He will start somewhere in Virginia Techs secondary for multiple seasons. There is a lot to like and build on with Virginia Techs 2023 recruiting class. Ali Jennings, from Highland Springs High School, spent two years at West Virginia and the previous two years at Old Dominion. He was a hybrid linebacker-defensive back in both 2019 and 2020, registering a bulk of his time at the coined 'Whip' position. Welcome to Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Signing Day Central for the Class of 2022. While the Hokies have continued to add players from the NCAA transfer portal . Receiver and ACC champion sprinter Cole Beck will run track again this spring, then see how things how shake out before a determination is made about his football career. 6-4 / Its there. Eligible to return for a super-senior season (awaiting decision). The Hokies did plenty of work in Tennessee in this class, an area that Tech hasnt tapped into all that much in recent years, getting four signees from the Volunteer State. Virginia Tech. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. The 247Sports' NCAA Transfer Portal Database can be found here. Lets get to work #NewHome pic.twitter.com/zvIhIcrD1B, Chance Fitzgerald (@itschancefitz) December 16, 2022. The Hokies 2023 class ranks No. We know all of these guys have the ability to cover.. "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. 2023 Virginia Tech Football Commitment List Total Commitments 26 231-4132. Virginia Tech football is putting a stamp on its 2023 signing class with as good of a finish as you could. 6-0 / We needed somebody to come in here and compete with Grant (Wells). 6-2 / Felton is from Portsmouth. 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. 6-1 / There is still work to do in Northern Virginia and the 757, but Pry and his staff are off to a terrific start. Each recruit is weighted in the rankings according to a, Readers familiar with the Gaussian distribution formula will note that we use a varying value for. Lovett and Fleming are also players who had attention from other schools but maintained their pledges to the Hokies. I think he is confident. 4 player in the state. He misses too many tackles due to risky angles and struggles coming to balance in the open field. 6-6 / 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. In the composite rankings, Adams is. We just know more about these guys. 6-4 / READ MORE, Kyron Drones is a quarterback transfer from Baylor who got meaningful snaps in one game for the Bears. The final transfer was speedy 6-foot-4 wide receiver Quan Felton from Norfolk State. Coney was a late flip who looks the part. 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. 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. But for now, Techs riding some good waves heading into the early signing period that begins Wednesday. I dont want somebody thats afraid of competition. If Joe Rudolph picks them, you should like them, too. Braylon Johnson is the son of Highland Springs head coach and former Virginia Tech cornerback Loren Johnson. 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. Findlayter is the No. 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. Cameron Clark Makes First Virginia Tech Visit. It used to be a team would get past the New Year and have a pretty. 282, RB / Last year, it was the defensive and offensive lines that ate up most of the signing class, with what turned out to be six players in the trenches on defense and six on offense. Virginia Tech Football Transfer Tracker: Winter 2022-2023 By VTScoop247 Jan 13, 5:00 PM 207 Virginia Tech Head Coach Brent Pry expects roster turnover this offseason as he attempts to. 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. 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. And Florida State made a late push for linebacker Caleb Woodson. - / The last one who fit the bill was defensive tackle Tim Settle from the 2015 class. The Hokies wanted to add talent to the wide receiver position, and they certainly did. Varner has been dealing with a foot injury, but if healthy, he will be Virginia Techs best pass rusher immediately. - / 185, RB / Pennix is another local standout from Appomattox. 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. 61 receiver, coming off a season in which he had 85 catches for 1,268 yards and 14 TDs for Nolensville (Tenn.) High. Mose Phillips was a late addition and will be an outstanding college player. 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. 0.8478. Related: Virginia Tech DB Chamarri Conner receives a pre-Combine draft score. In addition to Drones, the Hokies signed two high school quarterbacks, bringing Dylan Wittke and Pop Watson into the fold. The y-axis in this graph represents the percentage weight of the score that gets applied to an overall team ranking. Recruits can send in their National Letter of Intent (NLI) starting at 7 a.m. We'll begin providing updates at that time, and we'll be here all day. Editor. Drones has three years of eligibility remaining. 200, IOL / 6-1 / The second and third-best prospects . 6 Virginia at North Carolina, Highlights: No. 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. 