A look at where we stand with recruiting after the Spring Game...

[Forty_Sixand2]

Depending on attrition, we have only 12-15 scholarships to give out this season.

We already have 2 high end commits:

Kris Harley is a big defensive lineman who plays tackle in high school but may be an end on the next level. He had schoalrship offers from over 15 schools including USC, Nebraska, Michigan and Oklahoma. We also beat out fellow ACC schools UNC and Wake Forest to get him. How did we pull a guy out of th emiddle on Indiana you may say? Well we took an underappreciated running back from the same school a few years ago who was not getting any attention even though he had won the Mr. Indiana football award. His name....Darren Evans. He compared our spring game atmosphere to that of Ohio State.

Ronny VanDyke was our first recruit and he is a massive safety who did not have a huge offer sheet to begin with but has been getting a bunch since committing. He may play Rover or Whip at the next level. he did have offers from BC, WVU, Maryland and UVA.


Right now we have these guys on our radar:

Very Good Chance:

David Watford (QB)
Corey Marshall (DT)

Good Chance:

Kameron Mack (jumbo ATH)
Landon Turner (OL)
Adeboye Aromire (CB)
Lafonte Thourogood (ATH/QB)
Michael Holmes (RB)
Jake Goins (OL)
Kiaro Holts (OL) - superstar, teammate of Harley
Curtis Grant (LB) - top player in VA

Decent Chance:

Dominique Terrell (ATH)
Demetrious Nicholson (CB)
Travis Hughes (LB)
Stephone Anthony (LB)
Marquise Williams (QB)
Mack Crowder (OL)
Kris Frost (DE)


Let me know if you want my opinion on any of these guys.

 

[hokiehighsuperfly]

Watford would be a nice pick up with Tayor graduating next season. I really don't have much confidence in Ju-Ju, which sucks because with that name he would have been great to have in the headlines.

 

[saltrules]

Hey I just joined here from a referral from amszete. Looks to be a pretty good board from what I've seen. Less trolls and stuff. As for recruiting, there are a couple of guys I kind of disagree with you on the chance we have with them and I just wanted to know why you have the opinion you have on them.

Curtis Grant - he has been very silent about his recruitment and claims to have no leaders right now. He also is setting a lot of officials to places like Ohio State, Michigan, and Alabama. What makes you think we have a good chance at getting him?

Travis Hughes - I thought we had a very good shot at getting him. I know he his brother goes to Maryland and he might be favoring Maryland a little, but I think we could easily pull him in.

Kris Frost - I don't think we have much of a chance with him. I think Auburn or Michigan is going to pull him in without much contention from us.

Marquise Williams - I don't think we have much of a shot with him either. He listed his favorites a little bit ago as UNC, ND, and Michigan.

Stephone Anthony - The last prospect I disagree with. He is very high on Florida and Clemson. It seems we are basically out of the picture.

Everyone else I feel is in a good category in terms of chances we have at getting them.

 

[Ghost In The Machine]

Hey I just joined here from a referral from amszete. Looks to be a pretty good board from what I've seen. Less trolls and stuff. As for recruiting, there are a couple of guys I kind of disagree with you on the chance we have with them and I just wanted to know why you have the opinion you have on them.

Curtis Grant - he has been very silent about his recruitment and claims to have no leaders right now. He also is setting a lot of officials to places like Ohio State, Michigan, and Alabama. What makes you think we have a good chance at getting him?

Travis Hughes - I thought we had a very good shot at getting him. I know he his brother goes to Maryland and he might be favoring Maryland a little, but I think we could easily pull him in.

Kris Frost - I don't think we have much of a chance with him. I think Auburn or Michigan is going to pull him in without much contention from us.

Marquise Williams - I don't think we have much of a shot with him either. He listed his favorites a little bit ago as UNC, ND, and Michigan.

Stephone Anthony - The last prospect I disagree with. He is very high on Florida and Clemson. It seems we are basically out of the picture.

Everyone else I feel is in a good category in terms of chances we have at getting them.

Great first post. Where did VT end up listed in this last recruiting class?

 

[757Hokie83]

ahh the hokies are multiplying

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Great first post. Where did VT end up listed in this last recruiting class?

