Four Hokies commitments make final Rivals 250 for 2013 — how does that compare to past years?
Rivals released its final top-100 player list for the 2013 class Monday and did the same with its top 250 rankings today. Virginia Tech has four players on those lists — cornerback Kendall Fuller (9th), defensive end Wyatt Teller (59th), defensive back Holland Fisher (83rd) and quarterback Bucky Hodges (171st).
Since several blog commenters asked how that compares to past years, I thought I turned it into a blog post.
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In terms of the Rivals 100, it’s the most the Hokies have had as far back as the website’s archives go, which is 2002. Prior to this year, the Hokies signed eight Rivals 100 players. Only twice — 2005 and 2009 — did they have more than one in a season (and in 2005, linebacker Deveon Simmons never made it to school).
After having no Rivals 100 players from 2010-11, Tech has had four in the last two classes, assuming all of this year’s recruits sign in February. Wide receiver Joel Caleb was the Hokies’ lone Rivals 100 player last year.
Here are the top 100 players Virginia Tech has recruited over the years, according to Rivals:
- 2013: CB Kendall Fuller (9th), DE Wyatt Teller (59th), DB Holland Fisher (83rd)
- 2012: WR Joel Caleb (84th)
- 2011: none
- 2010: none
- 2009: RB David Wilson (40th), TE Logan Thomas (71st)
- 2008: RB Ryan Williams (47th)
- 2007: QB Tyrod Taylor (27th)
- 2006: none
- 2005: ATH Victor Harris (28th), LB Deveon Simmons (93rd)
- 2004: none
- 2003: none
- 2002: QB Marcus Vick (8th)
Extending that list a little bit, let’s look at the Rivals 250 players Virginia Tech has recruited over the years.
This one is a little trickier. The Rivals 250, as it exists now with rankings all the way down the list, has only been around since 2008. In ’06 and ’07, Rivals ranked the top 100, then put out a 250 list without rankings for every player. So someone could be a Top 250 recruit with no specific number attached to him.
Regardless, you can see an uptick in the Hokies’ recruiting — at least in terms of pure ratings — in the last two years. Virginia Tech had six Rivals 250 recruits in 2012 and has four committed this year. The most prior to these last two years was four in 2008.
Also, Rivals has separate rankings for prep players from high school ones. So offensive lineman Jonathan McLaughlin and running back Drew Harris, the two highest-ranked prep players on the Hokies’ list this year, aren’t counted in these rankings.
- 2013: CB Kendall Fuller (9th), DE Wyatt Teller (59th), DB Holland Fisher (83rd), QB Bucky Hodges (171st)
- 2012: WR Joel Caleb (84th), RB J.C. Coleman (101st), CB Donaldven Manning (140th), LB Deon Clarke (162nd), DE Ken Ekanem (209th), RB Trey Edmunds (217th)
- 2011: DB Kyshoen Jarrett (175th)
- 2010: DE Zack McCray (125th), DB Nick Dew (201st)
- 2009: RB David Wilson (40th), TE Logan Thomas (71st), DB Jayron Hosley (139th)
- 2008: RB Ryan Williams (47th), OL Vinston Painter (126th), LB Bruce Taylor (224th), WR D.J. Coles (243rd)
- 2007: QB Tyrod Taylor (27th), OL Blake DeChristopher (N/A), DB Cris Hill (N/A)
- 2006: DE Jason Adjepong (Worilds) (N/A), OL Aaron Brown (N/A)
January 22, 2013 - 12:15 PM
It sounds good, but you never really know if they’re good for a year or two. Let’s hope they all work out and play well.
2006, Aaron Brown. Was he the young man from Ohio who was recruited by many of the big 10 schools but came to B’burg and never played a down? I seem to remember he was a very good student and quit football to concentrate on his studies.
2008, Ryan Williams, he sure was fun to watch.
Unless I missed someone, I only saw two commits to UVa in the top 250. Number 29 was Mizzell (the kid who got in trouble this weekend) and number 179. I thought London was supposed to be out recruiting the Hokies?
