Liz Kitleys 53rd double-double, matched by Taylor Soules double-double, and G sinks 5 Threes! 5-11 / Hes a leader. READ MORE, Bodie Kahoun recently picked up an offer from Virginia Tech, and the Roanoke native will be in Blacksburg tonight. Greene (Knoxville), Fitzgerald (Nashville) and Phillips (Nashville) all came on board this month. Its the second consecutive season Tech has been ranked in that neighborhood after middling to forgettable classes in 2021 (44th) and 2020 (76th). The No. 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. Prys focus upon his hiring was to rebuild relationships within the Commonwealth. Start blasting Metallica's "Enter Sandman." The Virginia Tech Hokies just added one of the top running backs in the country to their 2022 recruiting class as four-star running back Ramon Brown . Buy Tickets Opens in new window. Ishmael Findlayter, Linebacker: Tavorian Copeland, Aycen Stevens. The Hokies wanted to add talent to the wide receiver position, and they certainly did. (Gio Heater) On Monday, Virginia Tech's complete 2023 football schedule was releasedon the ACC Network. He offers consistency, Mines said. Drones immediately enters the battle for the starting spot, with Wittke, an early commitment from a powerhouse Georgia program in Buford, and Watson, a scintillating late addition out of Massachusetts who flipped from Nebraska earlier this month, getting into the developmental pipeline. 285, DL / You have ball skills, theyre usually pretty quick twitch, the short-area quickness. Welcome to Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Signing Day Central for the Class of 2023. 5-10 / 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. He is another player who was undervalued. While no one will confuse Virginia Tech's incoming class with Alabama . Michael Hazel. While he may not stick at corner, he could make an impact at safety or linebacker, depending on how much size he adds. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. Virginia Tech football is putting a stamp on its 2023 signing class with as good of a finish as you could have asked for from head coach Brent Pry in his first real recruiting cycle. The Hokies like the new additions on the offensive line, wide receiver and the defensive backfield. 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. Felton is a bigger-bodied receiver that Techs lacked in recent years, listed at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds. He and Drones struck up a fast relationship during their visit, and both committed. Pennix is another local standout from Appomattox. On Friday, Sierra Canyon (Calif.) four-star small forward AJ . 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. 6-2 / Its Post Season Accolade Time for the Virginia Tech Hokie Womens Basketball Team. The recent additions put the Hokies at 91 scholarship players by my rough count if you include all of the 2023 commitments and every senior who has an available COVID-19 year. DaWain Lofton can play the slot, while others like Tucker Holloway and Xayvion Bradshaw push for time in the lineup. His style of play is reminiscent of former Penn . 318, DL / It wouldnt be easy after Justin Fuente ignored the state for years. For our in-house analysis of each signee for Virginia Tech, check out our videos on YouTube. "We do have time to schedule meetings, involve parents or families or coaches, if we need to, on young men considering forgoing their senior year to go to the NFL, guys considering going to the transfer portal, or guys you potentially want to help them get somewhere where they've got a better chance to play and be successful. I really like this group. In addition to key transfers in quarterback Kyron Drones and receiver Ali Jennings III, the Hokies have gotten six high school commitments this month, with four coming from players who are among the top-six ranked recruits in Techs class receivers Chance Fitzgerald (2) and Ayden Greene (3), cornerback Antonio Cotman Jr. (5) and quarterback Pop Watson (6). Lord Botetourt Contingent Makes The Trip 5-9 / Felton is from Portsmouth. In the composite rankings, Adams is. Theres a little bit of a gap between the old guys and this group, he said. And you go down the road and theres a coach youve known for 20 years and you can say, Tell me about that guy. And he says, Coach, thats a heck of a ball player. Enjoy! There were no last-second decommitments or signing day swings and misses, a welcome change from recent years, and the Hokies even had a few surprises up their sleeves for the public, with a pair of transfers, defensive end Darian Varner and receiver DaQuan Felton, and high school safety Mose Phillips announcing their intentions to sign with Tech on Wednesday. We really like the way he rushes the quarterback, Pry said. Tech Sidelines content of this years signing day includes a podcast around 3:30 p.m. There are 25 high school signees, plus four transfer additions. All Hokie, All the Time. 6-0 / Brandon Patterson breaks down that game. 230, CB / Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. READ MORE, Virginia Tech hasn't signed an Ohio recruit since 2014, but with most of Ohio falling within the 6-hour radius, that should change. 