VT Recruits Attending the ESPN Under Armour Game

Here is a list of the recruits attending the ESPN Under Armour Game, and I've compiled a list of VT specific recruits:

Evan Hailes- DT, Oscar Smith
Phillip Sims- QB, Oscar Smith
Nick Dew- S, First Colonial
Justin Hunter- WR, Ocean Lakes

Brandon Dillard Cleared for Spring

Per Beamerball's Blog:

As Tech's 22 seniors enter their final spring practice, 3 players have already earned their degree. Cam Martin, Mark Muncey and Demetrius Taylor graduated last year. 7 individuals will graduate this May: Brent Bowden, Brandon Dillard, Cody Grimm, Kenny Lewis, Matt Tuttle, Matt Waldron and Ed Wang. In addition, 3 players will graduate over the summer and 6 more in the fall. This means that 19 of the 22 seniors will hold a degree from Virginia Tech prior to a post season bowl game. Head Trainer Mike Goforth, has cleared Brandon Dillard for practice on Wednesday. Dillard was injured last summer and missed the entire '08 season.

Josh Furman

An update on Furman's recruiting: Apparently both Michigan and Oklahoma are in on the mix after merely seeing the young man's film. I think they saw what VT's coaches saw: A mix of athleticism and power.

From what I've heard we're the frontrunner right now for his services.

ESPN Blog

Heather Dinich has some updates on VT's issues during spring... nothing new for the blog readers here but still something to lower productivity today.

Justin Parker

The Charleston-Post Courier has a good update on the 6'2", 220 lb prospect has VT in his top 3 along with Georgia and USC-E. While South Carolina looks to be the leader, VT has a good shot here.

There is also some mention of another VT Target, A.J. Cann. I haven't heard much from him since his visit, so I'll do some digging.

Michael Vick's Bankruptcy Status

Here is a link to the goings-on in the Vick saga.... sad I know, but still Hokie news.

2008 Recruiting Class Impact

The guys and gals at vt.fanfoc.us have done it again- this time in the form of the 2008 recruiting class impact. Good reading.

Zach McCray

McCray visited UNC this weekend and apparently they are his favorite by a small margin at this point in time. He is visiting LSU for their spring game, then coming back to the Tar Heel state to visit WF and then stopping by VT after its all said and done.

He's said that he's open to either offense (TE) or defense (DE), but he's leaning towards defense. Good thing for the Hokies that we're recruiting him on D.

My thoughts: McCray is enjoying the new sites and sounds, but at the end of the day he knows VT the best and we are almost home. I think we still have a good chance. As I've said before, he's my top defensive recruit for the year - he fills a major need and might be able to play right away.

First Half Outlook

The Bleacher Report has a good rundown of VT's first half. I like the analysis, especially considering these teams are still in spring ball and looking to fill some holes. They have VT standing at 3-1 by week 4, with the intial loss to Alabama. Not a bad start considering we have UA, Marshall, Nebraska and Miami to open the season.

As tough of a start as this is, BR notes (and I concur) "remember back in 2002 and 2003 when UVA fans would call into a local radio show here in Roanoke, Virginia and complain about the “weak” schedule the Hokies had that season. Even though Tech has played some less then stellar out of conference schedules in years past, 2009’s gauntlet seems to be one of the tougher schedules the Hokies have ever had."

Josh Furman

I recently saw some highlights for Furman - both offensive and defensive - and he looked really good. Not necessarily a speed guy, but looks to have a great build. I would imagine that we're recruiting him on the defensive side of the ball as a safety or WHIP.

He takes good angles to the ball, has good straight line speed and hits like a Mack truck. There isn't a lot of clips on him in space, but I think he's got the athleticism to really shine in our system. He looks a lot like Lorenzo Williams on film, and would be a fantastic pickup this year, especially with ROVER being vacant in the next few years.

John Shuman Radio

Here is a link to some great analysis from John Shuman via his show "Shuman Says" with Jerry Miller (show # 128). Gives us some good info on the offense. Enjoy.

