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As it stands today, the Hokies have 11 commitments in the 2013 recruiting class. That leaves between five and seven spots available depending up attrition, early enrollments, and late enrollments. As we’ve seen, Deon Newsome and Carlis Parker both plan to enroll early. One or two others could follow suit as well. So, that could alter the amount the Hokies plan to take in this class.
With so few spots left, the Virginia Tech coaching staff has begun to narrow their focus on who they want to add in this 2013 class. Below are a few of the bigger names left on the target board as we head into the summer camp season in June and July.
CB Kendall Fuller
Location: Olney, Maryland
Overview: Fuller is by far the most important recruit left in this class for Virginia Tech. Not only does he have major family ties to Blacksburg, he plays a position where Virginia Tech is known for producing NFL caliber players. Odds are, the Hokies will win this race but if Fuller does wait to January, it leaves the Hokies eight months to second guess themselves.
Still Considering: Virginia Tech, Clemson, Michigan, and Tennessee
RB Derrick Green
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Overview: The Hokies are set to bring in three running backs in 2012 so landing a top flight running back is not of the upmost importance. But, Derrick Green is a potential NFL caliber running back and he’s in your best recruiter’s district. Even with a loaded backfield, landing Green would be a major coup for the Hokies.
Still Considering: Clemson, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech
WR MarQuez North
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Overview: Looking back over past classes, the Hokies have not had much success bringing in four star out-of-state wide receivers. In fact, we’ve never signed a four star out of state receiver in the Rivals.com era (2002-present). So, odds are MarQuez North will not sign with us in February going on past history. But, North is still open and he’s still considering a visit to Blacksburg. If he follows through, anything is possible.
Still Considering: Clemson, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, and NC State
LB Matt Rolin
Location: Ashburn, Virginia
Overview: Tech has struck out on a few MIKE linebackers recently so you could make an argument that Matt Rolin is the most important recruit left on the board for the Hokies. As it stands, Rolin seems to be down to South Carolina and Virginia Tech with the rest of the pack well behind those two. The Ashburn native has family ties to both schools with his grandfather being a former Gamecock and his brother currently enrolled at Virginia Tech. With a summer decision looming, this appears to be a 50/50 race at the moment.
Still Considering: South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Florida, Florida State, and Georgia
ATH D.J. Reid
Location: Chester, Virginia
Overview: Honestly, it seems like a matter of time before D.J. Reid commits to the Hokies but they are receiving some stiff competition from USF and UVA. There’s also a chance that Oregon could offer in the next few weeks but it remains to be seen if Reid would be open to traveling across the country to play college football. Tech seems to be in good shape for the versatile athlete but I’m sure the Hokies would like to see him wrap it up sooner rather then later.
Still Considering: Virginia Tech, UVA, and USF
DE Wyatt Teller
Location: Bealeton, Virginia
Overview: The Hokies and the Hoos have been locked in some tight battles over the last few years but thankfully, Tech has won a lot of those battles. This, however, isn’t going to be one of those victories. Teller seems to be a UVA lean and I don’t see us changing his mind unless we can get him back on campus before he commits. If he visits for our June 3rd camp, we’ll at least have a punchers chance. If not, he’s UVA bound in my opinion.
Still Considering: UVA and Virginia Tech
DE Jonathan Allen
Location: Ashburn, Virginia
Overview: Allen was the surprise visitor during the Spring game weekend but since then, the northern Virginia native has been quiet. Obviously, he still favors Alabama due to his family ties to that area. But, the Hokies have a chance here and Allen doesn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to decide. If he decides to hold off until during his senior season or afterwards to commit, Tech will have a good chance at landing the 5 star.
Still Considering: Alabama, Florida, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, and Penn State
DB DeaSean Hamilton
Location: Stafford, Virginia
Overview: With the plethora of defensive back prospects the Hokies already have committed, it’s intriguing to see the Hokies still recruiting up to three more. Of course, a few of those guys will prefer to play wide receiver and that may be the reason for the extra room. Hamilton is a name that hasn’t been mentioned as much recently but the Hokies are still the leader as long as their willing to take him. I’d watch out for UVA in this race though.