Yeah, there’s quite a wide range of hits and misses on these lists. Look at 2010 and 2009. McCray hasn’t amounted to much and Dew is gone from the program. Wilson, Thomas and Hosley, meanwhile, will all probably be NFL guys.
And yes, Brown was from Cincinnati and left VT before he ever contributed. It just shows that while these lists are usually a good indicator of talent, it’s still an inexact science.
Every year about this time, a local radio sports announcer likes to say we can expect that these kids will fall into one of three categories – Stars, Contributors, or Busts. It usually breaks down into thirds, and only time will tell who’s who. I always enjoy watching to see which ‘unknown’, that nobody else wanted, turns out to be the next Engleberger, Grimm, or Coale. It boils down to the fact that the guys have to ‘want it’.
I hope the haters of all things Beamer can see that the uptick coincides with the arrival of Shane.
Zman so what are you saying ??? I mean come on ! No one is going to dispute that Shane is a good young recruiter who has had success in the SEC , but to tie the state of the entire football program to shanes two good recruiting classes is crazy. Def need to see what happens next year”s” to see just where the hokie ship is sailing. Beating ACC schools or winning big bowl games ? I mean Beamer just fired his offensive staff for a reason, they sucked big time. So you can see why some fans might be frustrated. But may god what would have happened if Shane took the FLA job or stayed at SC ?
-Beamer haters
I just want us to play as a team.We need to be more Physical, look back at the Teams in the late 95-99 (We had no name walk-ons That play hard!)
69HOKIE, the ” local sports announcer ” you referred to thinks he is better than the experts ( not sure anyone is an expert , but I would put my money on Coach Cav ). Actually, it is difficult to listen to the ” local guy ” since he usually takes about 30 minutes to tell a 90 second thought. Anyway, I stopped listening to him ovwer a year ago, almost all his info on VT is on Techsidelines and his hoo info is gathered by getting close to the hoos even thogh he is a VT guy. He plays both sides of the rivalry and I have no use for him.
What about Joshua Outlaw for our O-line. And Green for Running back ???
Other Tony – You have some good points, and I’m not a regular listener of his. But I would like to see how close he is with his analysis. It seems like every year we see some star(s) fizzle, or leave the program for some unknown reason. How many stars(?) did we lose last year, and how many still on the team are still looking a position to play? I really like guys similar the ones I mentioned earlier. The ones that want to work hard, and want to be at VA Tech.
Not sure how much of the football success you can attribute to Shane but the fact reamins that the guy knows how to sell hot dogs. I rarely stopped for a dog until I started watching those commercials of Frank and Beamer Jr peddling the dogs, now I am a regular. Maybe this hot dog innovation will translate to something big for the Hokie football program for 2013. The Hokie Nation is definitely poised for some big expectations and this might be their year. They do control their own destiny on the national scene.
I love Frank Beamer but he has to be held accountable by fans just like any other highly paid coach. I also have no problem with Shane. He’s earned his way onto the staff with his performance at other schools, however, I was a bit taken aback when he was made assistant head coach. Not even sure what an assistant head coach does.
As far as the rivals top 100, we’ve had enough success from that list that I’m confident these guys will perform.
I do love those guys that get there with hard work and determination that are supposed to succeed like Grimm and Coale. Then there’s those VT alumni that somehow carve out a great NFL career that you never would have suspected. Sorenson’s an example – who would have thought he would have a nearly 10 year career? Anderson was a surprise in the NFL too, although not as big a surprise. Anyone got any others?
You’d think with all these good players we could play a tougher schedule. So sick of hearing it from other coastal fans.
I can’t wait to see a player of fuller’s caliber next year, if he’s really the best of the brothers, we’re all in for a treat. My question is how much (if any) of the other recruits will we get to see next year? Considering the lack of depth that was in the secondary this past season it should be a fair amount for the DB’s in this years class.
Also, we NEED Drew Harris or Trey Edmunds to step in as power backs. Scales was an admirable student athlete but he was a far cry from the quality power backs vt has grown to take for granted. Coleman and Gregory will no doubt continue to progress in the offseason but their physical size will always limit us in short yardage situations.
