6-6 / Hammer plays at North Cross in Roanoke. A running back: Malachi Thomas is back, but hes coming off an injury-plagued season, and Tech struggled to run the ball physically with anybody else. Conner has late Day 3 value as a potential backup., He was given a prospect rating of 5.82 - which defines him as an "Average backup or Special Teamer. Its not easy, Pry said of the juggling act of adding three quarterbacks in a class. Both look like future starters at cornerback for the Hokies. Let's take a closer look at who visited. Stay tuned for updates as Chamarri Conner takes on the 2023 NFL Combine. What we learned about Virginia Tech's Class of 2023 as the early signing period began Wednesday, with 25 prep players and four transfers. That quarterback rooms going to look a little different right out of the gate come January 18th, Pry said. The good thing about that position is they have the same qualities, Mines said. Hes a triple-threat guy, Pry said. 61 receiver, coming off a season in which he had 85 catches for 1,268 yards and 14 TDs for Nolensville (Tenn.) High. The highest-ranked in-state signee Tech had was cornerback Antonio Cotman Jr., the 16th-ranked player in the 247Sports Composite. 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. PUBLISHER. Tralon Mitchell is another who could up at running back, wide receiver, or on defense. Will Virginia Tech Soon Break Through In Ohio? I truly think hes undervalued and becomes a good player for the Hokies early in his career. 300, LB / You can access the playlist below, beginning with Dante Lovetts video, and stepping through all 25 videos. 150. Jennings and Felton help remake a receiver room that added seven new players in all Wednesday, shoring up a group that lost last years leading pass-catcher Kaleb Smith to Notre Dame. All original material and images are copyrighted by TechSideline.com and may not be reused or reprinted without permission. Jason Abbey is a defensive end from Richmond that has coaches excited. The speed and pattern matchingarentgreat, but the ball skills are above average. On3 Football Recruiting. 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. 195, CB / The Lady Hokies shine after a break, and trounce, throttle, and outscore the Miami Hurricanes in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals. Virginia Tech basketball has picked up its first commitment of the 2024 recruiting cycle. 6-1 / The No. Gambling problem? Virginia Tech football knows its 2023 schedule. 0.8478. 6-2 / While theres always positional flexibility to consider with many of these athlete types coming in, particularly with the Hokies need for offensive playmakers, its not far-fetched to see a DB class that includes Cotman, Cameren Fleming, Braylon Johnson, Thomas Williams and Dante Lovett. 295, TE / 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. In fact, 12 of the high school signees from Virginia were ranked 20th or lower in the state, with Penn State (six of the top 10) and North Carolina (five of the top 20) at the forefront of the poachers. Brent Pry and the Hokies signed 25 prospects to their 2023 class on Wednesday. READ MORE, Virginia Tech recently became the fifth program to offer Kentucky wideout receiver Montavin Quisenberry, who has yet to take a visit. 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. They'll all decide what's best for them individually in the upcoming weeks. 34 nationally, according to the 247Sports team composite rankings. It was a great year for two former Hokies. North Carolina was all over cornerback Cam Fleming in the final two weeks. Hes a leader. While no one will confuse Virginia Tech's incoming class with. 0.8714. (Photo of Brent Pry: Reinhold Matay / USA Today). Related: Virginia Tech DB Chamarri Conner receives a pre-Combine draft score. 328, LB / We want to take care of the state and the kids because thats how were going to get back to where it was back in the day, senior director of player personnel Mike Villagrana said. (Jerome Miron / USA Today), Twenty-nine players signed with the Hokies on Wednesday. Buy Tickets Opens in new window. Takye Heath is a player to watch. Since the conclusion of the 2022 season, Conner has participated in the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowland has prepared himself for the NFL Combine. Later on Friday afternoon at 3 P.M., Conner will participate in the Defensive Back drills. 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. 