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   Welcome to TSLMail #308 - Friday, December 7, 2007    
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   Tech Sports News


Early Projections on 2008 Hokie Draftees
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

In the 2006 NFL draft, Virginia Tech had nine players selected by NFL teams, setting a school record. The current group of seniors have won more games than any class in school history, and appear to have decent shot of breaking the record set by the 2005 group.

Using NFLDraftScout.com, we'll take a look at this group of seniors and see where they are being projected in the 2008 NFL Draft. Keep in mind that it's early, and underclassmen declaring early are not included at this point.

Xavier Adibi is the highest ranking Hokie on the board. He is the #2 ranked outside linebacker prospect, behind only Keith Rivers of USC. He is the #11 prospect overall by NFLDraftScout, and is projected as a first round selection. Adibi will likely blow the scouts away at the NFL Combine in March.

Chris Ellis is the #2 defensive end prospect and is projected to go somewhere in the first two rounds of the draft. Ellis is behind UVA's Chris Long in the defensive end rankings. He is listed as the #30 overall prospect.

Wide receiver Eddie Royal has certainly improved his stock this year. Although he shares time with three other senior receivers, Royal returned two punts for touchdowns this season, and that always catches the eyes of the NFL scouts. He is projected to go in either the second or third round, and he is the #52 overall prospect.

Bud Foster says Vince Hall is the best linebacker he has ever coached. Hall's instincts and pure football ability are unmatched. Unfortunately, he'll likely be held back by a below average Combine performance. Hall doesn't put up great numbers in the weight room or on the track. He is projected to be selected in rounds four or five.

However, if Hall tests better than expect in Tech's Pro Days, or the NFL Combine in March, he could slide up and be selected on the first day of the draft. He is rated as the #8 inside linebacker of the draft.

Virginia Tech has gotten outstanding play from their defensive tackles this season. Carlton Powell is currently projected to be a fifth round selection, and he's listed as the #10 defensive tackle in the draft. Barry Booker is projected to come off the board in the sixth round, and he's rated #16 senior defensive tackle in the draft.

Kory Robertson is listed as the #25 defensive tackle, although he isn't currently projected to be drafted. Scouts are intrigued by his mix of size and athletic ability.

Offensive tackle Duane Brown is having an outstanding season, and probably deserved First Team All-ACC honors. Tech's offensive line performance as a whole probably held him back. He is rated the #13 offensive tackle prospect, and is projected to go in the fifth round.

The unsung hero of the defense is free safety D.J. Parker. He doesn't really stand out, good or bad. He's a solid, steady player who is the quarterback of the defense. He is a very good athlete, and he's currently projected to be a fifth round pick. He's rated as the #7 free safety prospect.

Wide receivers Justin Harper and Josh Morgan are thought to be seventh round picks or free agents. Harper is the #39 wide receiver prospect, and Morgan sits at #40.



Opportunity is
Knocking!

Will You Answer?

There are strong rumors that cornerbacks Brandon Flowers and Macho Harris will declare for the NFL Draft at the end of the season. Both are juniors, and NFLDraftScout lists them as 2009 NFL Draft Prospects. Flowers is projected to be a first round pick in 2009, while Harris is projected to come off the board in the second round.

You might also be wondering about tailback Branden Ore. Ore is listed as the #13 running back overall for the 2009 NFL Draft, and is projected as a third round pick. However, he is listed as a player whose stock is dropping, which reflects his disappointing junior season.

So how accurate has NFLDraftScout.com been in the past? Let's take a look back at those Hokies selected in the 2006 draft.

Some of the projections were very accurate, and some others were a little bit off. Jimmy Williams was projected as a first round pick, but he fell to the second round. Defensive end Darryl Tapp was thought to be a second round pick, and that's exactly where he was drafted. James Anderson was Tech's third first day selection that year. He was projected as a fourth or fifth round pick, so he was taken a little higher than expected.

Jeff King was Virginia Tech's fourth selection that year. He was rated as the #9 tight end prospect and projected as a fourth or fifth round pick. He came off the board in the fifth round, as expected. Defensive tackle Jonathan Lewis was thought to be a third or fourth round pick, but he dropped to the sixth round.

The Hokies had four players picked in the seventh round in 2006. Justin Hamilton's stock shot up in the pre-Draft workouts, and he projected as a sixth round pick. He was taken in the seventh round. Offensive tackle Jimmy Martin was also taken in the seventh round, and he was originally projected as a fifth or sixth round selection.

Will Montgomery was selected by Carolina in the seventh round. That matched his sixth or seventh round projection. Finally, running back Cedric Humes was drafted in the seventh round by Pittsburgh. He was projected to go in the third or fourth round by NFLDraftScout.com.