Spring Ball Update

From Beamer's Blog:

Davon is cleared for spring! Although a number of players will be limited this spring due to injuries and subsequent surgeries, Davon Morgan isn’t one of them. Davon, who suffered a season ending knee injury in the win over Nebraska, is now listed as “Full” for the upcoming spring practices. Once again, a great job by Tech’s medical team, and, Davon himself, for the speedy recovery. Congrats to Danny Coale and Cody Grimm for going 6-for-6 in the 6am workouts! But, that truly should be a threesome. John Graves would have been a perfect 6-for-6 but he showed up 10-minutes late for a workout, and showing up 10-minutes late for one of Dr. Mike Gentry’s sessions is just like showing up 10-minutes late for a game! We hate if for John because he’s a fantastic young man, but, late is late! Also, what's the head coach up to this weekend? Last weekend, Frank Beamer was racing at the Bristol Motor Speedway, this weekend, he’s getting in 36-holes at Augusta.

Spring Issues

I'm sure that the loyal readers here are more than familiar with the issues for VT going into the spring, but Norm Wood of the Daily Press is reporting on the issues facing the football team this spring. Pretty good coverage.

Spring Depth Chart Released

Vt.fanfoc.us gives us a good look at the spring depth chart:

The 2 deep for spring practice has been announced:

Offense

X Jarrett Boykin, Austin Fuller
LT Ed Wang, Nick Becton
LG Greg Nosal, Will Alvarez
C Beau Warren, Michael Via Richard Graham
RG Jaymes Brooks, Vinston Painter
RT Blake DeChristopher, Andrew Lanier
TE Greg Boone, Chris Drager Sam Wheeler
QB Tyrod Taylor Ju Ju Clayton
RB Darren Evans, Josh Oglesby Ryan Williams
FB Kenny Jefferson, Kenny Younger
Z Danny Coale, Dyrell Roberts

Defense

Stud Nekos Brown, Steven Friday
End John Graves, Isaia Hamlette
Nose Demetrius Taylor, Kwamaine Battle Cortney Prince
Tackle Cordarrow Thompson, Antoine Hopkins Dwight Tucker
Whip Cody Grimm, Jeron Goveia-Winslow Alonzo Tweedy
Mike Barquell Rivers, Bruce Taylor
Backer Jake Johnson, Quille Odom -
Field Corner Rashad Charmichael, Cris Hill
Free Safety Kam Chancellor, Lorenzo Williams
Rover Dorian Porch, Matt Reidy
Boundry Corner Stephan Virgil, Eddie Whitley

Specialty

FG Matt Waldron, Justin Myers
KO Justin Myers, Tim Pisano
Punter Brent Bowden, Brian Saunders
Long Snapper Colin Carroll, Matt Tuttle
Snapper Colin Carroll, Matt Tuttle

David Clowney

Here is a great article by NewYorkJets.com, interviewing David Clowney. I know that he's got a lot of potential and I hope that the new Jets coaches recognize it and give him a shot at the number two position.

2010 Maryland Prospects Update

I was going to save this post for tomorrow, but I couldn't wait to post it. Here is a FANTASTIC article from the Frederick-News Post that really goes into detail on most of our MD recruits this year. Here are my thoughts (initial sentence) followed by some exerpts:

Zach Zwinak- Getting offers from everywhere, including ND. Zwinak is blessed with an ideal speed-size combination -- he's 6-foot-2, 230 pounds and can run the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds. He has power, explosiveness, agility, excellent coordination and great stride length. He also has Division I pedigree -- his father B.J. played football at Virginia Tech and his mother Diane was a track star at Frederick High and North Carolina.

Robby Havenstein- No VT offer yet, but getting serious consieration. Division I offensive lineman. And he's a big guy who can move well, a trait that allowed him to be a fine basketball player at Linganore. He's been working with Zwinak to make his footwork and technique even better, allowing him to block for a pro passing set.

Nick Forbes- VT is really high on this guy, and is passing up some big-time in-state talent to offer him. Forbes, 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, is an athletic playmaker who runs the 40 in 4.61, the shuttle in 4.34 and has a 34-inch vertical jump. His ability to move his hips, run well and drop back into coverage make him a coveted prospect. He's also a talented running back.