6-1 / Nine scholarship players have already gone into the portal. Lewis plays running back at Salem High School in Salem, Virginia. The Portsmouth product is a former basketball player who didnt start playing football until his junior year, earning a camp offer from Norfolk State, where he caught 67 passes for 1,062 yards and nine touchdowns the past two years, with seven scores last season. But now we got a third guy in the mix. The Hokies picked up defensive end Darian Varner, formerly of Temple, who has multiple years of eligibility remaining. Four Virginia high school coaches share their impressions of Brent Pry, how Virginia Tech slipped recruiting the state, the importance of keeping players home, plus more. Theres no such thing as 50-50. His brother played for Pry at Penn State, and he had other options, but that relationship with Pry was good for the Hokies. 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. Were looking for possibly a running back to come in and compete with Malachi and Chance (Black) and those guys and make that room better, Pry said. Again, its about being transparent and open and honest and having conversations ahead of time. 207, TE / By Bryan D. Manning @BryanDManning. ET on YouTube. 6-1 / The Hokies didnt venture west into Tennessee often in the latter Beamer years and signed just five players from the state during Justin Fuentes six seasons, most notably linebacker Jaden Keller in 2021. 8 Virginia Tech Wrestling Travels To Raleigh For ACC Tournament By: Jack Brizendine | March 2, 2023 Try a week on us. READ MORE Virginia Tech. He is perhaps the most important player in this class. A true legacy who can play. Bodie Kahoun recently picked up an offer from Virginia Tech, and the Roanoke native will be in Blacksburg tonight. Once commits sign their NLIs to the Hokies, they will have a green check next to their name in the table below and move to the top of the list. ('2023-02-23 11:46:09 -0600') }} football Edit. Visit our message boards:TSL Recruiting Board (TSL Pass)TSL Football Board. Over the final month heading into the early signing period, Pry picked up commitments from six high school players and four transfers. The Hokies signed pairs of players from two state powerhouse high schools: Highland Springs (safety Braylon Johnson and receiver Takye Heath) and Appomattox (receiver Jonathan Pennix and linebacker Tavorian Copeland). 6-0 / 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Virginia Techs Elizabeth Kitley pulls down her second ACC player of the year award, Georgia Amoore and Taylor Soule get team honors, and Tech gets ready for Selection Sunday. 5-9 / He'll visit Blacksburg for Junior Day next weekend. Their parents, especially, have an appreciation for where Virginia Techs been, and they understand what this program can be.. FB Recruiting Six players I am most excited to see during spring ball for Virginia Tech VIP Evan G. Watkins FB Recruiting Top target Keylen Adams returns to Virginia Tech VIP Evan G.. Grant Wells did not have a good initial season in Blacksburg, but in reality, he was the Hokies' best option . 788 37 8. 6-2 / Michael Hazel. All original material and images are copyrighted by TechSideline.com and may not be reused or reprinted without permission. 2023 Virginia Tech Football Schedule | FBSchedules.com Virginia Tech Football Schedule OVERALL 0-0 ACC 0-0 By purchasing tickets using the affiliate links below, you'll help support. Tight end Nick Gallo, linebacker Alan Tisdale and safety Nasir Peoples had previously announced theyd come back. If Joe Rudolph picks them, you should like them, too. 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. More than anything, I think hes going to push these guys on and off the field. Baylor is from Radford, and his combination of size and speed is exciting. 6-6.5 / But getting the Hokies back in good standing with the top-tier prospects is a process, one Pry and his staff set about remedying last winter, with travel clinics in hotbed areas around the state and meet-and-greets to show high school coaches that Tech, which had lost some standing within the borders under Justin Fuente, was being genuine. 6-4 / READ MORE, Alex Taylor has made multiple trips to Virginia Tech, and recently included the Hokies in his top seven schools. Those are the rankings to focus on as they combine the different recruiting services. 