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. Projecting the depth chart By Andy Bitter Jan 4, 2023 38 BLACKSBURG, Va. New year, new roster and an evolving one at that. 197, QB / Teams; CBS Sports; CBS SPORTS HQ; SportsLine; MaxPreps; Shop; . Stay tuned for updates as Chamarri Conner takes on the 2023 NFL Combine. By: Joe Lanza. He has good size for a receiver at 6-foot-3, 184 pounds. 236, RB / The Hokies locked up his commitment late Tuesday night, springing it as a surprise on signing day. Lewis plays running back at Salem High School in Salem, Virginia. READ MORE, Within 10 minutes, 4-star linebacker Gabriel Williams had received a text message from nearly every member of Virginia Techs coaching staff. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Life Christian Academy (Colonial Heights, VA), Clarkson Football North (Mississauga, ON), RB / 6-4 / 247Sports employs a staff of more than 50 full time recruiting reporters and evaluators that rank and compile data on the nation's elite . 6-6.5 / They include: A defensive end: With Varner likely to play tackle, Tech has a need on the edge, especially with last years top pass rusher, TyJuan Garbutt, graduating. . Dec 20, 2022 31 BLACKSBURG, Va. So this is what recruiting momentum feels like? The plans are for him to go on scholarship in January of 2024, though how the numbers shake out could push up those plans. Pry, whose years at Penn State gave him an advantage in rebuilding those relationships. Arena is Virginia Tech's fourth commitment for 2023, joining offensive linemen Lance Williams (Alcoa, Tennessee) and Hannes Hammer (Roanoke, Virginia via Germany and defensive end Jason. The opinions of the author(s) on this site are independent and no way reflect the opinions of the Virginia Tech administrators, coaches, staff, or athletes. You have ball skills, theyre usually pretty quick twitch, the short-area quickness. It sounds like the Hokies want to see him begin at receiver, but I like him as a cornerback. - / The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Some of them had other head coaches sitting on their couch in their living room, Hokies coach Brent Pry said. S. TyLyric Coleman Dan River (Ringgold, VA) 6-3 / 175. NC State. 240. 623 55 9. Watsons size was a detriment to some, but turn on the film, and you see an electric runner with a strong arm. 220, OT / @CoachPryVT @coachscott33 @BappNAinEZBino @adamgorney @RivalsFriedman @EdOBrienCFB pic.twitter.com/SrtfDYNLja, Antonio Hazen Cotman Jr. (@CotmanHazen) December 18, 2022, Cotmans addition bolsters whats turning into a pretty good haul in the secondary for the Hokies. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Duke, Virginia Tech offer 2025 top-75 QB George MacIntyre. All original material and images are copyrighted by TechSideline.com and may not be reused or reprinted without permission. 6-3 / READ MORE, Despite being a UVA legacy, Grant Karczewski will walk-on at Virginia Tech after specific advice from his parents. Find the latest updates on Virginia Tech's roster below. Virginia Tech Hokies Baseball Walks Away with a 3-1 Week 2 Record, Quarterback: William Pop Watson III, Dylan Wittke, Wide receiver: Chance Fitzgerald, Ayden Greene, Marcell Baylor, Takye Heath, Krystian Williams, Offensive line: Layth Ghannam, Lance Williams, Gabriel Arena, Hannes Hammer, Edge [DE/OLB]: Jason Abbey. They'll all decide what's best for them individually in the upcoming weeks. Jason Abbey is a defensive end from Richmond that has coaches excited. 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. Well have a good look at things this spring.. All high school NLIs received are listed below. More than anything, I think hes going to push these guys on and off the field. I think they appreciate that were trying to do this with guys from our footprint, and specifically with guys from the state of Virginia. Virginia Tech added Baylor transfer QB Kyron Drones. 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. Try a week on us. Lord Botetourt Contingent Makes The Trip The Hokies like the new additions on the offensive line, wide receiver and the defensive backfield. - 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. GO HOKIES!!! Virginia. - / 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. "We're having some exit interviews with certain guys, portal conversations," Coach Pry said during a press conference in late November. 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. 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. This years class is loading up on defensive backs. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. That thing will probably double over the next several days with it officially opening on Monday (December 5). -, CB / 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. PUBLISHER. 6-1 / 318, DL / TSL) is an independent publication that is in no way affiliated with or sponsored by Virginia Tech or the Virginia Tech Athletic Department. 