As far as Wyatt Teller is concerned, it’s a great sign for hokie nation that his final recruit rating improved but would he really help our d-line next year which only lost one real contributor. With the emergence of Tyrel Wilson, Luther Maddy among other stud anchors, I can’t see losing a year of eligibility to get him some extremely limited field time this upcoming year.
I’m obnoxious, just can’t help myself, but I does like hot dogs, since I are one.
What about Bruce Arians, the new coach of the Arizona Cardinals…. Isn’t he a VT alumni?
Uh Oh now VT has improved their offensive coaching and they’re better recruiters to boot! Poor poor ACC Coastal teams
Is Alabama tough James? Was UNCs schedule tough last year?
#16, yes he is. I watched him play at VT.
Hey Zman…do you have a man crush on Shane? You seem to think VT was in a ditch before he came. The stats say VT was successful prior to his arrival. No “paperwork errors” either.
VTRedwolf…an assistant Head Coach is a head-coach-in-waiting. Look for ole Frank to slide Shane right into the position. Neopitism is not tolerated in the business world, but seen as a right in sports (college and pro).
Someone tell me more about these hot dogs that are being discussed.
These 5 star recruits want to be in the NFL making big bucks as soon as possible so I imagine it’s a task to instill patience in them and get them to take a redshirt. Then they get upset when they don’t play much. Teller has the physical tools but a redshirt year never hurts a player. At the same time it’s always nice to have that redshirt year in your pocket in case you get hurt and need significant time to recover.
As far as recruits, Andy, I would be very interested in hearing what has happened to a few recruits who spurned us at the last minute. Where did they end up and how are they doing there? Particularly interested in the QB from Texas who commited early but once his star ranking improved he jumped ship. Also the player who went to Miami and decided to make VT look like fools by recording his conversation. I know some of this was before your time. Does it make me a bad person because I didn’t wish them well. Yeah, probably, but karma is a funny thing. I do like that VT SEEMS to not go after players and get them to change their mind. I would like to think we’re better than that. The sudden underhanded feeding frenzy by Miami and others for Drew Harris is an example. Andy do we do that kind of stuff? I know we picked up a player who had commited to East Carolina this year – did we pull a Miami. Please tell me we’re above that.
Arians played quarterback under Jimmy Sharpe and ran the Wishbone offense. Stayed on as a graduate assistant in 1977 that started his coaching career. Followed Jimmy Sharpe to Mississippi State in 1978. Smart, if not too fast, a runner. He was a big, tough quarterback. Wishbone didn’t throw much, but he was a decent passer.
Every team does that. Commitments aren’t finalized until signing day, so it’s within the rules. LB Jamieon Moss was another East Carolina commit that VT got. TE Ryan Malleck was a Maryland commit a couple years ago (although Friedgen’s firing really opened things up for him). It’s just the reality of the business.
As for the Associate Head Coach designation, I can’t find the specific duties that he is allowed to have, but there are certain things that the AHC can do that other assistants can’t, usually in the absence of the head coach. I’ll keep looking to try to find it.
#15 Post is not me, it is an impostor. Would be easy to guess who did it.
So in the big coaching shake up, who actually left the VT coaching staff?
Stinespring is now Recruiting Coordinator and Offensive Guards and Center coach. Less responsibility and same pay? So Grimes is listed as Offensive Line coach but is really Offensive Tackle (and maybe tight end) coach.
Does Stinespring now report to Cavanaugh, Director of Recruiting?
Al, whether or not FB’s plan is to slide Shane into headcoach, I don’t know. I certainly don’t think it’s a good idea. But Nepotism is tolerated in the business world all the time…How many “& Sons” towing, construction, real estate and insurance companies are there? Quite a few…It isn’t tolerated in publicly traded companies very often but it happens in privately held companies all the time.
Barry, too bad comment 15 isn’t your’s. It had gained you a little bit of respect.
#15 Is the only accurate post you’ve ever had.
Associate head coach means he takes over as head coach during a short term absence only. Not a coach in waiting. Al, I thought stiney kept tightends only.