J.R. "Ego" Ferguson- This guy would be at the top of my DE list, but I think that he's not coming to VT. Ferguson, whose real name is Ego, has the size -- 6-foot-3 1/2, 275 pounds -- and strength. But he also has the footwork, great hands and a lightning-quick first step. At first glance, recruiters see an athlete, one who played for the Vikings basketball team in the competitive MIAA. Such assets allow Ferguson to pull off nifty spin, rip or swim moves on the football field. Ward said Ferguson can do things many are taught at the collegiate level. He must be a fast learner.

Forbes and Ferguson were both just picked to play in the Army All-American Bowl, which features some of nation's top high school players, next January in San Antonio.

Alfy Hill

Hill was recently offered by UNC and is looking to extend his recruiting through all five official visits, I've heard. While originally considering only the in-state schools, he's giving serious thought to going OOS.

On my recruiting board for DE, he's tied at number two with Blake Lueders after Zach McCray.

Tony Creecy

Rivals has another *free* video interview, this time with Tony Creecy. He mentions VT in his interview, but its unclear whether Creecy has an official offer from the coaches. At any rate, it might be a good idea to offer Creecy, not just for his ball-skills and overall athletic prowess, but also that him and Robert Crisp may be a package deal.

2011 Offers

I've been hearing rumblings about the 2011 class and thought that I'd give the loyal readers some real inside info on who's got a verbal offer as of right now:

Everett Golson- 6'0", 170 lb QB from Myrtle Beach, SC. This guy is the real deal, and a true pro-style QB with mobility. If we land him, look out- the Coaches are looking to him as the heir apparent to TT.

Curtis Grant- 6'3", 215 lb LB from Richmond, VA. This guy is the real deal, and could push any starter that we have on the team right now. His nose for the football reminds me of (dare I say) Vince Hall, and his cheetah speed reminds me of Adibi. Yikes. He might be my early favorite recruit of 2011 (if you can't already tell).

Ronny Vandyke- 6'3", 185 lb DB from Lorton, Va. Coaches think that this guy has more athletic ability than Chancellor (WOW)

Dominique Terrell- 5'11" ATH from Manassas, Va. This guy is in the Ryan Williams mold for elusiveness and he actually plays QB in High School. I'm not sure if he's going to be a QB at the next level, but he's got the hips and explosiveness to translate well into a quality CB in Foster's system.

BREAKING NEWS

Rivals is reporting that VT has landed 2009 Walk-on Punter Grant Bowden. Bowden is a Chantilly, VA native and is the brother of current punter Brent Bowden. Good addition.

Pierson Prioleau

The Bleacher Report is reporting that the Saints have signed former VT safety Prioleau. He is playing for Saints new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for the up-teenth time (Redskins, Bills, et al.).

Here is more coverage from another site.

The 2009 Running Game

Enjoy this article from the Bleacher Report, saying a multitude of things about the running game, touting the "untouchables" and redshirting David Wilson.

Zach McCray

Here is a *free* in depth video interview with McCray from rivals.... I'd call it good but in the interview he's all but ruled out VT. Maybe he's right, but I think we still have a shot at the end of the day.

Macho Harris Draft Status

Here is a new NFL Mock that has the Macho Man back at the end of the second round to the Pats. I've heard his name from more than a few sources around that slot, and some have him going as early as the 49ers second round pick.

Frank Beamer and the First Amendment

Here is a nice read by the Richmond-Times Dispatch on the change in Beamer's policies on players talking to the media and limiting access to practice. The article also notes other coaches' policies as well.

Prince Shembo

According to some insiders, Shembo was recently offered by Notre Dame and is really impressed by the offer, but listed Virginia Tech's offer equally impressive. It's nice to get some love from an OOS recruit, especially in a year where VT is casting a wide net.

Here's hoping he makes a visit to Tech, because I think we've got a good shot at him early.

Zach Luckett

Daryl Smith of the Richmond Times-Dispatch is reporting that Zach Luckett is not on the spring roster this year, after being suspended indefinitely by the coaches last year. Smith's blog is a good read for those interested in more Hokie News.

VT DB Depth Chart

The Bleacher Report has done a decent job at running down the depth chart position by position. This time they "tackle" the defensive backs.

Their projected lineup:

BC- Virgil, Carmichael

FC- Whitley, Hill

FS- Chancellor, Williams

ROV- Porch, Morgan

Pro Day Video

Here is some more Pro Day content, this time in the form of a video from WSLS in Roanoke.