57 player in the class at the edge position, 247 has him at No. So a guy that can supply some depth and come in and be a rotational guy, give us a chance to develop this young group.. . 250, S / The Virginia Tech Hokies wrapped up the early signing period last week feeling pretty good about the 2023 recruiting class. Recruit images were posted here as NLIs were received see the area below the table. 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. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Gambling problem? A ranking of the 2023 Best College Football Players in West Virginia. This years class is loading up on defensive backs. He has that mentality to play this position at a high level.. I think in this cycle, they understand we meant it. 210, IOL / The good thing about that position is they have the same qualities, Mines said. He was a hybrid linebacker-defensive back in both 2019 and 2020, registering a bulk of his time at the coined 'Whip' position. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Virginia Tech football: Hokies land 4-star JUCO pass-rusher James Jennette Jennette is a promising edge rusher. Takye Heath is a player to watch. Email Address. 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 Hokies had circled him as a possibility before he went in the portal, so once he officially put his name out there, offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen had done his homework and was the first coach Drones welcomed on an in-home visit. 5-10 / All original material and images are copyrighted by TechSideline.com and may not be reused or reprinted without permission. -, S / 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. Early signing day is Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. New Nebraska coach Matt Rhule made a show of making his first offer on the job to cornerback Dante Lovett. 220, WR / 6-6.5 / 6-2 / ACC Championship. Grant Wells did not have a good initial season in Blacksburg, but in reality, he was the Hokies' best option . He had 729 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, 840 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns and 17 catches for 338 yards and three touchdowns, showing plenty of athletic chops for someone his size. 6-1 / Just a lot goes into it, so its easy to get excited when they jump on there and theyre signed, sealed and delivered.. Joe Spears 01/23/23. His brother played for Pry at Penn State, and he had other options, but that relationship with Pry was good for the Hokies. 237, WR / 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. 191, RB / Drones has three years of eligibility remaining. 61 receiver, coming off a season in which he had 85 catches for 1,268 yards and 14 TDs for Nolensville (Tenn.) High. Teams; CBS Sports; CBS SPORTS HQ; SportsLine; MaxPreps; Shop; . And Florida State made a late push for linebacker Caleb Woodson. Note: This article will be updated regularly so check back to get the latest updates on roster changes as Virginia Tech prepares for the 2023 season. Both Greene (1,127 yards, 19 TDs) and Fitzgerald (1,348 yards, 18 TDs) had monster senior seasons and could have the size to factor in right away. S. TyLyric Coleman Dan River (Ringgold, VA) 6-3 / 175. 16 ranking the state in the 247Sports Composite, making him the top-ranked player from Virginia in the Hokies class, hes much more well-regarded by Rivals, which lists him as a four-star recruit and the No. I had him in an all-star game or I coached him at camp or I went to college with his mom and dad. Those are the relationships that are meaningful, when you can get as much information about a guy to make sure youre taking the right kid, that youre doing the right thing.. We recruit defensive backs. Dante Lovett and Cameren Fleming were two of my favorites in this class. Welcome to Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Signing Day Central for the Class of 2023. Another defensive back: Though Tech did plenty of work restocking the defensive backfield, Pry wants a bridge between the vets and youngsters. - 12/6, Pheldarius Payne - Defensive End (per Andy Bitter), Mario Kendricks - Defensive Tackle (per Andy Bitter), Jalen Holston Running Back (No NCAA eligibility remaining), Jaylen Griffin - Defensive End (No NCAA eligibility remaining), Silas Dzansi - Offensive Line (No NCAA eligibility remaining), Ali Jennings - Wide Receiver - Old Dominion, Griffin Armstrong - Long Snapper - Louisiana Tech* Walk-on, Quan Felton - Wide Receiver - Norfolk State, Jaylin Lane - Wide Receiver - Middle Tennessee State, Derrick Canteen - Cornerback - Georgia Southern, Bhayshul Tuten - Running Back - North Carolina A&T. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. All-New 24/7 Sports News Network: Stream Now! (On3 ranks him 33rd, bringing down his average.). 300, S / 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. It shows that theyll block and find ways to contribute to the team.. In addition to some final high school targets, the Hokies are still pursuing several transfers Temple defensive lineman Darian Varner and Norfolk State receiver DaQuan Felton are a couple to watch in the short term, with former five-star Tony Grimes out of UNC an automatic take if Tech were somehow able to beat out some heavyweights and convince him to come here. Will Virginia Tech Soon Break Through In Ohio? A true legacy who can play. A ranking of the 2023 Best College Football Players in West Virginia. 