2023 Virginia Tech Athletics - All Rights Reserved. I love to see receivers play defense, especially in high school, show some physicality, show that theyll play on special teams. READ MORE No. 6-1 / A true legacy who can play. For our in-house analysis of each signee for Virginia Tech, check out our videos on YouTube. Shannon Lewis. Receiver Cole Beck, defensive tackles Norell Pollard and Mario Kendricks and defensive end Pheldarius Payne could also come back for another season. The Virginia Tech Hokies wrapped up the early signing period last week feeling pretty good about the 2023 recruiting class. These guys were recruiting, thats an important trait that were always looking for.. The Hokies were competing at the Lone Star State Invitational this weekend. By Bryan D. Manning December 12, 2022. More Stories About I think thats definitely going to help us on the perimeter, being longer, being faster and being more consistent.. All Hokie, All the Time. The Hokies have been recruiting Walker for quite some time, but the offer has finally come through. In between on Tuesday will be a column on the 2023 Virginia Tech football schedule that is going to be released tonight (Monday). 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. Again, its about being transparent and open and honest and having conversations ahead of time. William Watson III Springfield Central (Springfield, MA) 6-0 / 175. The 6-foot 202-pound play-maker has played safety, nickel and cornerback in his Virginia Tech career. Commit He can be a power runner pretty early in his Virginia Tech career. I thought it was tough when we got Jason (Brown) and Grant last year at the same time. He and Drones struck up a fast relationship during their visit, and both committed. The 6-foot-1 wide receiver has over 20 scholarship offers and is the No. Krystian Williams Collegiate School (Richmond, VA) Joe Spears 01/23/23. One concern for the Hokies is they didnt do enough on the defensive line. He is another player who was undervalued. Hes confident. Pry said the Hokies are still pursuing some transfers in the first week of January who could still be spring semester enrollees, with three on the docket to make official visits as of now. Length offers the quarterback a little bit easier target. Here is Virginia Techs recruiting class in full, with linked profiles on them from when they committed to the Hokies, including a brief scouting report and where they are from. 6-5 / Johnson had other options before committing to Virginia Tech but chose the Hokies. The Hokies signed 25 players last week and could sign a few more before national signing day in February. By Tim Weaver | February 27, 2023 1:37 pm ET. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Email Address. Just a lot goes into it, so its easy to get excited when they jump on there and theyre signed, sealed and delivered.. 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. 10 ranked all-time Virginia Tech Hokie in career tackles. 10 Virginia Tech Hokies Trade Wins and Losses with No.9 Texas. Competition at quarterback. 32 among NCAA FBS programs (per Rivals ). Brent Pry and the Hokies signed 25 prospects to their 2023 class on Wednesday. Pry said Tech has three or four spots its looking to bolster. Antonio Cotman was a late flip from Boston College. 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. 5-9 / And those guys are going to know each other from tournaments and playing one another and growing up in Pee Wee ball and different things. 6-2 / His style of play is reminiscent of former Penn . Takye Heath is a player to watch. Last year, the Hokies beefed up on both lines, signing 12 players who played in the trenches. Thats not to say the Hokies landed top local talent, as ranked by the recruiting sites, in Virginia. That quarterback rooms going to look a little different right out of the gate come January 18th, Pry said. Hes a leader. Fitzgerald was the most recent offensive addition, committing to the Hokies on Friday. Be sure to follow our coverage of National Signing Day on Twitter:Tech Sideline,Chris Coleman,Will Stewartand David Cunningham. All Hokie, All the Time. But now we got a third guy in the mix. READ MORE, Virginia Tech signed JUCO defensive end James Jennette on Wednesday, per his announcement on social media. He committed on Sunday, three days after he decommitted from Boston College and a day after an official visit in Blacksburg. And for some of those players, Pry either flipped from other schools or beat some good competition to land those signatures. You can access the playlist below, beginning with Dante Lovetts video, and stepping through all 25 videos. Jennings averaged over 1,000 yards and caught 14 touchdown passes the past two seasons at ODU, despite missing three games at the end of last year with an injury. All six could reasonably be considered starting candidates next season. Heath looks like a future star. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Ticket Marketplace, Travel Center & Info, English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park Fan Guide, ACC Network, Video Library presented by , Virginia Tech Sports Network Radio Affiliates, Sport Psychology/Counseling and Athletic Mental Performance, Student-Athlete Academic Support Services, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). 