees in any of the major recruiting sites lately, so Cotmans addition is welcomed. 6-1 / Conner has late Day 3 value as a potential backup., has participated in the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl, Virginia Tech DB Chamarri Conner receives a pre-Combine draft score. 215, QB / Virginia Tech basketball has picked up its first commitment of the 2024 recruiting cycle. READ MORE, Alex Taylor has made multiple trips to Virginia Tech, and recently included the Hokies in his top seven schools. "We're having some exit interviews with certain guys, portal conversations," Coach Pry said during a press conference in late November. The speed and pattern matchingarentgreat, but the ball skills are above average. Virginia Tech. However, most of the heavy lifting has been done, and any further additions will likely come through the transfer portal. 10 ranked all-time Virginia Tech Hokie in career tackles. 247Sports employs a staff of more than 50 full time recruiting reporters and evaluators that rank and compile data on the nation's elite . He misses too many tackles due to risky angles and struggles coming to balance in the open field. S. TyLyric Coleman Dan River (Ringgold, VA) 6-3 / 175. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. All-New 24/7 Sports News Network: Stream Now! 61 receiver, coming off a season in which he had 85 catches for 1,268 yards and 14 TDs for Nolensville (Tenn.) High. The Virginia Tech Hokies wrapped up the early signing period last week feeling pretty good about the 2023 recruiting class. I really like this group. Watsons size was a detriment to some, but turn on the film, and you see an electric runner with a strong arm. They include: A defensive end: With Varner likely to play tackle, Tech has a need on the edge, especially with last years top pass rusher, TyJuan Garbutt, graduating. -, WR / 5-9 / If he does return, likely in a special teams capacity, he wouldnt be on scholarship, though hes marketable enough that Tech could pursue NIL opportunities for him. 6-5 / BLACKSBURG, Va. So this is what recruiting momentum feels like? Prys focus upon his hiring was to rebuild relationships within the Commonwealth. 259, OT / 197, QB / 6-2 / He misses too many tackles due to risky angles and struggles coming to balance in the open field. The good thing about that position is they have the same qualities, Mines said. He'll visit Blacksburg for Junior Day next weekend. TSL) is an independent publication that is in no way affiliated with or sponsored by Virginia Tech or the Virginia Tech Athletic Department. He and Drones struck up a fast relationship during their visit, and both committed. The Hokies have veteran Nick Gallo coming back for his final season in 2023, but Wimbush is a boost to the next wave of tight ends/H-backs, someone who looks like he could be more on the playmaking side of the position, capable of doing a variety of things from different parts of the formation. 6-0 / 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6-5 / Two of the Upstate's finest high school football players are part of the Virginia Tech football 2023 recruiting class - and they happen to be cousins. Meanwhile, guys like Heath, Pennix and Marcell Baylor showed plenty of versatility in high school, excelling on both sides of the ball. Hes going to make us better. (Top photo: Courtesy of Virginia Tech Athletics). 231-4132. While no one will confuse Virginia Techs incoming class with Alabama or Ohio State, there were many encouraging signs in head coach Brent Prys first full recruiting class. Hes going to make sure those guys are doing extra. (Gio Heater) On Monday, Virginia Tech's complete 2023 football schedule was releasedon the ACC Network. As much as I like the cornerback class, I equally like the safeties. William Watson III Springfield Central (Springfield, MA) 6-0 / 175. More Stories About He was a hybrid linebacker-defensive back in both 2019 and 2020, registering a bulk of his . Find the latest updates on Virginia Tech's roster below. (On3 ranks him 33rd, bringing down his average.). ** The Early 2023 Signing Day is concluded. For our in-house analysis of each signee for Virginia Tech, check out our videos on YouTube. The four highest-rated recruits for Tech are from outside of the state, with Mr. Football in West Virginia, offensive lineman Layth Ghannam, leading the way. The 247Sports' NCAA Transfer Portal Database can be found here. Be sure to follow our coverage of National Signing Day on Twitter:Tech Sideline,Chris Coleman,Will Stewartand David Cunningham. 5-10 / In the spring, the Hokies made a point of hitting every school in the state. Here are some key takeaways from signing day: Virginia Techs class has a distinctly Virginia flavor to it, with 16 of the 29 total signees having played their high school ball in the commonwealth. The Hokies ended up adding four transfers in the early period who should reshape competitions at their respective positions quarterback Kyron Drones out of Baylor, defensive lineman Darian Varner out of Temple and receivers Jennings and Felton from ODU and Norfolk State, respectively. I truly think hes undervalued and becomes a good player for the Hokies early in his career. - / Below is a graphical representation of how our formula works. 