Still Considering: Virginia Tech, UVA, and Miami
DB Brandon Facyson
Location: Newnan, Georgia
Overview: The last defensive back on the list is Brandon Facyson out of Georgia. Facyson is an impressive prospect that is every bit of the 6’2” that he’s listed at on Rivals.com. With his frame, it’s easy to see why the Virginia Tech coaching staff is saving a spot for him in this 2013 class. As it stands now, it’s down to the in-state Yellow Jackets and the out of state Hokies for this three star’s services.
Still Considering: Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech
WR Uriah LeMay
Location: Matthews, North Carolina
Overview: Since his arrival in 2006, wide receiver’s coach Kevin Sherman has done a good job developing talent and placing six wide receivers in the NFL. That success is starting to pay off on the recruiting trail and Tech could cash in big if they land Uriah LeMay. Right now, Georgia is still the team to beat especially since his brother is a quarterback there. That obstacle is going to be tough to overcome. But, LeMay is open to other colleges and he has been receptive to what Coach Sherman has to say. If we can get LeMay up to Blacksburg over the summer, we’ll have a chance.
Still Considering: Georgia, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Auburn, and Florida State
LB Oren Burks
Location: Lorton, Virginia
Overview: If it wasn’t for a bit of a logjam at linebacker, Oren Burks might have been a Hokie by now. Instead, the Tech coaching staff has only offered Burks a greyshirt offer and is waiting to see how some of their other targets fall before offering him regular enrollment. Burks is a lanky prospect with plenty of room to grow and pack on pounds. If Tech offers July enrollment, he’ll likely commit to the Hokies. If not, watch out for UVA in this race.
Still Considering: Virginia Tech, UVA, Nebraska, Maryland, NC State, and Boston College
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Is Drew Harris going to get in or is he going to have to prep for a year? i am very nervous about this if he has to prep because it seems we lose out on a lot of recruits that have to go off and prep.
Justin – great article!! Keep up the good work!
Thanks. We’ll know in June. School is still in session so its hard to say right now. Just have to hope that Harris can get the test score he needs to get in.
What is the real chance of seeing VT land Derrick Green. I think he has more potential than any of our RB recruits from last year or any on the current roster for that matter. Losing Kendall Fuller would be a huge blow for the program. People can say what they want but UVA is making an impact on recruiting. 5 years ago no way we lose a battle for a guy like Teller.
With Clemson losing Mike Bellamy, I think that may give Clemson a major advantage for Green. Their backfield is a lot less loaded than ours but I know Shane Beamer has been on him a lot since April. We have a chance but Clemson is the leader. As for Fuller, I really don’t see him going anywhere other than VT.
Kendall Fuller is a BEAST! Mike Farrell of Rivals said he is the best DB prospect since Patrick Peterson. If we don’t get him then we will never take that next step as a program this is a must get. At least we got a Big Time transfer today for Basketball in Adam Smith very good player.
Smith is a good pickup just wish he could sign some BS waiver that would allow him to play this year haha. At least it gives us another body in practice. Hard to practice 5 on 5 when you only have 8 guys.
Additionally, DT – Donta Wilkins is being recruited fairly hard by Bud and OT Justin Evans is the third and last offensive line target of Mike O’cain’s. Also, I don’t believe we are totally giving up on WR Michael Parker or LB Marcus Newby. And lastly heard Drew Harris should quaify, he just fell short the first time around and by all accounts he is a very bright guy. As for his recovery from the injury…he ran his fastest 40 to date and now says he has grown to 6’2″, 220lbs with %5 body fat…
Call me premature but so be it, Thoughts on 2014 Hand? Possibly the number one recruit in the nation for 2014 match that with Kendall Fuller at number 4 for 2013 we may have turned the corner in the recruiting department. Harris getting in is a must. I am high on Burkes, i cant imagine why he is just a grey shirt offer i believe he has as much upside as anyone we have committed so far. 2014 is suppose to be Virginia’s year for talent any premature early word on any big name leans?