Overall, NFLDraftScout.com was pretty accurate with their projections for Tech players back in 2006. Depending upon their accuracy with 2008 projections, and whether or not Flowers and Macho Harris declare for the draft, the Hokies have a shot at having ten (or more) players drafted next April.


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Special "Hokie Games" Offer for TSL Readers

Hokie Games recounts the score and key plays from every Virginia Tech football game played from the start of the 1945 season through the last game of the 2006 season. You can get old scores anywhere, but Hokie Games gives you the flow of the action and the important moments and players, not just a line with point totals and a date on it.

Hokie Games is the most complete book ever written about any college sports team, ever. The first Hokie game you ever watched? It's in there. Forgotten classics? Got 'em all. Learn about or relive the '72 game when Don Strock lit up Houston for 527 yards in the air or the 1966 VMI game when Tommy Francisco got into the end zone six times. Remember watching a great game with your kid or your dad? You can relive it. Are the details of the '99 thriller at West Virginia, the one that featured Vick's jaw-dropping run and Graham's clutch kick that kept the national title chances alive a little fuzzy? Hokie Games brings back every detail.

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   TechSideline.com Updates From the Past Week

Virginia Tech Set to Host Three Prospects

December 7, 2007
Virginia Tech will host three official visitors this weekend, including one of its top overall targets from the state of Virginia. New Hanover (Wilmington, N.C.) defensive tackle/offensive lineman Nick Becton, Oviedo (FL) defensive lineman Dwight Tucker and Stonewall Jackson (Manassas, VA) 4-star running back Ryan Williams are scheduled to be in Blacksburg over the weekend.
more

TSL Audio: The Len Martez Show, 12/5/07

December 7, 2007
In this week's show, Chris Coleman and Len Martez talked about the commitment of #1 in-state recruit Vinston Painter, they previewed the Orange Bowl, and they participated in the national past time of ragging on the BCS (WMA format, compatible with Windows Media Player and MP3 players, 3.4 MB, 14:42).
more

2008 Nebraska Game Date Changed
December 6, 2007
The date of Virginia Tech's 2008 football game at Nebraska has been changed. The game was originally scheduled to take place on September 20, but will now be held on September 27.
Also: Richmond Basketball Game Time Changed; Project Thank You Returns.
more

ACC Championship Game Analysis: Hokies Shut Down Ryan, Pull Away
December 6, 2007
Last Saturday the Hokies made their sixth appearance in Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, the most of any venue outside of Lane Stadium over the past ten years. With the 30-16 victory over Boston College, the Hokies won the 2007 ACC Championship while evening their record in Jacksonville to 3-3. Midway through the second quarter, it seemed like a 2-4 record was more likely after QB Matt Ryan scrambled his way into the end zone for BC's second touchdown of the game. Given how things were going at the time, no one could have believed that Tech would outscore BC 23-0 for the rest of the game.
more

Catching up with Jeron Gouveia
December 6, 2007
Stone Bridge (Ashburn, VA) senior and Virginia Tech commit Jeron Gouveia has played every possible skill position on offense throughout his varsity football career, which began in his freshman year. That has not changed this season, as Gouveia has been able to make an impact from all over the field in 2007.
more

Revisiting My Bold 2007 ACC Predictions
December 5, 2007
Back in August, I joined basically every other media outlet in making my preseason picks for the ACC. I tried to pick overall record, ACC record, and bowl destination for each ACC team. Now that the season has ended, it's time to take a look back and see how I did.
more

Rose Leads Amherst Into State Title Game
December 5, 2007
The heart and soul of Amherst's (VA) varsity football squad, Peter Rose has totaled close to 2,500 yards passing and rushing and scored 43 total touchdowns in the 2007 season. But, while Amherst captured a state championship in 2006 and has gone undefeated to this point this season, its 6-1, 180-pound star will not be satisfied with anything less than a state championship.
more

Young Hokies Smack UNC-Greensboro 67-39
December 5, 2007
Virginia Tech used a great defensive effort to defeat UNC-Greensboro 67-39 in Cassell Coliseum on Tuesday night. The Spartans had already defeated Georgia Tech earlier in the year, but the Hokies would have none of it, jumping out to an 11-0 lead and never looking back. Tech improved to 4-3 with the win, while UNC-Greensboro fell to 3-3.
more

State's Top Ranked Player Commits to VT
December 4, 2007
For the second straight year, Virginia Tech has landed TechSideline.com's #1 ranked player in the state of Virginia. Earlier this evening, Tech, led by primary recruiter Curt Newsome, scored a verbal commitment from 6-6, 315-pound Maury (Norfolk, VA) offensive lineman Vinston Painter.
more

Becton Completes First Official Visit
December 4, 2007
OL Nick Becton from New Hanover High School in Wilmington is one of the top remaining uncommitted prospects from the state of North Carolina. He also comes at a position of need for N.C. State in particular as the Wolfpack coaching staff has made the offensive line a huge priority for the class of 2008.
more

