Youve got to be able to have people to do that. Try a week on us. Pry noted that Nashville is only a six-hour drive from Blacksburg, keeping it well within Techs footprint. PUBLISHER. He'll visit Blacksburg for Junior Day next weekend. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Conners size and versatility could buy him time on a roster, but he might need to keep fighting for his spot. The rest of the commits are in alphabetical order by last name. Though both are 6-foot-2, joining the 6-5 Felton, getting bigger wasnt necessarily a primary objective of the Hokies coaches. Copeland is a 6-foot-4, 195-pound from Appomattox. I also wouldnt be shocked if Pry looks for a defensive tackle via the transfer portal. Start blasting Metallica's "Enter Sandman." The Virginia Tech Hokies just added one of the top running backs in the country to their 2022 recruiting class as four-star running back Ramon Brown . Theres 80-20 in my room. 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. Ishmael Findlayter, Linebacker: Tavorian Copeland, Aycen Stevens. And I think he has a chip on his shoulder. Football Nov 25 TBA. Virginia Tech 2023 Football Commits - 247Sports 34 nationally, according to the 247Sports team composite rankings. We still have a couple needs were trying to fill, he said. Virginia Tech recruiting: Who did Hokies sign? How did Brent Pry do in Later on Friday afternoon at 3 P.M., Conner will participate in the Defensive Back drills. Lewis plays running back at Salem High School in Salem, Virginia. More Stories About Hes a leader. 10 ranked all-time Virginia Tech Hokie in career tackles. 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. In addition to Drones, the Hokies signed two high school quarterbacks, bringing Dylan Wittke and Pop Watson into the fold. 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. This time around, the focus was more on the perimeter, with Tech signing seven defensive backs and seven receivers, some with positional versatility to possibly end up on either side of the ball. 5-10 / Who starts at QB for Virginia Tech in 2023? Projecting the depth chart Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Period. Virginia Tech football commits Thomas Williams, Misun Kelley to bring Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. Pennix is another local standout from Appomattox. He is perhaps the most important player in this class. READ MORE, In-state cornerback Joshua Clarke has visited Virginia Tech six times, and he's close to narrowing his list. - / 6-1 / 210, DL / And certain areas are listening, as it seems Prys early work is already paying off in Richmond. In the spring, the Hokies made a point of hitting every school in the state. After a showy signing day ceremony, the hay is in the barn now, with Pry finalizing his first full class with the Hokies, a group that ranks 35th in the 247Sports Composite and sixth in the ACC, not far from Virginia Techs historical norm. Hes going to challenge them whenever they need to be challenged.. Tech had what turned out to be faux momentum following significant coaching staff turnover as the 2020 class wound down, with high-end defensive signees that year Alec Bryant, Robert Wooten and Justin Beadles all transferring out after a season (though O-line mainstay Kaden Moore came on board in December that cycle, flipping from Bowling Green). In this article, we'll analyze some overall thoughts about the class from head coach Brent . He has that mentality to play this position at a high level.. 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. The Virginia Tech Hokies wrapped up the early signing period last week feeling pretty good about the 2023 recruiting class. 5-9 / Its infectious, Pry said. And for some of those players, Pry either flipped from other schools or beat some good competition to land those signatures. Gambling problem? In the composite rankings, Adams is. Pry, whose years at Penn State gave him an advantage in rebuilding those relationships. Krystian Williams Collegiate School (Richmond, VA) I can see both playing in 2023. Hes got all the attributes we were wanting. Wimbush did a bit of everything last year for Stone Bridge, sometimes playing quarterback and sometimes lining up out wide. READ MORE, Virginia Tech signed JUCO defensive end James Jennette on Wednesday, per his announcement on social media. 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. A true legacy who can play. Virginia Tech Hokies DB Chamarri Conner takes on the 2023 NFL Combine 180, QB / We needed somebody to come in here and compete with Grant (Wells). Add in Jennings out of ODU and its been a very good month for receivers coach Fontel Mines. (On3 ranks him 33rd, bringing down his average.). Virginia Tech football: A look at the Hokies' 2023 recruiting class 6-0 / By Bryan D. Manning December 12, 2022. The 6-foot-1 wide receiver has over 20 scholarship offers and is the No. 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. 6-6 / 6-4 / QB. Its not easy, Pry said of the juggling act of adding three quarterbacks in a class. 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. Im not going to say there wasnt concerns and there wasnt conversations that had to be had, but most times you can work through those things, and were able to do that with those guys. 6-4 / Virginia Tech is hopeful to get defensive tackle Norell Pollard back too, though nothings been finalized on that front. The last one who fit the bill was defensive tackle Tim Settle from the 2015 class. (Jerome Miron / USA Today), Twenty-nine players signed with the Hokies on Wednesday. They worked late to flip a couple of players who committed elsewhere and came close. All original material and images are copyrighted by TechSideline.com and may not be reused or reprinted without permission. Varner is a 6-foot-2, 280-pound first-team All-AAC pick from Temple, where he had 7.5 sacks last year. While On3 rates him as the No. 