Steve, you are right. In family businesses, it is most times expected that the children will become part of the leadership. You do not however, see Dupont and Son, Steve Jobs and son, etc.
VT football is not a family business. Coach Beamer was hired to do a job. He was, and is, a paid employee of VT. If I build up a department within my multibillion dollar employer, do I have the authority to hire my kids and make them associate department manager? Nope.
Shane Beamer may be a good coach, but with a thousand other places to coach, he lands at VT being and Associate Head coach under Dad. That is strange.
Assistant head coach is not a coach in waiting. At most place (and in the past in B’burg) the asst. head acts on the head coaches behalf when he is absent. Years ago when Coach Beamer was hospitalized, Billy Hite, who was the assistant head coach, took over head coaching duties for a game. Hite is 1 – 0 as head coach. Great winning percentage.
Not sure why you guys are jumping on Greg Roberts. I enjoy his show. Sure, some of the info is stuff we’ve already heard but sometimes he’s pretty accurate about some of the upcoming events, like coaching hires in B’burg. O.T., you said “his hoo info is gathered by getting close to the hoos even thogh he is a VT guy. He plays both sides of the rivalry and I have no use for him.” As much as you might dislike the thought, there are hoo listeners in the area and it’s his job to get as many people to listen as possible. Considering the fact he is a VT guy and often does work for Coach Beamer, I’m impressed he can get as close to the UVa folks as he does. He plays both sides because that’s what he is paid to do.
Andy, will you please answer this question? Why can’t the VT football coaches recruit at least two or three 4-star and 5-star offensive linemen every couple of years? they will never again be a big time football program without those type of offensive linemen. Every big time football coach I have talked with, tells me that, as an absolute fact. The beautiful location, the wonderful campus atmosphere, the historic football tradition, and probably among the top two caring and supportive fans in the United States should attract every big time, 5-Star offensive linemen in the country. Are the VT football coaches conceding that Alabama takes better care of their football players, than they do? THAT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN. This 3-Time Hall of Famer recruited basketball players in the 1960′s that made NYU a top 5 basketball program. I hope I am not a better recruiter than today’s VT football coaches.
As a follow up to Redwolf’s #21 post, how is the big DL from Lynchburg that spurned us last year and went to Alabama? I think his name was Koren Kirven or something like that. Any news on him Andy? I presume he probably red shirted as deep as Bama is.
There’s no doubt OL recruiting hasn’t been great. Not sure if that’s a product of who was coaching there or if it’s more a commentary of the 4-star and 5-star guys that are available in-state every year (which is where VT gets nearly all of its recruits).
Here are four- and five-star OL in the state the last few years, per Rivals:
2012: Win Homer (Stanford)
2011: None
2010: Quinton Spain (West Virginia), Mark Shuman (Virginia Tech)
2009: Morgan Moses (Virginia)
2008: Vinston Painter (Virginia Tech), Bobby Massie (Ole Miss, eventually, after prep school)
2007: Blake DeChristopher (Virginia Tech), Andrew Nuss (Notre Dame)
2006: Alex Stadler (Alabama)
2005: Pat Sheil (Boston College)
2004: none
2003: Matt Welsh (Virginia Tech)
So that’s 11 four- or five-star OL in Virginia since 2003. Virginia Tech has gotten four of them and had a verbal commitment from a fifth (Massie), who didn’t qualify. That’s not the greatest percentage, but it’s also not getting shut out.
It might be a case where the Hokies need to expand their recruiting footprint beyond the normal six-hour radius. There seems to be a lot more OL recruits (and obviously more competition) to the south.
As for Kirven, he redshirted this year. Didn’t hear much about him because of that and the fact that Alabama doesn’t let freshmen talk to the media.
Andy – Different sport – but question. Why did VT not make any effort to recruit Andrew Rowsey up at Rockbridge in basketball. Averaging almost 40 points a game after being double teamed every time he gets near the ball.
Thanks Andy…that’s what I figured. He might have gotten some playing time here this year the way the defense was so porous in the beginning.