6-7 / Below is a graphical representation of how our formula works. We really like the way he rushes the quarterback, Pry said. In addition to Drones, the Hokies signed two high school quarterbacks, bringing Dylan Wittke and Pop Watson into the fold. He misses too many tackles due to risky angles and struggles coming to balance in the open field. Behind the scenes of Virginia Tech's recruiting celebration: We want this to be special. At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, the Life Christian Academy product has good size for a defensive back and is one of the more intriguing prospects in the class, just based on the diversity of his ranking. Thats two receiver additions from Tennessee this month, with the Hokies also landing Greene, a former Cincinnati commit, whos from Powell, just outside of Knoxville. If allowed to develop for two years, Watson could be a terrific college quarterback. -, CB / TechSideline.Com All Hokie, All the Time. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. All-New 24/7 Sports News Network: Stream Now! 623 55 9. 455 player nationally and No. Pry noted that Nashville is only a six-hour drive from Blacksburg, keeping it well within Techs footprint. All Hokie, All the Time. READ MORE, Virginia Tech hosted arguably the top prospect in the state of Virginia last weekend for their second Junior Day event. Montavin Quisenberry Picks Up Virginia Tech Offer, Grant Karczewski Spurns UVA Ties To Walk On At Virginia Tech, Joshua Clarke Sees VT Again, Closes In On Cuts. Jonathan Pennix and Krystian Williams are athletes who could start out on either side of the ball. The Hokies wanted to add talent to the wide receiver position, and they certainly did. There are probably going to be more, but the Post season conference awards are a big deal for the players that win them. While the Hokies have continued to add players from the NCAA transfer portal . VTScoop - Virginia Tech Hokies Football and Recruiting Stay up to date with all the Virginia Tech Hokies sports news, recruiting, transfers, and more at 247Sports.com 247Sports. 5-11 / However, most of the heavy lifting has been done, and any further additions will likely come through the transfer portal. 2023 Virginia Tech Football Commitment List Total Commitments 26 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. He will start somewhere in Virginia Techs secondary for multiple seasons. And I think he has a chip on his shoulder. Email Address. 282, RB / A ranking of the 2023 Best College Football Players in West Virginia. Signed. 6-3 / 6 Virginia at North Carolina, Highlights: No. It shows that theyll block and find ways to contribute to the team.. Cornerback: Dante Lovett, Cameren Fleming, Antonio Cotman Jr. Safety: Mose Phillips, Braylon Johnson, Caleb Woodson, Athlete: Thomas Williams, Jonathan Pennix, Tralon Mitchell. 200, IOL / 210, DL / You can see that the area under the curve gets smaller both as the rating for a commit decreases and as the number of total commits for a school increases. Early signing day is Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. 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. The high schoolers are Watson and Wittke at quarterback, running back Jeremiah Coney, Greene and Baylor at receiver, offensive lineman Layth Ghannam, Hannes Hammer and Williams, defensive end Ishmael Findlayter and Cotman and Phillips at defensive back. And you want guys that want to compete. Hes a twitchy guy, and particularly when he gets closer to the football, he was a problem for people.. Ishmael Findlayter, Linebacker: Tavorian Copeland, Aycen Stevens. @CoachPryVT @TylerBowen @CoachShawnQuinn @HokiesFB pic.twitter.com/tCR903bBkM, Zeke Wimbush (@zekewimbush7) December 19, 2022. 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). Ali Jennings, from Highland Springs High School, spent two years at West Virginia and the previous two years at Old Dominion. This site utilizes responsive web design, which renders the site properly on all platforms (PC, tablet, mobile). Krystian Williams is another who could move around. While he may not stick at corner, he could make an impact at safety or linebacker, depending on how much size he adds. Here are some key takeaways from signing day: Virginia Techs class has a distinctly Virginia flavor to it, with 16 of the 29 total signees having played their high school ball in the commonwealth. He and Drones struck up a fast relationship during their visit, and both committed. Early signing day is Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. The highly versatile defensive back has played nearly every position in the Hokies' backfield dating back to 2018. In between on Tuesday will be a column on the 2023 Virginia Tech football schedule that is going to be released tonight (Monday). The Hokies like the new additions on the offensive line, wide receiver and the defensive backfield. 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. 