Hand has only visited VT so we’re high on his list. He’s coming back to VT for a camp this summer, which is a good sign.
Brown has been to UVA a few times and VT twice, I think. He seems to be a UVA lean but its very, very early. I think this year’s results could really influence him so lets hope for a 5-7 season for UVA and another ACC Championship for us. He is friends or related (their was a twitter debate on this yesterday) with new UVA commit Corwin Cutler so we’ll have to see how much that impacts him.
Those are the top two guys but VA is loaded next year. I admit I really like Jalyn Holmes and Derrick Nnadi. Holmes has the potential to be a 6’6″ 260 pound DE in the future. He has a great frame and a lot of natural speed and power. Plus, he loves VT. Nnadi is a bit of a UVA lean but I think he would be the perfect fit at DT in our system. Honestly, I could see UVA and VT splitting the top four DL’s in the state with Hand and Holmes going to VT and Nnadi and Brown going to UVA. It’s early so that could change but I think that’s the way these guys are leaning right now.
Quin Blanding is a UVA lean, even though he’s a 5 star DB. He wants to visit VT again though so he’s still open to other schools. Bayside’s coaches are tight with UVA though. It’s why Smoke Mizzell will commit to UVA soon.
Also, D’Andre Payne is a name to remember. He’s a shorter but talented CB out of DC. Of course, CJ Reavis and Marshawn Williams are two to remember as well. Both are in-state and Reavis is out of Thomas Dale, which has been a VT factory of late. Williams is out of Hampton, VA so I think we have a good chance there, especially if we don’t take a RB this year.
I think that’s a good breakdown. I’m going to start covering 2014 kids in June or July.
Good stuff, looking forward to the next two years on the trail, should be a time we can reload for a title push
Justin, since you brought up the UVA recruiting battles, I think it is extremely important for us to get Kyle Fuller. If he goes elsware… especially “Clemson” it is a big time blow to our recruiting Status. First of all UVA will improve every year on the field. Their offence is going to be very good. Defense will still be average. But doubt very seriously they will go 5-7 this year. But back to recruiting, Clemson still can be a thorn in our side in a number of ways and without Fuller in the fold and UVA in good position for LaChaston Smith, Smoke Mizzell, Wyatt Teller, DeaSean Hamilton, Arshad Jackson and Miles Nash it starts to level the playing filed a bit and we should be concerned. Mizzell & Teller are all ACC caliber players. Plus I think most of us are still concerned with our lack of attracting 4 star offensive line talent…if we were better in this area year after year we would always be solid going forward.
UVA will get theirs, I don’t think there’s anyway to deny that. London is a good recruiter but he still hasn’t proven himself to be a successful, top level ACC coach yet. That shiny luster will wear off if UVA can’t get over that 7 or 8 win hump in the next few years.
As for the 4 star OL talent, it’s just tough to land those guys when we have little to no OL tradition. Plus, most of the top players get offers from Alabama, Florida, Texas, Michigan, Ohio State, etc early on in the process. Our best chance comes when we can land a guy like Pfaff, who’s a 4 star talent but just remains under the radar through his junior season. Also, the state of VA hasn’t been too kind to us lately either. The state hasn’t produced many great OLs over the past few years. Even now, 2014 is a loaded year in-state but a top OL still has not been identified yet. I think Shane Beamer is trying to change that perception a bit and having Becton and Painter have good seasons could really help us in 2014 and 2015. They both could be 1st-3rd round picks with a good showing this fall.
What are our chances with Jalen Tabor?