Rivals had us at #23 and #4 in the ACC

Scout had us at #36

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Hey salt,

Glad to have you aboard.

The feeling that I have on Grant is more of a hunch than anything else. All that he has said has indicated that he does not want to go to far away from his family and that he would rather go to a team where he will play quickly than one where he will have to wait things out. I also get the impression that he is very high on our recruiting and coaching staffs. He is a very smart kid and can see through the BS that some coaches spout off and our guys have always been considered down to earth straight shooters. He LOVES Foster and has spoken with him. I just have a feeling he will be a Hokie or a Hoo.

After some recent talk from him, i would put Hughes into the "good chance" category. It will likely be Maryland and VT that fight it out for him. he and Grant were really close at the Nike camp and it indicated that they may want to go together someplace. If that place was 25 miles south of Roanoke off of I-81 at exit 118 we would all be thrilled, right.

We offered Frost as a defensive end and he wants to play linebacker but every interiew I see with him, he still mentions us in his favorites, so i am not going to dismiss him yet. His recruitment reminds me a bit of Gibson last year in that he may see a better chance of making a scene with the Hokies. Defensive linemen and 3-4 OLBs make more money in the NFL than 4-3 backers and the Hokies have a pretty good pipeline of sending guys to the League.

I want to kick Williams off the list but until Thoroughgood or Watford commit, I can't. he still praises the Hokies in his interviews and who knows....

As long as Barquell Rivers is Anthony's cousin and he has an official lined up, which he is working on now, I am not going to toss him off the list and I really think that we have a VERY good chance of getting him, especially with how high Barquell is on his treatment here. Also, his recruiter will be in his neck of the woods this weekend, so who knows. UF will be the team to beat, but we are not out of the picture



(side note) Jack Tyler, a walk on linebacker from Oakton HS last year earned a scholarship and is now listed as the third string Mike backer. Congrats to him!!!

 

[bigesse16]

Hey guys, new here but here's my thoughts on some prospects you're talking about:

Grant- He's keeping his recruiting close to the chest and is wide open, but I have a good feeling that VT is in as good of position as anyone else. He grew up a VT fan and has been there several times. Also, many feel that he wants to stay close to home and think that it will be an instate battle for him. I do think it will be a VT-UVA battle, and hopefully VT comes out on top. But this one won't be over for a long time.

Hughes- Seems like he's favoring MD because of his brother, but VT has put itself in great position as of late. I heard he and his family are going to go to the VT-Boise ST game, which would be awesome for a prospect to watch. It'll be tough to lure him away from a place he's comfortable with, but if MD has another poor year and Ralph is on the hot seat, it may help lure him away.

Williams- VT is in very good position, but the problem here is that I think he'll take a while to finish his recruiting and Thourogood and Watford may commit over the summer, which would give no room for Williams. I think Thourogood and Williams are a tossup, and I believe VT favors Thourogood anyway.

Anthony- Another kid that will probably not finish his recruitment until signing day. Most feel that Florida is the clear leader with VT and Clemson behind. Florida will be tough to beat, but the longer this goes on, the better I feel about VT's chances. There's nothing for them to lose now and if they can get an OV out of Anthony, then we're in good shape, not to necessarily land him but make it close.

Frost- We're high on his list, but not as high as others. He's high on Michigan and Auburn and sounds like he may take a while like the others. We're recruiting his as a DE, so that may help with being different, but we have alot of young talent on the Dline.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Hey guys, new here but here's my thoughts on some prospects you're talking about:

Grant- He's keeping his recruiting close to the chest and is wide open, but I have a good feeling that VT is in as good of position as anyone else. He grew up a VT fan and has been there several times. Also, many feel that he wants to stay close to home and think that it will be an instate battle for him. I do think it will be a VT-UVA battle, and hopefully VT comes out on top. But this one won't be over for a long time.

Hughes- Seems like he's favoring MD because of his brother, but VT has put itself in great position as of late. I heard he and his family are going to go to the VT-Boise ST game, which would be awesome for a prospect to watch. It'll be tough to lure him away from a place he's comfortable with, but if MD has another poor year and Ralph is on the hot seat, it may help lure him away.