Beamer's Blog

Beamerball.com has started a new blog- The Beamerblog. Its free and has some great content. Check it out:

There will be some movement in the offensive line prior to the start of spring practice (Wednesday, April 1st). Greg Nosal 6'6' 285 lb. will start off with the first group at left guard. Nosal has had a very productive off season. His 361 lb. power clean was a team best and position record. In addition Nosal had the teams 3rd best bench press at 410 lbs and a team 3rd best push jerk with a lift of 351 lbs. Nosal's move to guard, will allow red shirt freshman Nick Becton to gain more reps behind senior Ed Wang at left tackle. The 6'7" 295 lb. Becton has looked impressive in the off season as well. Look for a few more moves along the offensive front before practice No. 1.

Scout 300 Out

Check out the newly released Scout 300. Many VT recruits on there, too many for me to list.

More Blog Reading

Through my online pursuits I ran across the Hey Hokie Blog, which provides some editorial content from a good Hokie Fan perspective. Check it out- It's not on a lot of other blogrolls out there and provides for some good reading.

The post about Seth Curry was exactly what I was thinking- check the free board on Rivals.

Tony Sparano's Thoughts on Jake Grove

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has a good new article on Tony Sparano's thoughts on the Dolphins in general, with some specific quotes and thoughts on Jake Grove. Here is a quote:

"When you talk to people about Jake and his strength totals, and the way he works in the weight room, you certainly get the picture," Sparano said.

Brandon Coleman

I've heard that Coleman's recruiting has been heating up as of late and he has earned a VT offer, among others. The 6'6" 220 lb prospect from MD wants to play WR at the next level, but is willing to play TE - a position of need for the Hokies in the near future with Smith and Boone graduating.

Apparently he is wide open and willing to give any school who offers a chance for his services.

2010 Offensive Line Rankings

Athelon Sports has come out with their initial 2010 OL rankings, and they *thankfully* include some VT targets. Here is the breakdown:

4. Robert Crisp- The big blocker is currently listed as the No. 1 player in the state of North Carolina for the class of 2010. Although he is listed near 300 pounds, he still looks like a rangy prospect who could add weight. He moves surprisingly well and shows quick feet.

8. Brent Benedict

16. Juwuan James

North Carolina Recruits

Tom Lemming has done it again. This time he's breaking down the 2010 North Carolina D-1 Recruits. Here are some hightlights:

Robert Crisp- 6'8", 300 lb OT has "incredible potential" and may come as a package deal with teammate Pete Singer (safety).

Gabe Henderson- Maybe VT's top QB prospect, he is "fast, versitile and elusive" and VT is making a huge push to have his services.

Tony Creecy- the 6'0"wide receiver might be the best player in the state this year.

A.J. Marshall- Our first DB offer this year, and recorded 65 tackles and four sacks last year

Alfy Hill- Lemming thinks that Hill is talented enought to play now in college

Prince Shembo- Impressed with his productivity on the field

Justin Parker

Palmetto Sports is reporting that Parker, a 6'2" 225 lb linebacker from South Carolina, has been invited to visit VT by the coaches. He is currently "favoring" USC according to the infamous Phil Kornblut, so take it for what you will.

Robert Bolden

Rivals is reporting that VT has offered Bolden, a 6'4" 195 lb QB from Michigan. He has a multitude of Big Ten offers and is just starting to garnish some national interest. I've got some friends that are really into Michigan football and they say that Bolden isn't exactly the read-option guy that the Wolverines would be after - and I think that MSU is going after Bolden hard.

I don't blame them, after speaking with the Michigan fans I'm really high on Bolden- who, from his tape, has a great arm and release and looks downfield while getting out of the pocket. For all you VT fans looking for a duel-threat guy who is more of an Elway than a Vick this may be your guy. He appears to be wide open right now, so VT may have a good opportunity to catch a great OOS QB.

Other VT Blogs

Gobbler Country et al. is asking you blog readers to submit questions about spring practice. An answer is sure to follow...

QB Questions

Here is a good link from Newsday that ranks the ACC by QB play. VT is ranked eighth, behind the likes of UNC, NC State, Maryland (cough), and DUKE. DUKE!