That basketball question is out of my range. Berman might be a better one to ask. If it’s not football, I’m not up to speed on the latest, especially recruiting.
Andy, thank you for that response. It never entered my mind that VT recruits only within a 6 hour radius. Please tell me the top 20 college football programs who recruit only or 90 percent of their four star and/or five star athletes within a six-hour radius? Do not call your program a “National” football program when you do not recruit “Nationally.” Now I have the disturbing feeling that the VT athletic administration, has not been honest with their faithful fans, by claiming to have a “National” football program. Does the UNC and Duke basketball programs recruit primarily in North Carolina? Of course not. That is why they are true “National” programs. This is a very tough business. It is time for the VT football coaches to start challenging schools for big-time recruits in their states. If those student-athletes would visit VT, I’ll bet some of them would fall in love with the area and school. That will not happen if you do not go after them. Any great salesperson will tell you, the more people you show your product to, the more opportunity you have to “SELL” your product.
Virginia Tech doesn’t only recruit in a six-hour radius. But a lot of its work is in that range. It will go to Florida for occasional recruits. Georgia and South Carolina too. Some of those guys are out of that range.
It’s not to atypical from other places. Auburn, for instance, recruits almost exclusively in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Louisiana. Proximity matters.
I loved VPI the first time I stepped foot on campus, still think it is a great place to matriculate, but I am, at heart and by upbringing, a country boy. The mountains, the rivers and trout streams, Claytor Lake, all that rugged beauty was particularly attractive to me, a boy from the flatlands. Fast forward 46 years, and while the changes in Blacksburg are incredible, step foot outta town and things aren’t all that much different than 1967. For young recruits used to, or looking for a more “urban” environment, good ole B’burg might not be all that easy of a sell. In recent years, it seems to me, the students have become much more insular, eating on campus, shopping on-line, everyone with a car so they’re home on weekends and breaks, all of this robbing Blacksburg of some of it’s college town cool and vitality. Not knocking the ‘Burg or suggesting that the town is keeping us from being able to recruit, but my point is, it’s definitely far from an urban place. First class facilities, any amenity we can legally offer, as good a coaching as we can afford and a winning tradition is what we have to work with. Keeping up with the Jones’s we regularly compete against is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.
For some recruits, the location, beauty, and quality of education we present is quite enough to make the sale, but we cannot fool ourselves that for some, VT doesn’t come naturally. If we can figure a way over that hump, we can recruit nationally. Kevin Jones came to us, after all, so it can happen!
I just found Auburn’s 12 big-time commitments for their football team. 2 from Alabama – 1 from California – 1 from Colorado – 2 from Georgia – 4 from Kansas – 1 from New Jersey – and 1 from Oklahoma. How about LSU? Their football roster has 6 players from Alabama – 3 from California – 3 from Florida – 4 from Georgia – 1 from Illinois – 2 from Michigan – 2 from Mississippi – 1 from Nebraska – 1 from Oklahoma – 1 from Tennessee – 7 from Texas – 1 from Washington and 1 from Australia. Take a look at Louisville’s new commits – take a look at Syracuse’s new commits – Take a look at Florida’s new commits – VT does not belong in their recruiting league. Facts are facts. To the VT administration, stop fooling your faithful fans – you have a local intercollegiate football program… Stop making promises you can not keep and just enjoy what you really are. Andy, let VT defend themselves.
Listen, I covered Auburn. I know what its recruiting philosophy was. And while that might have been expanded by the national championship season (after which it got recruits from Arizona, Colorado, etc.), the heart of its recruiting was still winning the state of Alabama and expanding into Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana (and, with Malzahn, also Arkansas, since he’s a legend there).
Look at Auburn’s 2011 class, a few months after the national title. One Delaware, one North Carolina, one Arizona and the rest are in SEC country. You recruit well locally and expand when you have connections that make it possible. It’s an approach that most schools take. Virginia Tech is no different.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/auburn/football/recruiting/commitments/2011/Auburn-75
Also, those Kansas and California commits this year for Auburn are community college guys. It’s like VT recruiting Fork Union and Hargrave, essentially.