Williams- VT is in very good position, but the problem here is that I think he'll take a while to finish his recruiting and Thourogood and Watford may commit over the summer, which would give no room for Williams. I think Thourogood and Williams are a tossup, and I believe VT favors Thourogood anyway.

Anthony- Another kid that will probably not finish his recruitment until signing day. Most feel that Florida is the clear leader with VT and Clemson behind. Florida will be tough to beat, but the longer this goes on, the better I feel about VT's chances. There's nothing for them to lose now and if they can get an OV out of Anthony, then we're in good shape, not to necessarily land him but make it close.

Frost- We're high on his list, but not as high as others. He's high on Michigan and Auburn and sounds like he may take a while like the others. We're recruiting his as a DE, so that may help with being different, but we have alot of young talent on the Dline.

Agreed on all points. If I had to predict, I say that we get Grant, Watford, Thoroughgood and Hughes from this crew along with other big time guys Holts and Hughes. That would be a spectacular set, if we get them.

 

[bigesse16]

Agreed on all points. If I had to predict, I say that we get Grant, Watford, Thoroughgood and Hughes from this crew along with other big time guys Holts and Hughes. That would be a spectacular set, if we get them.

Realistically, I think we land Watford, Thourogood, and Grant. We're in great position to land Hughes and think we can change his mind over MD.

I'm hoping we can get Landon Turner, but UNC is neck and neck with us. He'll make a decision by the fall, so hopefully he camps here over the summer, but I think he's taking an OV with us.

Holts is an intriguing guy because I thought he'd commit to us soon after Harley, but that Florida offer has him thinking and taking the process slower than expected. I'm not confident with him, but we'll see.

If we have a class with Grant, Harley, Vandyke, Hughes, Turner, Holts, Terrell, Thourogood, Watford, and Holmes, I'll be very happy.

 

[saltrules]

Realistically, I think we land Watford, Thourogood, and Grant. We're in great position to land Hughes and think we can change his mind over MD.

I'm hoping we can get Landon Turner, but UNC is neck and neck with us. He'll make a decision by the fall, so hopefully he camps here over the summer, but I think he's taking an OV with us.

Holts is an intriguing guy because I thought he'd commit to us soon after Harley, but that Florida offer has him thinking and taking the process slower than expected. I'm not confident with him, but we'll see.

If we have a class with Grant, Harley, Vandyke, Hughes, Turner, Holts, Terrell, Thourogood, Watford, and Holmes, I'll be very happy.

I think we can get most of the people you listed. Biggest challenges will be Terrell, who I think will end up at WVU or Tech, Hughes, probably favoring Maryland, and Grant, who I'm just kind of unsure about. Also does anyone know if Thourogood/Watford's decision hinges on whether or not either one commits first?

 

[bigesse16]

I think we can get most of the people you listed. Biggest challenges will be Terrell, who I think will end up at WVU or Tech, Hughes, probably favoring Maryland, and Grant, who I'm just kind of unsure about. Also does anyone know if Thourogood/Watford's decision hinges on whether or not either one commits first?

I believe that Thourogood has stated he wants to be the only QB, but we've told him that he's our number 1 priority at the position, so if we take someone like Watford, he may not be opposed. Watford is very good, but not in the same class as Thourogood and Williams. I'm not sure how Thourogood would react if we took him and Williams.

With limited scholarships, I'm not sure how I feel about taking two QBs again, but at least it provides depth for a while, instead of having to rely on walk-ons as potential backups.

I'd like us to take a WR or two since our depth is very top heavy right now. We've had minimal impact at the position the last two years, which may pose a problem down the road.

 

[saltrules]

I believe that Thourogood has stated he wants to be the only QB, but we've told him that he's our number 1 priority at the position, so if we take someone like Watford, he may not be opposed. Watford is very good, but not in the same class as Thourogood and Williams. I'm not sure how Thourogood would react if we took him and Williams.

With limited scholarships, I'm not sure how I feel about taking two QBs again, but at least it provides depth for a while, instead of having to rely on walk-ons as potential backups.