237, WR / Executive Assistant to the Head Coach. In fact, 12 of the high school signees from Virginia were ranked 20th or lower in the state, with Penn State (six of the top 10) and North Carolina (five of the top 20) at the forefront of the poachers. On Saturday, Conner will complete the drill portion of the NFL Combine with the Bench Press before departing Indianapolis. Over the final month heading into the early signing period, Pry picked up commitments from six high school players and four transfers. Associate AD, Chief of Staff. Buy Tickets Opens in new window. The 2019 class was punctuated by offensive lineman Doug Nesters signing day flip from Ohio State in February, though that joy was erased years later by his transfer to West Virginia. I think they appreciate that were trying to do this with guys from our footprint, and specifically with guys from the state of Virginia. Will Virginia Tech Soon Break Through In Ohio? Lovett and Fleming are also players who had attention from other schools but maintained their pledges to the Hokies. Michael Hazel. This years class is loading up on defensive backs. 32 among NCAA FBS programs (per Rivals ). Tech Sidelines content of this years signing day includes a podcast around 3:30 p.m. 250, LB / 6-3 / We still have a couple needs were trying to fill, he said. More than anything, we wanted to get guys who had good production, Mines said. Virginia. In this article, we'll analyze some overall thoughts about the class from head coach Brent . 6-1 / Antonio Cotman was a late flip from Boston College. Hes the No. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Both look like future starters at cornerback for the Hokies. 6-0 / Because what offenses do is they try to attack you when you have weaknesses in coverage. 180, QB / Jennings and Felton help remake a receiver room that added seven new players in all Wednesday, shoring up a group that lost last years leading pass-catcher Kaleb Smith to Notre Dame. 300, S / The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Drones was Techs top transfer quarterback target. The NFL Combine runs from Tuesday, February 28 through Monday, March 6. I think in this cycle, they understand we meant it. Findlayter is the No. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Jonathan Pennix and Krystian Williams are athletes who could start out on either side of the ball. 6-1 / AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. The 6-foot 202-pound play-maker has played safety, nickel and cornerback in his Virginia Tech career. 206, WR / 6-6 / That quarterback rooms going to look a little different right out of the gate come January 18th, Pry said. 5-11 / TechSideline.com (a.k.a. FB Recruiting Six players I am most excited to see during spring ball for Virginia Tech VIP Evan G. Watkins FB Recruiting Top target Keylen Adams returns to Virginia Tech VIP Evan G.. Try a week on us. It helps the quarterback not have to be as accurate. Last year, the Hokies beefed up on both lines, signing 12 players who played in the trenches. In order to create the most comprehensive Team Recruiting Ranking without any notion of bias, 247Sports Team Recruiting Ranking is solely based on the 247Sports Composite Rating. 300, LB / 623 55 9. 6-6.5 / Virginia Tech and Brent Pry picked up their 18th commitment in the class of 2023 on Sunday night with the pledge of three-star defensive end Ishmael Findlayter (Ontario, Canada). Conner has played in 61 games, starting every game over the last four seasons. READ MORE Ari Watford Preparing For Visit To Virginia Tech By: Jason Stamm | January 20, 2023 Ari Watford will be one of the top prospects in the state in the 2025 class. All six could reasonably be considered starting candidates next season. Boston College. Conner has late Day 3 value as a potential backup., He was given a prospect rating of 5.82 - which defines him as an "Average backup or Special Teamer. 2023 Virginia Tech Football Schedule | FBSchedules.com Virginia Tech Football Schedule OVERALL 0-0 ACC 0-0 By purchasing tickets using the affiliate links below, you'll help support. Varner is a 6-foot-2, 280-pound first-team All-AAC pick from Temple, where he had 7.5 sacks last year. Recruits can send in their National Letter of Intent (NLI) starting at 7 a.m. We'll begin providing updates at that time, and we'll be here all day. READ MORE, Thomas Dale 2025 athlete Shamari Earls recently picked up an offer from Virginia Tech, and he will visit next month. 270, LB / Thats always the million-dollar question with recruiting, where signing day stars have a short shelf life and can look quaint once these players have had a few years to develop or, in the transfer portal age, pack up and go somewhere else to finish their career. While its unclear how many of the soon-to-be signees will get on the field early, its clear from the Hokies recent push that theyre focusing on reshaping the offense, particularly the receiver room. 6-4 / I think hes proven. The Hokies picked up defensive end Darian Varner, formerly of Temple, who has multiple years of eligibility remaining. QB. #8 Virginia Tech Hokies Dominate Miami to Reach the ACC Tournament Semi-Finals: 68-42. 