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. While the Hokies have continued to add players from the NCAA transfer portal . The Hokies 2023 class ranks No. He committed on Sunday, three days after he decommitted from Boston College and a day after an official visit in Blacksburg. Signed. Johnson had other options before committing to Virginia Tech but chose the Hokies. Varner has been dealing with a foot injury, but if healthy, he will be Virginia Techs best pass rusher immediately. For more details about the site, including a list of TechSideline.com staff, see our About page. 2023 Football Schedule - Virginia Tech Athletics Felton is from Portsmouth. Some of them had other head coaches sitting on their couch in their living room, Hokies coach Brent Pry said. You can win those jump balls, 80-20, is what I call it. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Drones was Techs top transfer quarterback target. Enjoy! 6-5 / 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. If allowed to develop for two years, Watson could be a terrific college quarterback. 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. 1. Tech Sidelines content of this years signing day includes a podcast around 3:30 p.m. Dante Lovett and Cameren Fleming were two of my favorites in this class. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Life Christian Academy (Colonial Heights, VA), Clarkson Football North (Mississauga, ON), RB / READ MORE, Despite being a UVA legacy, Grant Karczewski will walk-on at Virginia Tech after specific advice from his parents. Ghannam, Arena and Lance Williams all had late interest from the outside but stuck with the Hokies and Rudolph. 6-2 / ET on YouTube. By: Joe Lanza. 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. 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. Hailing from north of Charlotte . That quarterback rooms going to look a little different right out of the gate come January 18th, Pry said. 5-10 / Presented by, 2024 tight end Cameron Clark took his first visit to Virginia Tech in late January after picking up a December offer. 6-4 / Find the latest updates on Virginia Tech's roster below. The speed and pattern matchingarentgreat, but the ball skills are above average. 5-9 / HokieHaven He'll visit Blacksburg for Junior Day next weekend. Braylon Johnson is the son of Highland Springs head coach and former Virginia Tech cornerback Loren Johnson. 6-2 / Zeke Wimbush, a versatile tight end who committed out of Stone Bridge High in Ashburn earlier this week, plans to enroll this summer but will likely not immediately be on scholarship. Analyzing Virginia Tech Football's 2023 Signing Day Class 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). Tralon Mitchell is another who could up at running back, wide receiver, or on defense. I think in this cycle, they understand we meant it. But now we got a third guy in the mix. 240. 6 Virginia at North Carolina, Highlights: No. Lets get to work #NewHome pic.twitter.com/zvIhIcrD1B, Chance Fitzgerald (@itschancefitz) December 16, 2022. Cotman was once considered one of the top players in Virginia, and if you go back and watch him in high school, he is a really good football player. Virginia Tech Football Junior Days, Part 1 Heath looks like a future star. Hokies add 25 signees, welcome three transfers on National Signing Day Note: This article will be updated regularly so check back to get the latest updates on roster changes as Virginia Tech prepares for the 2023 season. The commentary is also linked in the Our Take column of the table below. The results were positive, particularly around Richmond, receivers coach Fontel Mines territory, where Tech landed seven prospects eight if you include ODU transfer Ali Jennings III. That means the Hokies need to have another wave of attrition at some point, be it when the new semester starts in January or later once spring ball concludes and a second transfer window opens up, just to get to the 85 max number. 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. For our in-house analysis of each signee for Virginia Tech, check out our videos on YouTube. The Virginia Tech Hokies wrapped up the early signing period last week feeling pretty good about the 2023 recruiting class. The No. If Joe Rudolph picks them, you should like them, too. On Friday, Sierra Canyon (Calif.) four-star small forward AJ . North Carolina was all over cornerback Cam Fleming in the final two weeks. Here are three areas that should give Hokie fans hope. Another new head coach, Brent Pry, also had a successful recruiting cycle for Virginia Tech with the fifth-best recruiting class in the ACC. 57 player in the class at the edge position, 247 has him at No. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. His style of play is reminiscent of former Penn . Thats not to say the Hokies landed top local talent, as ranked by the recruiting sites, in Virginia. Strong vibes around Virginia Tech football with latest recruiting class I truly think hes undervalued and becomes a good player for the Hokies early in his career. 6-2 / Virginia Tech basketball has picked up its first commitment of the 2024 recruiting cycle. The Hokies have veteran Nick Gallo coming back for his final season in 2023, but Wimbush is a boost to the next wave of tight ends/H-backs, someone who looks like he could be more on the playmaking side of the position, capable of doing a variety of things from different parts of the formation. 5-10 / 220, OLB / Be sure to follow our coverage of National Signing Day on Twitter:Tech Sideline,Chris Coleman,Will Stewartand David Cunningham. Hes the first tight end/H-back in the class after Tech took three last year DaeQuan Wright, Harrison Saint Germain and Gosnell. Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Virginia Tech football: Hokies land 4-star JUCO pass-rusher James Jennette Jennette is a promising edge rusher. This is whats behind it. Stevens will probably end up at defensive end, and, like Abbey, be a pretty good one. You can access the playlist below, beginning with Dante Lovetts video, and stepping through all 25 videos. I love to see receivers play defense, especially in high school, show some physicality, show that theyll play on special teams. Cornerback: Dante Lovett, Cameren Fleming, Antonio Cotman Jr. Safety: Mose Phillips, Braylon Johnson, Caleb Woodson, Athlete: Thomas Williams, Jonathan Pennix, Tralon Mitchell. 