Maybe you could make the case that Thad Lewis is better than Tyrod, but saying that Maryland's compilation of QBs is better than VTs is a bit of a stretch for me.

Detric Allen

Allen, the former teammate of 2009 standout and UNC signee Terry Shankle, is heating up in recruiting circles right now. From what I've heard, he's a little quicker than Shankle and really had a chance to shine last year from the attention Shankle was getting on the opposite side of the field.

VT Coaches have apparently been hot on Allen, and has asked his coach to send a recruiting package (film, et al.) to them. If Allen's ballskills are anything like Shankle's, then whoever is getting him is going to be very happy.

Brent Benedict

Benedict is confirmed by another source as coming to VT later this week. He is not narrowing anything down and continues to look at each and every one of his 40 visits.

I've heard through the grapevine that Benedict is really going to parse through his offers to find the best fit for him, including coaching staff continuity (plus) and academics (plus). Here's hoping that Beamer & Co. blow him away....

Prince Shembo

VT has offered the 6'2", 225 lb prospect from Charlotte. Shembo is looking at most of the ACC schools, as well as a handful of SEC ones. VT looks to have a decent shot here, especially considering his father is trying to limit the drive to his games:

"Shembo is also getting recent interest from FSU and they want him to come down for a practice. 'I want to go,' he said. 'But my dad doesn't like the idea of me driving further than Georgia alone. Everytime I ask him, he's got to think of an excuse as to why I can't go,' he joked."

Spring Practice, Sean Glennon, and Visits

Another shout out to vt.fanfoc.us, this time for publishing some excellent info on who's out for spring practice, Sean Glennon on his interaction with Bill Parcells and not making the combine, and where the coaches have been getting their secrets from this offseason. Enjoy.

More Recruiting News

Here is an article by the infamous Phil Kornblut that mentions a couple Hokie recruits, specifically Alfy Hill and Brent Benedict.

Josh Furman

According to Scout, the MD Saftey prospect has been offically offered by VT and is impressed by the offer. I've heard we're in pretty good shape with him, and I would imagine that the odds favor VT here.

Furman fits the mold of what we're looking for at the WHIP/Rover positions at 6'2", 190 lbs, and looks to have a nose for the ball, racking up 87 tackles, 25 TFL, 8 sacks and 6 FF last year. As a MD prospect he's being recruited by Kevin Sherman, who appears to be earning his paycheck this year by taking on many of our top prospects.

Beamer's Salary

Heather Dinich of ESPN has started a new debate about ACC coaches' salaries, and the saga continues today with Frank Beamer's. I find her column interesting and she normally focuses a little more on VT than some of the other teams, so she made the cut on my RSS feed.

Kareem Martin

Rivals is reporting that VT has offered NC DE Kareem Martin, and I've confirmed this through outside sources as well.

The 6'6", 215 pounder was named the Northern Carolina Conference's Defensive Player of the Year, and also plays basketball and runs track. He looks like more of a redshirt prospect, but he's got the athleticism that the coaches are looking for out of the Stud DE position.

I like our chances with Martin, especially with him planning a future visit to VT.

Phillip Sims

You can cross at least one ACC team off the list for Sims' services - Clemson. The combination of the depth chart, Tajh Boyd's committment, and the coaching staff's interest has led Sims to believe that they are just not that in to him.

I think that the best news for VT is that the top QB is really investigating the depth charts of the interested teams.

Two Hokies Sign with the Dolphins

Eric Green and Jake Grove have both recently signed with the Dolphins as free agents. Here is a breakdown of their contracts, per the Bleacher Report:

Jake Grove
2009: $2 million
2010: $2.66 million
2011: $3.32 million
2012: $3.94 million
2013: $3.08 million
Total: $15 million

Eric Green
2009: $1.2 million
2010: $1.65 million
Total: $2.85 million

UPDATE: The Dolphins have cut former starting center Samson Satele, which makes Grove the default starter for the moment.

Coastal Division Preview from AJC

A pretty good breakdown of the Coastal from Tony Bernhart of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Dustin Keys

Keys might have some interest from NFL teams, according to the Stafford County Sun. Here is an exerpt from the article:

“He gets into the ball quickly and he gets it up quickly and he’s got a good consistent flight on the ball,” Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer told a West Virginia newspaper this past season. “…with a good kicker that’s exactly what happens, and I think he’s a good kicker.”