10 Virginia Tech Hokies Trade Wins and Losses with No.9 Texas. It sounds like the Hokies want to see him begin at receiver, but I like him as a cornerback. One concern for the Hokies is they didnt do enough on the defensive line. Caleb Woodson is listed as a safety on some sites, though at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds already hes more likely to grow into a linebacker. You can access the playlist below, beginning with Dante Lovetts video, and stepping through all 25 videos. Receiver and ACC champion sprinter Cole Beck will run track again this spring, then see how things how shake out before a determination is made about his football career. Period. The speed and pattern matching, great, but the ball skills are above average. And those guys are going to know each other from tournaments and playing one another and growing up in Pee Wee ball and different things. Ghannam, Arena and Lance Williams all had late interest from the outside but stuck with the Hokies and Rudolph. Pry, whose years at Penn State gave him an advantage in rebuilding those relationships. ('2023-02-23 11:46:09 -0600') }} football Edit. Braylon Johnson is the son of Highland Springs head coach and former Virginia Tech cornerback Loren Johnson. The last Tech signee ranked that high came in 2019 when wide receiver Jaden Payoute was a consensus top-five recruit in the state and fellow receiver Tayvion Robinson cracked the top five on Rivals. March 3, 2023 9:10 am CT. Peyton Lewis, a running back prospect from the 2024 recruiting class, picked up an offer from the Alabama coaching staff on Thursday. Football Nov 18 TBA. Some of them had other head coaches sitting on their couch in their living room, Hokies coach Brent Pry said. Gabriel Williams Remains Highly-Coveted By Virginia Tech, The Virginia Tech 2023 Class In The Half-Star System, Alex Taylor Includes Virginia Tech In Top 7, Amir Jackson Picks Up Virginia Tech Offer, Virginia Tech Adds JUCO DE James Jennette, Virginia Tech Football Junior Days, Part 2, Virginia Tech Football Junior Days, Part 1, Chanz Wiggins Takes In Virginia Tech Again, Bodie Kahoun Picks Up Virginia Tech Offer, Ari Watford Preparing For Visit To Virginia Tech. TechSideline.com (a.k.a. They worked late to flip a couple of players who committed elsewhere and came close. The Hokies locked up his commitment late Tuesday night, springing it as a surprise on signing day. And I think he has a chip on his shoulder. Ultimately, it wasnt enough. It wouldnt be shocking to see both play early in their career. We recruit defensive backs. We really like the way he rushes the quarterback, Pry said. The numbers always work out (funny how that happens), but its clear that this is a pretty substantial overhaul to last years roster. For more details about the site, including a list of TechSideline.com staff, see our About page. Virginia Tech added Baylor transfer QB Kyron Drones. 205, CB / -, S / Thats why we call them cheetahs., What you want to do is you want to be able to get your secondary to the point where youve got guys with corner skills at every position. The first order of business at the combine was the measurement portion, on Friday morning, where the Virginia Tech defensive back verified his frame. 210, IOL / 6-5 / All four have legit size and Ghannam could play early in his career. READ MORE, Virginia Tech has had a lot of highly-touted visitors on campus over the last week. READ MORE, With the 2023 Virginia Tech recruiting class now complete, it's time to assign our star ratings using the half-star system. 236, RB / Unofficially, all the recent movement puts the Hokies at 92 scholarship players, a figure that will need to be trimmed significantly to get to the 85 maximum scholarship number, especially if Tech has designs on adding more transfers next month. In addition to Drones, the Hokies signed two high school quarterbacks, bringing Dylan Wittke and Pop Watson into the fold. 243, IOL / - / Payoute barely played before taking a medical retirement in March, while Robinson was a 2 1/2-year starter at receiver and punt return star before transferring to Kentucky last year. The second and third-best prospects . Ali Jennings, from Highland Springs High School, spent two years at West Virginia and the previous two years at Old Dominion. Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Virginia Tech football: Hokies land 4-star JUCO pass-rusher James Jennette Jennette is a promising edge rusher. Lewis plays running back at Salem High School in Salem, Virginia. Varner has been dealing with a foot injury, but if healthy, he will be Virginia Techs best pass rusher immediately. 250, S / 6 Virginia at North Carolina, Highlights: No. He has compiled 314 total tackles (207 solo), 21.0 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 4 interceptions, 23 passes defensed, 4 forced fumbles and one block. It shows that theyll block and find ways to contribute to the team.. In the composite rankings, Adams is. 6-3 / S. Caleb Hardy Eagle's Landing (Mcdonough, GA) 6-3 / 182. ACC Championship. He is from Maury High School in Norfolk alma mater of Virginia Tech legend Kam Chancellor. 282, RB / 190, DL / This is whats behind it. Commit This site utilizes responsive web design, which renders the site properly on all platforms (PC, tablet, mobile).

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