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. 6-3 / The secondary class is a fun group. While On3 rates him as the No. 190, LB / 6-5 / 6-4 / Head coach Brent Pry enters his second year at the helm, and the Hokies open their season vs. Old Dominion on Saturday, Sept. 2 in Blacksburg. And I tell the staff all the time: Nobody can know more about the kids in Virginia than us.. He misses too many tackles due to risky angles and struggles coming to balance in the open field. Hes the first tight end/H-back in the class after Tech took three last year DaeQuan Wright, Harrison Saint Germain and Gosnell. Unofficially, all the recent movement puts the Hokies at 92 scholarship players, a figure that will need to be trimmed significantly to get to the 85 maximum scholarship number, especially if Tech has designs on adding more transfers next month. 233, Edge / Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. 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. Some of them had other head coaches sitting on their couch in their living room, Hokies coach Brent Pry said. #8 Virginia Tech Hokies Dominate Miami to Reach the ACC Tournament Semi-Finals: 68-42. One-On-One With Virginia Tech Football's Brent Pry By: David Cunningham | March 2, 2023 On Wednesday, Tech Sideline's David Cunningham sat down with Brent Pry to discuss individual players, the transfer portal and other topics. Jennings is an instant No. What Is Virginia Tech Getting In Kyron Drones? -, WR / He has that mentality to play this position at a high level.. On Saturday, Conner will complete the drill portion of the NFL Combine with the Bench Press before departing Indianapolis. Virginia Tech Hokies Defensive Back Chamarri Conneris participating in the 2023 NFL Combine, looking to boost his stock ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. He offers consistency, Mines said. The final transfer was speedy 6-foot-4 wide receiver Quan Felton from Norfolk State. 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. Really high football IQ, great wheels and can spin it. Chance Fitzgerald and Ayden Greene were late additions as the Hokies had to beat out some good programs to land both. Coney was a late flip who looks the part. The Hokies locked up his commitment late Tuesday night, springing it as a surprise on signing day. 180, QB / And certain areas are listening, as it seems Prys early work is already paying off in Richmond. Virginia Tech football is putting a stamp on its 2023 signing class with as good of a finish as you could. Highlights: No. Another outstanding prospect from Highland Springs, Heath is electric and could figure into the mix in 2023 as a slot receiver. Though none is ranked better than a three-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite, all four are 652nd or higher nationally, boosting what had been a solid but not spectacular class in the final month, with the Hokies now up to 34th in the national team rankings and sixth in the ACC. 250, LB / 300, LB / 57 player in the class at the edge position, 247 has him at No. 6-0 / -, QB / Spring practice updates Recruiting news NFL Draft . 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. 6-5 / -, IOL / Ghannam, Arena and Lance Williams all had late interest from the outside but stuck with the Hokies and Rudolph. The Hokies have been recruiting Walker for quite some time, but the offer has finally come through. New Virginia Tech football offer: Deuce Walker. 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. 6-2 / -, S / 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.. Drones was a hot commodity and gives the Hokies and offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen the type of passer who can run his offense; that should be RPO-heavy. Several schools out there went hard after a few Hokies commitments. . 6-6 / 6-4 / Virginia Tech football recruiting: Hokies land three players Sunday for 2023 class It was a big day for the Hokies, who also added a talented quarterback. A ranking of the 2023 Best College Football Players in West Virginia. The Hokies signed 25 players last week and could sign a few more before national signing day in February. Welcome to Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Signing Day Central for the Class of 2023. The receiver group rounded out late with the additions out of Tennessee of both Ayden Greene, a one-time Cincinnati commit, and Chance Fitzgerald. I think thats definitely going to help us on the perimeter, being longer, being faster and being more consistent.. The recruiting classes for the champions of both .