I'd like us to take a WR or two since our depth is very top heavy right now. We've had minimal impact at the position the last two years, which may pose a problem down the road.

I would also love to see us take a wide receiver also. The problem is the only wide receiver we have offered so far is Funderburke, who is almost for sure going SEC or USC. Unless you count Terrell as a WR, which I think will end up as a CB, VT coaches aren't really pursing that many WRs this recruiting class.

 

[bigesse16]

I would also love to see us take a wide receiver also. The problem is the only wide receiver we have offered so far is Funderburke, who is almost for sure going SEC or USC. Unless you count Terrell as a WR, which I think will end up as a CB, VT coaches aren't really pursing that many WRs this recruiting class.

And I see this as a problem. The last two classes, I believe we've only taken 1 WR each time, which I understand due to the depth in the 2008 class. Redshirting Davis and Boyce, helps out, but we should RS Coles to provide space so that after the 2011 season, we have some veteran receivers there and not having a repeat of 2008.

Funderburke probably will go to the SEC, but Alabama already has 4-5 WR this class. We may be in better position with him than originally thought.

 

[saltrules]

And I see this as a problem. The last two classes, I believe we've only taken 1 WR each time, which I understand due to the depth in the 2008 class. Redshirting Davis and Boyce, helps out, but we should RS Coles to provide space so that after the 2011 season, we have some veteran receivers there and not having a repeat of 2008.

Funderburke probably will go to the SEC, but Alabama already has 4-5 WR this class. We may be in better position with him than originally thought.

I thought it was possible that Coles was switching to DE or something? Was that just a rumor or did the coaches actually go through with it? Also I know Alabama has taken a lot of WR this class, but I just don't think we have any shot at Funderburke. Offers from Florida and USC also seem to contribute to the problem.

Also, I know this completely random to the topic, but does anyone know when rivals is going to come out with star rankings for the 2011 class? I remember last year they came out with them like 2 months ago.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

I thought it was possible that Coles was switching to DE or something? Was that just a rumor or did the coaches actually go through with it? Also I know Alabama has taken a lot of WR this class, but I just don't think we have any shot at Funderburke. Offers from Florida and USC also seem to contribute to the problem.

Also, I know this completely random to the topic, but does anyone know when rivals is going to come out with star rankings for the 2011 class? I remember last year they came out with them like 2 months ago.

Coles was talked about as moving to Whip or Rover, but not defensive end. I know we like em small, but that would be crazy small.

As for the rivals dates, here you go:

Tue, June 1: The Rivals 100 will be released
Wed, June 2: The Rivals 250 will be released
Thu, June 3: 4 and 5 stars will be unveiled (Harley should be here)
Mon, June 7: Offensive player rankings released
Tue, June 8: Defensive player rankings released
Mon, June 14: State rankings released

I expect Harley to be a 5.9 or 6.0 4*
I Expect Vandyke to be a 5.7 3*

 

[saltrules]

Harley not in top 100? I think that's pretty surprising. Neither is Kiaro Holts. I thought these guys would definitely be in the top 100.

 

[bigesse16]

Harley not in top 100? I think that's pretty surprising. Neither is Kiaro Holts. I thought these guys would definitely be in the top 100.

I'd expect both those guys to be in the top 250, close to 100.

Curtis Grant was their #8 player though.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Harley not in top 100? I think that's pretty surprising. Neither is Kiaro Holts. I thought these guys would definitely be in the top 100.

According to something that I read somewhere, a few weeks back they were concerned about his size, but he is in the middle of a growth spurt and could care less about where a preseason website ranks him. He sounds like a perfect Hokie.

Grant and Anthony both made the top 100, and are high on the Hokie watch list. Grant also got a 5 star rating.

Guys in the 250:

Turner, Hughes, Holts, Marshall, Terrell, Nicholson

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Rivals 250 is out. Kris Harley came in at #202.

Others of interest:

Nicholson - 101
Turner - 108
Hughes - 149
Terrell - 189
Holts - 199
Marshall - 250

We have offers out to 11 of the top 250, and one commit. Along with Grant, the ones I bolded are my predictions for who we will end up with.