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). 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. It helps the quarterback not have to be as accurate. However, most of the heavy lifting has been done, and any further additions will likely come through the transfer portal. Brent Pry and the Hokies signed 25 prospects to their 2023 class on Wednesday. While Cotman holds a No. 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. Dec 20, 2022 31 BLACKSBURG, Va. So this is what recruiting momentum feels like? 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. READ MORE, Bodie Kahoun recently picked up an offer from Virginia Tech, and the Roanoke native will be in Blacksburg tonight. What we sold them on is, we dont necessarily recruit just corners and safeties. Email Address. Several schools out there went hard after a few Hokies commitments. Liz Kitleys 53rd double-double, matched by Taylor Soules double-double, and G sinks 5 Threes! Welcome to Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Signing Day Central for the Class of 2022. Virginia Tech Football Recruiting - Gobbler Country 6-2 / Jennings is an instant No. Football Coaches - Virginia Tech Athletics Hes confident. 310, LB / -, S / Over the final month heading into the early signing period, Pry picked up commitments from six high school players and four transfers. 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. On Saturday, Conner will complete the drill portion of the NFL Combine with the Bench Press before departing Indianapolis. READ MORE, Kentucky tight end Willie Rodriguez has added six scholarship offers since February 1, including an offer from Virginia Tech. -, CB / Note: We are told that Ezekiel Wimbush, previously listed as a commitment, is currently preferred walk-on status. There is a lot to like and build on with Virginia Techs 2023 recruiting class. 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. Findlayter is the No. Let's take a closer look at who visited. Area Code 540. 237, WR / Virginia Tech Releases 2023 Football Schedule On3 Football Recruiting. Another outstanding prospect from Highland Springs, Heath is electric and could figure into the mix in 2023 as a slot receiver. 2023 Best College Football Players in West Virginia GO HOKIES!!! Boston College. 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. All Hokie, All the Time. He misses too many tackles due to risky angles and struggles coming to balance in the open field. ", Chamarri Conner Interview on Coverage, Favorite Position, Why he plays Football, Chammari Conner says he met with the Dallas Cowboys, Tuesday, February 28 - Registration, Pre-Exam, Orientation, Team Interviews, Wednesday, March 1 - General Medical Exam, Pre-ordered Studies, Team Interviews, Thursday, March 2 - Orthopedic Examination, Media Interviews, NFLPA Meeting, Team Interviews, Friday, March 3 - Measurements, On-field workout, Saturday, March 4 - Bench Press, Broadcast Interviews, Depart Indianapolis. Duke is next. The recent additions put the Hokies at 91 scholarship players by my rough count if you include all of the 2023 commitments and every senior who has an available COVID-19 year. By Bryan D. Manning @BryanDManning. Grant Wells did not have a good initial season in Blacksburg, but in reality, he was the Hokies' best option . 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. 6-3 / 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. Stay tuned for updates as Chamarri Conner takes on the 2023 NFL Combine. Theres a little bit of a gap between the old guys and this group, he said. All original material and images are copyrighted by TechSideline.com and may not be reused or reprinted without permission. Competition at quarterback. Virginia Tech football knows its 2023 schedule. 150. 6-4 / Virginia Tech. 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. 5-10 / While no one will confuse Virginia Tech's incoming class with Alabama . @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. Virginia Tech Football Transfer Tracker: Winter 2022-2023 March 3, 2023 9:10 am CT. Peyton Lewis, a running back prospect from the 2024 recruiting class, picked up an offer from the Alabama coaching staff on Thursday. 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. -, QB / He and Drones struck up a fast relationship during their visit, and both committed. The Hokies have been recruiting Walker for quite some time, but the offer has finally come through. GO HOKIES!!! Virginia Tech Football Class of 2022 Signing Day Central - TechSideline.com Conner has late Day 3 value as a potential backup., has participated in the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl, Virginia Tech DB Chamarri Conner receives a pre-Combine draft score. - / Michael Hazel. I think they appreciate that were trying to do this with guys from our footprint, and specifically with guys from the state of Virginia. READ MORE, Alex Taylor has made multiple trips to Virginia Tech, and recently included the Hokies in his top seven schools. Welcome to Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Signing Day Central for the Class of 2023. Welcome to Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Signing Day Central for the Class of 2023. And I tell the staff all the time: Nobody can know more about the kids in Virginia than us.. . Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. 32 among NCAA FBS programs (per Rivals ). 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. 190, LB / Virginia Tech football recruiting: Hokies build momentum with late (Top photo: Courtesy of Virginia Tech Athletics). All three will enroll in January, adding some juice to spring ball at the position. I dont want somebody thats afraid of competition. -, WR / ACC Football Recruiting Rankings After National Signing Day