623 55 9. Cornerback: Dante Lovett, Cameren Fleming, Antonio Cotman Jr. Safety: Mose Phillips, Braylon Johnson, Caleb Woodson, Athlete: Thomas Williams, Jonathan Pennix, Tralon Mitchell. 6-2 / 240. It helps when you can go to an area and theres a young man youre interested in that youre getting to know, Pry said. The Hokies currently have 19 commitments in their 2023 recruiting class, which will probably grow a little bit here. Tralon Mitchell is another who could up at running back, wide receiver, or on defense. Later on Friday afternoon at 3 P.M., Conner will participate in the Defensive Back drills. - / Let's take a closer look at who visited. He didnt garner much Power 5 attention coming out of Maury High in Norfolk in 2019, ranked as the 29th player in the state, but Pry said he was the heart and soul of a 15-0 state championship team down there. #8 Virginia Tech Hokies Dominate Miami to Reach the ACC Tournament Semi-Finals: 68-42. 4 player in the state. After veterans Hanson, Moore and Clements, the most experienced linemen on the roster are Schick (58 snaps) and a pair of freshmen, Braelin Moore (81) and Xavier Chaplin (27). They can do a lot of different things with their bodies, so having those qualities is a plus for me. (Courtesy of Virginia Tech Athletics). Recruits can send in their National Letter of Intent (NLI) starting at 7 a.m. Well begin providing updates at that time, and well be here all day. 1 wide receiver for the Hokies and a four-star transfer. Since the end of the season, seven of the eight commitments the Hokies have gotten either from the transfer portal or the high school ranks have been on offense, which makes sense, given Techs struggles on that side of the ball last season. Associate AD, Chief of Staff. Pry noted that Nashville is only a six-hour drive from Blacksburg, keeping it well within Techs footprint. He misses too many tackles due to risky angles and struggles coming to balance in the open field. Because what offenses do is they try to attack you when you have weaknesses in coverage. Football Nov 11 TBA. NA 135 140. After a showy signing day ceremony, the hay is in the barn now, with Pry finalizing his first full class with the Hokies, a group that ranks 35th in the 247Sports Composite and sixth in the ACC, not far from Virginia Techs historical norm. Hes the first tight end/H-back in the class after Tech took three last year DaeQuan Wright, Harrison Saint Germain and Gosnell. He'll visit Blacksburg for Junior Day next weekend. PUBLISHER. All original material and images are copyrighted by TechSideline.com and may not be reused or reprinted without permission. Heath looks like a future star. Projecting the depth chart By Andy Bitter Jan 4, 2023 38 BLACKSBURG, Va. New year, new roster and an evolving one at that. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. OT / Baylor is from Radford, and his combination of size and speed is exciting. Fitzgerald was the most recent offensive addition, committing to the Hokies on Friday. Copeland is a 6-foot-4, 195-pound from Appomattox. (Christian Moss is the only scholarship receiver on the roster whos 6-3.). ", Chamarri Conner Interview on Coverage, Favorite Position, Why he plays Football, Chammari Conner says he met with the Dallas Cowboys, Tuesday, February 28 - Registration, Pre-Exam, Orientation, Team Interviews, Wednesday, March 1 - General Medical Exam, Pre-ordered Studies, Team Interviews, Thursday, March 2 - Orthopedic Examination, Media Interviews, NFLPA Meeting, Team Interviews, Friday, March 3 - Measurements, On-field workout, Saturday, March 4 - Bench Press, Broadcast Interviews, Depart Indianapolis. TechSideline.com (a.k.a. I thought it was tough when we got Jason (Brown) and Grant last year at the same time. Lovett and Fleming are also players who had attention from other schools but maintained their pledges to the Hokies. The Hokies signed 25 players last week and could sign a few more before national signing day in February. He is perhaps the most important player in this class. There is still work to do in Northern Virginia and the 757, but Pry and his staff are off to a terrific start. READ MORE, With the 2023 Virginia Tech recruiting class now complete, it's time to assign our star ratings using the half-star system. The commentary is also linked in the Our Take column of the table below. We know all of these guys have the ability to cover.. Virginia Tech Head Coach Brent Pry expects roster turnover this offseason as he attempts to rebuild the Hokies roster by way of the transfer portal and the 2023 recruiting class. That thing will probably double over the next several days with it officially opening on Monday (December 5). LB. Thanks for the effort, fellas! Presented by. This site utilizes responsive web design, which renders the site properly on all platforms (PC, tablet, mobile). Jennings is an instant No. Here are three areas that should give Hokie fans hope. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Life Christian Academy (Colonial Heights, VA), Clarkson Football North (Mississauga, ON), RB / (As someone whos technically coming in as a walk-on, the Hokies couldnt comment publicly on him, thus his absence from Wednesdays signing day fanfare.). 