Virginia Tech had a high school football camp recently and if you follow Virginia Tech recruiting, these are important events to follow as lots of news about what happens or doesn't happen tends to come out of them. The news was pretty good from this one in that the Hokies got a very big commitment from Lynchburg DE Zach McCray, a kid that had 20 offers and is a top 10 rated DE in the country. McCray gave his pledge to Bud Foster and the rest of the coaches during the camp making for many smiling faces.
Given the number of recruiting services that interview kids after they commit, including some very good ones for Virginia Tech in our blogroll, you can always find an interview or 10 with a new Hokie, and its interesting to read at least what they say it is that lead to their decision. While I'm sure its very different for every individual, in reading McCray's comments, his impression of Virginia Tech and the Hokie football program is likely pretty close to what most serious Hokie fans expect every recruit to think.
I'm mainly quoting from Brian Mohr's interview on HokieHaven, but tell me you don't expect every recruit to think this way:
- On why he selected Virginia Tech: " No. 1 is probably the fans, they are amazing and I can't go anywhere in Lynchburg or Roanoke without people knowing who I am." Why would any superstar high school play in the state of Virginia every want to leave??
- On the coaches: "The coaches are big, they are stable and have been together for awhile. It's not like other programs where they are changing staffs every two or three years, it's a big family." Don't recruits choose coaches as much as they choose schools? Where can you find a more stable staff than at VT?
- On coach Beamer: "Then, Coach Beamer is just the man. He's really down-to-earth and my grandma loves him. He's a really nice family guy." Enough said.
- On Bud Foster's Defense: "That was huge and another reason why I decided to go ahead and get it over with," he said. "Year after year they have one of the top defenses". I'm never more puzzled than when top in-state defensive players don't choose VT. Its like having a sports car in your garage and choosing to take the bus instead.
I know that college football fans are often dellusional when it comes to the love of their own program. So its good to find a recruit every once in a while who really 'gets it'.
- "I've always liked Virginia Tech and to come up to a game, you can't not like them. They have a ridiculous crowd. I never thought I'd even visit Virginia Tech, I thought they were the next best thing to being a professional athlete. It's just surreal to commit."
Maybe we Hokies aren't so dellusional. Attention Recruits: come to a game at Lane Stadium. As Frank Beamer often says, "The place kind of sells itself".
Go Hokies!
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