Virginia Tech’s DB class gets some kudos; 247Sports releases its Class of ’14 All-America Team
TechSideline.com photo
I’ll be going through the Hokies’ signing class once again in the next week, picking out more information from Virginia Tech’s videocast on National Signing Day to break things down a little bit more by positions.
But to start today — and keeping on the recruiting front — here are two brief items of note from the weekend …
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First, Rivals, via Sports Illustrated, ranked the top 2013 signing classes by position. Virginia Tech’s defensive backs ranked fifth nationally, behind USC, Florida, Ohio State and LSU.
The recruits the outlet lists are Charles Clark, Brandon Facyson, Holland Fisher, Kendall Fuller and Anthony Shegog, although Cequan Jefferson, a sleeper by most recruiting services, has a good chance of starting out at cornerback too. Deon Newsome is a two-way player who could end up on defense as well.
Here’s what Rivals wrote:
The skinny: Fuller is the best of the bunch here. He was the top-rated cornerback in the class until [Vernon] Hargreaves was simply outstanding at the Under Armour Game. Fuller is excellent in coverage and is a lockdown corner who could see immediate playing time in Blacksburg. Fisher is a superb athlete and a hard hitter. The three others round out a nice class.
Any DB group with Fuller in it was probably going to be one of the better ones in the country. The fact that the Hokies had another top-100 signee (Fisher) and depth to go with it makes for a pretty good class of defensive backs. Tech certainly needs to replenish its ranks in the defensive backfield too.
Secondly, 247Sports released its Class of 2014 All-America Team. This is different from its recruiting rankings. This team was selected on performance last year.
Several Virginia Tech targets of varying degrees are on the list, including, on the first team:
- OL Damian Prince, District Heights, Md. (Bishop McNamara)
- DE Da’Shawn Hand, Woodbridge (Woodbridge)
- DT Andrew Brown, Chesapeake (Oscar Smith)
- S Quin Blanding, Virginia Beach (Bayside)
And on the second team:
- QB David Cornwell, Norman Okla. (North)
- RB Elijah Hood, Charlotte, N.C. (Catholic)
- DE Jalyn Holmes, Norfolk, Va. (Lake Taylor)
- DT Derrick Nnadi, Virginia Beach, Va. (Ocean Lakes)
- ATH Derrell Scott, Havelock, N.C. (Havelock)
- CB Jalen Tabor, Washington, D.C. (Friendship Academy)
As you can see, this is a banner year for top-shelf Virginia talent. Keeping the local players at home will be crucial for the Hokies this year.
February 11, 2013 - 12:05 AM
Andy has another good report here.
All Hokies hope that the recruits become good players.
Andy, Any info yet on who those players list as their top 5 schools?
AB, it would be great to also see what Rivals rated VaTech’s recruiting class at all the other positions. They only list the top five in the article, but did they provide the full list somewhere else?
Steve78, Hand has VT in his top five. Brown has the Hokies in his top 10. I don’t think anybody else has narrowed their lists that much.
Crooked, there aren’t full rankings by position. It’s not like Rivals used an objective metric for it. It’s just one outlet’s opinion on the best classes at each position.
AB-How is the O-Line recruiting stack up ? …any 4-5 star OL prospects for the future? Any word on Drew Harris?
Here’s a 2014 target list, via 247Sports:
http://virginiatech.247sports.com/Season/2014-Football/Targets
Nothing new on Harris yet. Still working on clearinghouse issues.
Andy if you don’t mind and have the time, can you explain the “clearing house”? I guess it’s an NCAA process a kid must go through to determine eligibility but beyond that I know nothing. Thanks…
Interesting how many high profile teams from all over the country are in on the best recruits in Virginia. I hope the reconfigured staff does better at keeping so many top recruits from leaving the state. I see that ‘the new guys’ are already hard at it, and Loeffler is working his Oklahoma QB connection. It will be interesting to see how we’ve done this time next year. I remain optimistic.
Technically, the Clearinghouse is called the NCAA Eligibility Center. Here’s how the group defines itself:
The NCAA Eligibility Center is an agency of the National Collegiate Athletic Association that certifies the initial eligibility of all perspective student-athletes who register to compete as a freshman athlete at NCAA Division I and II member institutions.
Basically, every athlete has his or her grades, test scores and transcripts reviewed before they are approved to play college athletics. The borderline academic cases take longer to review sometimes.
OK kids, to the weight room, get in shape, stretch stretch stretch and NO INJURIES in Spring ball or summer camp.
Oh, and lets get Drew Harris past his paperwork (which I assume are his grades) problems.
Beat ‘Bama!
My neighbor is both a personal and business friend. ‘Bama grad. I HATE HIM! I need bragging rights! Desperate!
Andy,
Thanks for highlighting the 2014 projected All-Americans that VT has targeted. Even though the coaches will soon be focusing on the business at hand (BAMA) I hope they don’t lose sight of the fact that the state of Va. will have some “game changers” in next year’s class. I’m hoping VT will one day have their own version of Jadeveon Clowney.
This David Cornwell looks pretty good on film. It will be interesting to see if Loeffler can land this guy.
Thanks for the info. Andy.
Just looked at Rivals Top 100 for 2014 in some detail. Amazed how many kids have us in the running. Also a surprise how many of the Top 100 are within the 6 hour zone this year.
I know things won’t work out that we get them all but it is nice to dream.
Its also nice to look at lists and see we are of equal interest to every one else. Not often are we in the competition for so many of the Top 100.
To dream the impossible dream …….
Dream on Alice, it is a fairytale.
One of the top recruits in the country is certainly with in the 6 mile circle. Hand from Woodbridge has us in his final 5 and he wants an engineering school. Dream on that…
Barry: You keep hurling sarcastic bombs at VT but you seem to be either ignorant of or unable to accept the historical record of competion between VT & GT. VT has won 70% of the football & basketball contests between these two schools. VT owns a 7-3 edge in football and 14-5 edge in basketball. The GT win Saturday was the first ever in Blacksburg.
Jazzer—This is a new day my friend.
Very Nice update Andy, looks like the state of Va. is really going to be a hallowed recruiting pasture this year for one and all recruiting visitors.
Almost every single one of Barrys predictions he’s posted on here have turned out wrong yet he still seems so confident in the tide turning. What’s it called when someone doesn’t learn from their mistakes?
The predictions that count have been correct or very close. The three games that the Hokies have had with Clemson over the past couple of years turned out exactly like I predicted them, a slaughter by Clemson every time. That is the only really good team that VT faced and that is about all we need to say about that. My Jackets could not be considered a top team but they still nearly beat the Hokies, only a last chance prayer and throw gave the Hokies the victory in the last few seconds. I did predict that GT would beat FSU and they nearly did, I predicted GT would whup USC and they did. You can’t be right every time but being right when it really matters is the most important. GT will give VT all they can handle this season, mark it down and save the e-mail, it is a different season. Hokie fans are delusional and in denial; nothing is going to change for this season, you are still looking at 6-6 at the best. New coaches won’t fix it until you get rid of the top folks.
Mark it down and I repeat, my Jackets are not a top team.
^ Bitter Jacket
VT was 7-6 this year and almost everyone of importance is coming back. The starting OTs, Bruce Taylor and Exum for possibly the first half of the season are the exceptions. There is no reason to believe VT will not improve unless you’re a delusional hater doing some wishful thinking