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. 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. 6-1 / Of that second group, tight end Nick Gallo, safety Nasir Peoples and linebacker Alan Tisdale are the only three to publicly say they plan to return next season. It just so happened to fall in place that we kind of killed two birds with one stone. Pry thinks Tech secured commitments early from some undervalued players in the state who had strong senior seasons, which helped the Hokies fend off late challengers once their recruitment heated up, We came in here talking a big game about recruiting this state, he said. -, WR / For more details about the site, including a list of TechSideline.com staff, see our About page. 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. 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. But the staff has connections that way too, with defensive coordinator Chris Marve having played and coached at Vanderbilt, sam linebackers coach Shawn Quinn playing collegiately at Carson-Newman and with a number of past coaching jobs in Tennessee and Pry himself with stints at Memphis and Vanderbilt. Length offers the quarterback a little bit easier target. Pry added to a class mostly put together by his predecessor last year, with late commitments from tight end Benji Gosnell and offensive lineman Brody Meadows, who were the second and fourth highest-ranked members of the group, though that was blunted by signing day flips by running back Ramon Brown to Maryland and quarterback Alex Orji to Michigan. The rest of the commits are in alphabetical order by last name. 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. Jason Abbey is a defensive end from Richmond that has coaches excited. READ MORE, In-state cornerback Joshua Clarke has visited Virginia Tech six times, and he's close to narrowing his list. The 6-foot-1 wide receiver has over 20 scholarship offers and is the No. 6-4 / All high school NLIs received are listed below. Weve got to be better at that position. Pry said Tech has three or four spots its looking to bolster. Try a week on us. 6-5 / 300, LB / Cameron Clark Makes First Virginia Tech Visit. The highly versatile defensive back has played nearly every position in the Hokies' backfield dating back to 2018. Hes going to challenge them whenever they need to be challenged.. Its there. The speed and pattern matching, great, but the ball skills are above average. 280, PRO / And while well see if hes actually that big listed heights and weights on recruiting sites are hardly unimpeachable its a body type Techs lacking now that Kaleb Smith is in the transfer portal. Since the conclusion of the 2022 season, Conner has participated in the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowland has prepared himself for the NFL Combine. 215, QB / 13 Miami at Virginia Tech, Six players I am most excited to see during spring ball for Virginia Tech, Top target Keylen Adams returns to Virginia Tech, Offered TE Cameron Clark talks Virginia Tech visit, connection with Tyler Bowen, Two-sport standout James Nesta locks in seven March visits, Bodie Kahoun opens March with a return to Virginia Tech, Deuce Walker is building a relationship with Virginia Tech, Offered TE Willie Rodriguez excited to check out Virginia Tech, Five coaches Brent Pry could target to replace Joe Rudolph, Live Updates: Virginia Tech 75, Florida State 52 - Second Half, Game Chat: Virginia Tech hosts Florida State, 2023 Spring football game schedule, practice dates, Five Virginia Tech players that could see their stock rise this spring, '25 IMG CB looking forward to visiting Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech football: A look at the Hokies 2023 recruiting class, 2023 NFL Scouting Combine: Virginia Tech safety Chamarri Conner with an impressive day, Virginia Tech football: 2 former Hokies named 2 of the NFLs top 101 players. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. The secondary class is a fun group. Those are the rankings to focus on as they combine the different recruiting services. Presented by, 2024 tight end Cameron Clark took his first visit to Virginia Tech in late January after picking up a December offer. Dec 20, 2022 31 BLACKSBURG, Va. So this is what recruiting momentum feels like? Obviously, we think our guys can continue to develop, the young guys in our program. The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Varner was a first-team All-AAC performer at Temple in 2022 and can slide inside on passing downs. 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. One concern for the Hokies is they didnt do enough on the defensive line. 1 player in the state in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports' in-house rankings. 5-11 / 6-3 / Nine scholarship players have already gone into the portal. @CoachPryVT @TylerBowen @CoachShawnQuinn @HokiesFB pic.twitter.com/tCR903bBkM, Zeke Wimbush (@zekewimbush7) December 19, 2022. His list of collegiate accolades include 2020 Phil Steele All-ACC Third Team, 2020 All-ACC Honorable Mention, ACC Defensive Back of the Week (Sept. 7, 2021), 2021 ESPN All-ACC Midseason Team, 2021 Phil Steele All-ACC Second Team, 2021 All-ACC Honorable Mention (S), and his selection to the 2022-2023 Reese's Senior Bowl.