The Hokies 2011 recruiting class grew by one on Monday as Michael Cole committed to Virginia Tech on a local radio show in Roanoke, Virginia. Cole is a standout talent on both sides of the ball for head coach Tim Fulton at Cave Spring High School.
The Roanoke native is the type of player Coach Frank Beamer and defensive coordinator Bud Foster have built a program around. He is largely a regional recruit with his biggest offers coming from Tech and Penn State. However, he is a talented player that will succeed at whichever position the Hokies stick him at.
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Name: Michael Cole
Position: Linebacker/Safety
Location: Roanoke, Virginia
School: Cave Spring High School
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 200
40 Time: 4.49
Offers: Virginia Tech, Penn State, UVA, UCONN, Duke, Maryland, Ohio, and VMI.
Recruiting Rankings
Cole isn’t very highly rated by all three major recruiting services but I have a feeling he’ll move up some now that he has some name recognition. Cave Spring is the favorites to win State this year and if they do live up to expectations, then I have a feeling Cole will plenty of film to prove that he is at least a three star type of prospect.
Prediction Based on Film Evidence
Michael’s film is impressive for a player that is stuck playing 2A ball in southwest Virginia. Cole is a player that will need time to develop at the collegiate level but he has all of the physical tools to be a starter and a major contributor with the right coaching staff.
At this point, I think Cole will move up closer to the line of scrimmage and play at the WHIP position made famous by Cody Grimm. Cole has good speed but he doesn’t quite have the hips or the ability to change direction fast enough to play as a free safety in Tech’s inverted 4-3 scheme. He could player Rover if need be but I have a feeling Coach Foster will want him closer to the line of scrimmage.
With Cole weighing in at 198 according to Rivals.com, he’ll need to bulk up some before he sees the field at Tech. However, for most kids adding weight isn’t too much of problem, especially as a freshman in college.
After seeing Michael in person last fall and viewing his film, I think the Hokies found themselves a future contributor at linebacker. Just how much Cole contributes is up to him.
Upshot For the Rest of the Class
The Hokies have developed some quality depth at linebacker but Tech will still pursue Curtis Grant, Travis Hughes, and Stephone Anthony. Right now it appears that all three are leaning away from Tech but it is likely that all three give Tech an official visit this fall. If the coaches can close on just one of the three mentioned above, that would really round out a so-far excellent defensive haul here in 2011.
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