He’s open and we’re in his top 8 or whatever. He’s a CB so we can sell tradition, location, and NFL potential which will help us. But, it’s going to be tough to land him with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and a few other offers already in hand.
tabor really like tennessee right now, and i think teller may suprise you when he announces, and derrick green likes us more than you think. fuller is a Hokie, and burks, reid, and pfaf are basically 4 stars, rolin is closer to us now and i beleive with another visit if we throw it all at him, he’ll choose VT over USC EAST at the end of the day. and you’re forgetting that muhotta mayb a 4 star, that kids a beast as well, no less than top 20 in the state preolly 15, and the WR kamera will come dsown to in sdtate and i think he likes us a lil bit more, and steven Moss is the best OL in the state last 3 years by the time he graduates in my opinion
also still a fighting chance at allen and tim harris will take his officials to
OSU, WVU, UVA, Michigan. and Guess you, thats right VT. can you imagine us landing harris, fisher, green, reid, and jefferson, the top 5 players from Richmond, plus all but mizzel and mayb wilkins from the 757, and with hamilton, the top stafford guys, VA would be our to lose next season. I could see us going back to the BCS NC game within the next 5 yeazrs and twice before Beamer retires
Would love to get Allen…he was the best player in NOVA as a Soph…I know everybody is saying Fuller is a Hokie…that’s why it has to happen because if it doesn’t it will be headlines in recruiting circles especially if rivals makes him the No 1 recruit! and if Clemson swoops in then it is a double whammy after stealing 5 star Stephen Anthony last year. I wasn’t sold on Teller at the end of the year but now believe he is a beast…reminds me of Chris Long…sure UVA is using the same analogy? I know the Rolin family fairly well and I still think it’s 50/50 with VT; (Grandfather/Grandmother/Uncle/Aunt/Cousins all live in Columbia) the one thing in our favor is that USC does not have a good reputation in NOVA for a number of reasons the least of which is academics! But we are stacked with DB’s and LB’s so expect Hamilton and Burks to go to UVA? I think we have a good one in Drew Harris…reminds me of Eric Dickerson with his running style…think he is the key with speedsters Coleman & Mangus over the next few years. Although Holmes will be serviceable next year we need someone to beat him out down the road because he does not have BCS-NC type talent?
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm Burks is a Hokie, and would go out of state before uva, i highly doubt he wants to go up against to good friends of his (The Vandykes). hamilton is VT, Uva, Illinois, Miami in that order i think, or uva may be 1st, Rolin i think we still and we land reid, bowens, and mayb crooks with fuller, if we can still harris soehow mayb the Richmond areaa commits could all sway green to come join the family, but i do know we are very much still in the race or Green
I think we land Fuller, Reid, Hamilton, 2 guys who emerge at our camps in june and july it happens every year, and Burks. I don’t like our chances with Green and Allen and Rolen. If we needed RB’s then we would most likely land Green but if Harris gets in then no way we get Green. Allen is SEC Bound, and so is Rolen.
What about cameron sutton or kwamane bowens? And are we still in it for delando crooks, Justin evans, and jeremi hall?
What are your thoughts on how the new Big 12 / SEC Mega Bowl impacts VT?
To me, this is the biggest catalyst in the conference reallignment yet. 4 major conferences are being defined by affiliation with the now two and only two premier bowls – the Pac 12 and Big 10 in the Rose Bowl and the SEC and Big 12 in the New Bowl. The money disparity between these 4 conferences and the remaining suckers will be significant.
It’s funny how fast this all changed. Not too long ago the Pac 10 was going to gobble up Texas et all and become the PAC 16, destroying the Big 12. But now, the Big 12 seemingly dug itself out of that grave and destroyed the Big East / ACC, whose remaining teams will presumably be pirated by the Big 10 and SEC. Here’s to hoping VT is not on the outside looking in at the 4 mega conferences.
I think we’ll see VT in the SEC, Notre Dame in the Big 10, and FSU and Clemson in the Big 12 by 2015.
I’m not sure about anyone else, although I would guess UVA will stay in whats left of the ACC / Big East.
I do think that Miami picked the worst possible time to have a significant NCAA investigation, as they will go from being a perennial powerhouse to being left behind in a few short years.
If we do make the move to the SEC and we should of course if they still want us we need to recruit alot better then we do now. This 2013 class so far only has 4 High caliber SEC players in it we need to stop reaching on players especially O-Line.