190, LB / 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. Prys strategy for some may be to take a player you usually wouldnt take to rebuild some trust within that specific school or region. ET on YouTube. I truly think hes undervalued and becomes a good player for the Hokies early in his career. Theres a fairly even split between safeties (Johnson, Krystian Williams and Phillips) and cornerbacks (Lovett, Fleming, Cotman and Thomas Williams), though the Hokies preference is simply for players who can cover at any spot in the secondary like last year with Mansoor Delane, who came in as a safety and ended up starting and thriving at cornerback. In order to get under the limit with all the players the Hokies still hope to land or could pursue in the future, it wouldnt be surprising if that number doubles by the end of spring. But at the same time, we have to be better in that area.. 6-3 / He will be a starter wherever he lands. Im home!!! The last Tech signee ranked that high came in 2019 when wide receiver Jaden Payoute was a consensus top-five recruit in the state and fellow receiver Tayvion Robinson cracked the top five on Rivals. (Jerome Miron / USA Today), Twenty-nine players signed with the Hokies on Wednesday. He misses too many tackles due to risky angles and struggles coming to balance in the open field. Odds & lines subject to change. on February 2, 2022, 7:20 AM | 36 comments. 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. Tech has also gotten confirmation from defensive tackle Mario Kendricks and defensive end Pheldarius Payne, a Nebraska transfer who missed last year with an Achilles injury, that theyll return. If allowed to develop for two years, Watson could be a terrific college quarterback. Hailing from north of Charlotte . It shows that theyll block and find ways to contribute to the team.. 1. 6-1 / 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. The Hokies now have six confirmed seniors who are taking advantage of their additional year of eligibility from the COVID-19 season. We recruit defensive backs. Ultimately, it wasnt enough. Virginia Tech football knows its 2023 schedule. The good thing about that position is they have the same qualities, Mines said. 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. Behind the scenes of Virginia Tech's recruiting celebration: We want this to be special. 305, DL / 788 37 8. Hes got all the attributes we were wanting. ACC Championship. Krystian Williams is another who could move around. 1 ranked player in Ontario, per 247. Conner has played in 61 games, starting every game over the last four seasons. The speed and pattern matching, great, but the ball skills are above average. Bodie Kahoun recently picked up an offer from Virginia Tech, and the Roanoke native will be in Blacksburg tonight. The 247Sports' NCAA Transfer Portal Database can be found here, Cornerback DJ Harvey announced he plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal 11/28, Defensive end Mattheus Carroll announced he plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal - 12/2, Defensive end Lakeem Rudolph announced he plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal - 12/4, Defensive tackle Desmond Mamudi announced he plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal - 12/4, Cornerback Armani Chatman has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal - 12/5, Wide Receiver Kaleb Smith has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal - 12/5, Walk-on long snapper Enzo Anthony has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal - 12/5, Linebacker Keshon Artis has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal - 12/5, Walk-on wide receiver Tink Boyd has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal - 12/5, Walk-on wide receiver Will Kakavitsashas entered the NCAA Transfer Portal - 12/5, Quarterback Jason Brown has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal - 12/5, Walk-onlinebacker Tyler Matheny has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal - 12/5, Defensive End Eli Adams has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal - 12/6, Safety Nasir Peoplesannounced he will return for the 2023 season. 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). We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. An offensive lineman: The Hokies have 16 in the room right now, but only one is a senior (Jesse Hanson) and only three more have junior designations (Kaden Moore, Parker Clements and Bob Schick). Thomas Williams is a sensational athlete and could also figure into the mix here. The Lady Hokies shine after a break, and trounce, throttle, and outscore the Miami Hurricanes in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals. ** The Early 2023 Signing Day is concluded. 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. They worked late to flip a couple of players who committed elsewhere and came close. This site utilizes responsive web design, which renders the site properly on all platforms (PC, tablet, mobile). I worry about the lack of defensive tackles in this class, but the Hokies are counting on the top group from last year returning and the development of last years class. @CoachPryVT @TylerBowen @CoachShawnQuinn @HokiesFB pic.twitter.com/tCR903bBkM, Zeke Wimbush (@zekewimbush7) December 19, 2022. (On3 ranks him 33rd, bringing down his average.). 207, TE / 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Felton is a big-play guy who, along with Jennings, gives the Hokies two quality veterans to line up outside in 2023.