Alfy Hill

VT is still on Alfy Hill, but unfortunately more and more big time programs are. I've heard that VT has a real shot here, and Hill plans on making multiple visits to Blacksburg. Here is a update on Hill.

Winter Workouts

Another good post by our friends at vt.fanfoc.us; this time good details about winter testing. Enjoy.

Ladies and Gents, Your Backup QB

Read the interview with JuJu on a blog that I have just recently found, vt.fanfoc.us. Pretty sweet reading. JuJu sounds like a guy that I'd like to have around.

BREAKING NEWS

According to Duke's Rivals website, Aramide Olanyian has committed to play football for the Blue Devils following his Junior Day visit to Durham. VT hasn't officially offered Olanyian, but he is a big-time recruit. TSL has him as the #9 recruit in the state of Virginia for 2010.

I think he projects as a LB and would have been a good fit at WHIP, but the fact that VT didn't offer him right away might be some indicator that he wasn't as high on the coaches' boards as other players. At any rate, a good pickup for Duke and a loss for VT.

Josh Morgan

I hadn't heard too much out of Josh Morgan this year at SF, but apparently he was doing big things. A new article out from the Official Site of the San Francisco 49ers really proves that Morgan is doing pretty well for himself. He overcame some injuries and I think he'll be a good second receiver for the 49ers.

Not only that, but Morgan is a poet. I don't know about you, but I think he's got into the California lifestyle (read: bong hits) a little too much. J/k.

VT Pro Day

VT's Pro Day apparently went well for all involved, especially one Macho Harris. RotoWorld.com is reporting that the Macho man ran a 4.4 flat. Very nice, and it may have earned him a good 200k more in salary. Not bad. While the scouts are discounting the time to a 4.51 due to a "fast track" (WTF), it certainly bodes well for Harris. I like that scouts are noticing that he is a quick-twitch athlete who might have the best ball-skills in the entire draft. His short shuttle time is especially impressive.

I've heard from some Packer fans that they are looking closely at Orion Martin, due to their recent switch to the base 3-4 defense. I like that fit, and I really wish the best for the former walk-on. Martin is working hard to try to improve his 40 time, and I think that he gets drafted.

Here is a good round-up of VT's Pro Day and the results of the participating seniors.

Driving Mr. Daisy?

The Bluefield Daily Telegraph has a great new article on Beamer's recent attempt at stock car racing. An example of how bad Beamer was: he had his feet on the gas and the brake at the same time. At least the man recognizes his faults.

Good fun for charity, good laughs for Coach and his family. For more coverage, check out the Bristol Herald Courier.

Blake Lueders

While I think that VT has a great shot at landing the 6'5" 240 lb DE from Indiana, it's starting to become much more of an uphill battle for his services. I've heard through the grapevine that Lueders really enjoyed his recent visit to ND and there are some serious schools in the Midwest that are sweating him badly.

Currently, Billy Hite is recruiting Lueders. Not saying that this will mean that we won't land him, but Hite normally does better at recruiting the players that are from the old boys network (like SW VA). We really need DE depth this year, and Lueders looks like the type of guy who could come in and play right away. Another plus for VT here is, at least from what I've heard, that Lueders enjoys the "good-ole-boy" attitude and is really laid back. I think he will really appreciate our coaches' attitude and style.

As with other recruits, the fact that Lueders mentions VT in almost all of his articles proves that the coaching staff is really reaching out this year.

Brent Benedict

The FL OT prospect mentioned the Hokies (and an offer) in his interview with the Jacksonville Times-Union. He claims 35 offers and looks to be a Gators lean by way of his comments; being most familiar with their program and impressed by Coach Meyer.



At least he's going to visit VT on his trip. Like Beamer says, if we can get them on campus generally we have a better shot at landing recruits. Benedict also claims that going away from home isn't a problem, but recruits generally say that at the beginning and then narrow the choices down to area schools.



At any rate, its always a good thing to get a recruit of Benedict's caliber interested in the program, and it also shows that VT is starting to have more of a national recruiting base.