Basketball Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. UNC-Greensboro
December 4, 2007
The Hokies will play their second game of a three-game home stand when they host UNC-Greensboro in Cassell Coliseum on Tuesday night. UNC-Greensboro has already claimed one ACC scalp so far in this young season, and they'll be looking for their second on Tuesday. The Spartans are a similar team to UNC-Asheville, whom the Hokies defeated 65-51 on Saturday night. However, UNC-Greensboro's top player is post-man Kyle Hines, who is one of the best small-conference players in America.
more

Hokie Hotline Notes for 12/3/07
December 4, 2007
Presented by Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech: Monday night's guests were athletic director Jim Weaver, head men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg, football graduate assistant coach Cornell Brown, and running backs coach Billy Hite.
more

Devin Taylor Talks Official Visits
December 4, 2007
Beaufort (S.C.) defensive end Devin Taylor made an official visit to South Carolina this past weekend. He enjoyed his experience in Columbia. The 6-6, 215-pound senior has only one other official visit scheduled, and he plans to take it before making a college decision.
more

Monday Thoughts: The ACC Champs
December 3, 2007
As the message board rolled over at a hundred miles an hour last night, discussing VT's bowl bid, BCS rank, and bowl opponent, I was struck by how little time we had to enjoy the win over Boston College and Virginia Tech's second ACC championship. The Hokies had closed out BC and added another great chapter to Virginia Tech football history, but barely a day later, the game had been pushed into the background. What a shame.
more

Hokie Men's Soccer Makes NCAA Final Eight
December 3, 2007
The Virginia Tech men's soccer team is still alive in the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship. The Hokies knocked off Old Dominion 1-0 on Sunday, and will advance to the NCAA quarterfinals against UConn. They are one of just eight teams with a chance to win the National Championship. Tech is sporting a 13-3-5 overall record, with two of their three losses coming to Boston College, who has already been eliminated.
more

Around the ACC: Bowl Games
December 3, 2007
The 2007 regular season has concluded, and eight ACC teams will be bowling in December or January. The ACC has taken a lot of heat for being a bad conference this year, but these teams will have a chance to redeem themselves over the next month.
more

Dunn Returns from First Official Visit
December 3, 2007
6-3, 212-pound Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, VA) wide receiver Randall Dunn made his first official visit this past weekend, traveling to Storrs, Connecticut, to check out the University of Connecticut. Dunn discussed this weekend's trip, whether or not U-Conn is a serious player in his recruitment and what is in store next in his decision-making process.
more

Hokies to Play Kansas in the Orange Bowl
December 2, 2007
It's official. The Hokies have earned their fifth BCS bowl appearance under Frank Beamer. Virginia Tech (11-2), champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference, will travel to Miami to take on the #8 Kansas Jayhawks in the FedEx Orange Bowl. The game will be held on January 3, and will be televised by Fox at 8pm. The Hokies finished #3 in the final BCS standings.
more

Hokies Break Losing Streak, Beat UNC-Asheville 65-51
December 2, 2007
Virginia Tech returned to the friendly confines of Cassell Coliseum and got a much needed 65-51 victory over UNC-Asheville on Saturday night in Blacksburg. The Hokies had to work hard for this one, as they trailed at one point in the second half, but they ran away with the game at the end. Tech improved to 3-3 with the win, while UNC-Asheville dropped to 6-2.
more

Hokies Contain Ryan, Win the ACC Championship
December 1, 2007
This time there was no miracle comeback. #6 Virginia Tech shutout #11 Boston College and Matt Ryan in the second half and came through with a 30-16 victory in the ACC Championship Game. The Hokies have won the ACC for the second time in their first four years in the conference, and are now heading to the Orange Bowl. Virginia Tech improved to 11-2 on the season, the fourth time they've won 11 games in the Beamer Bowl Era, and the second time in the past three years.
more

Analysis on Coach Greenberg's Fall Recruiting Class
November 30, 2007
Last week, Virginia Tech announced the signing of three players in the 2008 men's basketball recruiting class. This week, TechSideline.com caught up with PrepStars.com Talent Evaluator Brick Oettinger for his analysis on Seth Greenberg's three recruits as well as a look at the rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference fall hauls. Also, be sure to check out TSL guru Rev. Zeke Vodka's analysis of Tech's recruiting class.
more

Basketball Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. UNC-Asheville
November 30, 2007
After suffering through three straight losses away from Blacksburg, Virginia Tech returns home to Cassell Coliseum to take on UNC-Asheville on Saturday night. The Bulldogs are off to a hot 6-1 start to begin the season, riding the play of two senior guards and one of the biggest humans you will ever see.
more
 
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