Newberry, I’m interested in what promises VT has made. I’ve never heard the word promise come out of the football program.
Please, do not take this personally. The point is, the VT athletic administration continually creates pre-season images of a “National” contender. Year after year they are a “National” failure. If their goal each year is to defeat the University of Virginia and some ACC teams, they are doing a good job. The number of big time intercollegiate football programs recruiting in VT’s six-hour radius grows each year. As we all know, competition gets more fierce each “Day.”. If their recruiting is so wonderful in their six-hour radius, why is their offensive line so mediocre year in and year out? Why didn’t they have at least one big-time and productive running back this past season? It is a different atmosphere than it was during Coach Beamer’s first 20 to 25 years at VT. If he doesn’t, than the faithful VT fans will be going to the “Left Behind” Bowl each year. Here comes UNC, N.C. St., Florida St., Miami, Syracuse, Louisville, and perhaps even Duke? What about Notre Dame? Big time college football is a “Nationsl” game.
No offense to Andy, but I think the “national” contender talk comes more from the media and detractors than from Blacksburg. The media mentions it and the detractors pick up on it with statements like, “you are supposed to be national contenders.” I’ve never heard that come from B’burg along with never hearing any promises. I’ve just heard things like, “our first goal is to win the conference”. Even back in 1999, when the media would bring up the fact that the Hokies were contenders for the “national championship”, Coach Beamer would only say, “We just have to keep winning, everything else will take care of itself”.
#45 540H, you’re spinning on that one, and quite a bit. I am certain that the media weren’t those responsible for the construction of the empty Lexan case with the plaque – ‘Reserved for the National Championship Trophy’. That originated in Blacksburg, by Frank Beamer. Agreed, now that he sees the amount of effort required, he’s instead downgraded to preaching ACC titles as a good thing, but that started with Frank, and has continued on an annual basis with many fervent believers among the Hokie faithful. Every August, you hear it, and not by the media, but by a select portion of the Hokie fan base. Pretending that is not the case is inaccurate, to say the least.
Perch…do you really believe the “quality of education” is a driver for these football recruits? How highly ranked are the VT programs of University Studies, Communications, Undecided, etc.?
All right!! CR’s favorite subject, the empty Lexan case. I agree, it should never have been installed. However, the point I was arguing was Newbery’s contention that ” the VT athletic administration continually creates pre-season images of a “National” contender.” If you’re citing the trophy case, that was brought up a LONG time ago. You seem to be the only person still concerned about it. Haven’t heard Coach Beamer mention it in years. The continued “National Contender” image does not come from the VT athletic administration. The VT fan base is not the Atletic Administration and to pretend that it is not fueled by the media is inacurate, to say the least.
You always state that posters don’t read all of your criticisms and that you are misunderstood. In this case, I don’t think you comprehended my or Newbery’s references.
#48 540H, of course you don’t hear Frank talking about his empty trophy case. Except once he gets his tenth win of the season. You totally phonily first claimed that the ‘national championship’ talk is generated by the media and ‘haters’, when in fact, it’s only rubbed in your apologists’ faces when it’s laughably easy. You’re now backpedaling to say that the fan base is involved. When challenged further, how much more will you backtrack? The trophy case is still dusty, and Frank still uses it when convenient, and retreats when not.
You hate me reminding you how empty the trophy case is (and we both know it, ha ha), as I’ve said before – I’ll stop referencing Frank Beamer ordering the empty trophy case being erected and pointedly referenced when Frank admits it and has the trophy case removed. Until then? Not a chance. The trophy case is empty, and the dust is still collecting.
CR, you’re just tiring. ” phonily first claimed that the ‘national championship’ talk is generated by the media and ‘haters’” That’s your OPINION, not a fact. The closest your post came to an actual fact was the 3 words, “You hate me”. It was only close because I hate no one, but you are easy to despise. Why don’t you become a Hoo? You’ll have more to be critical of. And sorry I ended a sentence with a preposition. Getting off the blog now to watch the b’ball game. You may have the last word, I won’t read it.