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Get ready -- the coldenest, freezenest, frigidest part of winter is coming! Keep warm with this great-looking, high quality VT Football Sweatshirt!

"Virginia Tech Football" imprint in maroon. Lee Crossgrain super-heavyweight reverse-weave fleece. This crewneck is the softest, toughest sweatshirt we could find.

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Chris Horne was very busy on the phones this week, gathering info for TechSideline.com. Although last week was a quiet period (in which it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on campus) from Jan. 3-5 and a dead period (not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on- or off-campus or permit official or unofficial visits -- basically, do nothing) from Jan. 6-9, there was still a lot of action in VT recruiting.

First of all, in a bit of bad news for the Hokies, out of state prospect Cory Boyd chose South Carolina over VT. The Hokies were looking at Boyd as a running back, so that means that the only running backs left on VT's board are Rodney Kinlaw, and Alonzo Coleman. Note that Coleman has not yet been offered a scholarship, as of our most recent information.

QB commitment Courtney Denson continues to take visits, despite being committed to VT. Denson visited Nebraska last weekend and will make a trip to Auburn this weekend. For the latest thoughts from Courtney on how solid his commitment to VT is, and how darn fast he is, see this week's TSL Pass update on Courtney.

Offensive line commitment Tripp Carroll and linebacker prospect Xavier Adibi played in the Army All-American All-Star game in San Antonio, Texas last weekend, for the East Squad, which won 47-3 in a dominating performance. Okay, Adibi didn't actually play, due to injury, but Carroll did play, and he and his East teammates dominated the defensive line for the West. Carroll also handled snapping duties on field goals and extra points and did well.

Adibi spoke with Chris Horne after returning home from the game, and he gave us his thoughts on the experience. He told us that Tripp Carroll did his best to promote Tech to Adibi while they were down there, and he also talked about his injuries, the trips he'll be taking, and whether or not the college decisions of other players in the state of Virginia, in particular defensive end Chris Ellis, will have an effect on his choice of schools. To read the whole interview, see our TSL Pass update.

Lastly, of course, the Hokies picked up two commitments, from ATH DJ Parker of Phoebus High School in Hampton, VA, and DE/LB Mike Brown, from Palm Beach Gardens High School in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Parker's and Brown's commitments were detailed in a TSL Breaking News email.

How You Can Help VT Recruiting

As documented in earlier TSLMails, the Hokie football coaching staff has a big recruiting weekend the weekend of January 24th. On that weekend, according to our most recent information, Tech will host (in alphabetical order by last name) LB Xavier Adibi, ATH Chase Anastasio, CB Phillip Brown, RB Alonzo Coleman, DE Chris Ellis, RB Rodney Kinlaw, and VT verbals TE John Kinzer and ATH DJ Parker.

One of the activities scheduled for that weekend (and here's where you can help) is the men's basketball game between St. John's and VT on Saturday, January 25th. The game is at 2 pm, and all of the prospects listed above will be in attendance. Coach Beamer will escort them in, so look for Beamer and about eight athletic looking young men all seated together.

A good-sized crowd at the game would make a favorable impression on the recruits, so if you make one men's basketball game for the rest of the season, make it that one:  VT versus St. John's, Saturday, Jan. 25th, 2:00 pm.

A Tour of the New TSL Recruiting Database

As you know, TSL launched version 2.0 of its football recruiting database on December 31st. What you may not know is that you don't have to be a TSL Pass subscriber to use the database -- a lot of the information in it is free.

If you check out a player profile like the one belonging to Tripp Carroll, you can view his basic info: name, position, height, weight, forty time, etc. You can also see his "Notables," a few sentences describing the player and giving his stats. Lastly, you can view his preseason and postseason ranking information from TSL, TheSabre.com, the Roanoke Times, SuperPrep, Rivals.com, and TheInsiders.com.

If you're a TSL Pass subscriber, you'll also see the player's "College Info," which includes the top five schools he is considering, his level of interest in each school, whether he has received a scholarship offer, whether or not he camped at that school, his visit date for each school, and who his recruiting coach is (though we usually only list that info for Virginia Tech and UVa).

The Prospect Search function is also free, and is pretty powerful. You can reach the Prospect Search function by clicking the Prospect Search link on the TSL home page, the TSL Football Recruiting page, and any of TSL's message boards.

On the Prospect Search page, you can search on a recruit by last name, or you can produce lists of recruits by selecting them by position, by state, and by commitment status. You can select one parameter (one position, for example), or multiple parameters (all linebackers and defensive ends from out of state, for example).

You can sort any search by some pretty varied parameters: position, name, home state, height, weight, 40 time, star ranking, TSL rank (in-state players), Roanoke Times rank (in-state players), commitment status, verbal date, VT visit date, high school, and last update.

We also have pre-defined searches readily available: in-state prospects, out-of-state prospects, all prospects, and VT verbals.

It's a very powerful recruiting database, and remember, most of it is free! If you haven't checked it out, click this Prospect Search link and poke around for a little bit. You'll discover some really neat stuff!

TechSideline Pass - $34.95 a Year

We wanted to give a quick thank you to everyone who has signed up for our new TechSideline Pass subscription service. TSL Pass includes premium articles, premium recruiting content, and subscriber-only message boards (including a much-requested recruiting board for subscribers only).

For more info on TechSideline Pass, and to subscribe, click here. To give TSL Pass as a gift (one-year subscriptions only), click here.

-- Will Stewart

Looking Ahead
by Bill Glose, 1/10/03, 9:25 am
What was the talk at the beginning of the 2002 football season? There was a smattering of chitchat about the 2002 team, but most conceded the fact that this would be a rebuilding year.
in TSL Pass

Letters to the Editor
TechSideline.com, 1/9/03, 2:20 pm
A couple of readers chime in with their thoughts on our recent column, "Finding the Joy."
in TSL Pass

Escape to Alcatraz
by Jim Alderson, 1/9/03, 11:00 am
I began plotting my escape from Alcatraz even before I arrived. My first view of the place was from the safety and freedom of Fisherman’s Wharf. It was a foreboding sight, rising from the San Francisco Bay into a gray sky amidst clouds bulging with a miserable cold rain.
in TSL Columnists

Hokie Hotline Notes
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 1/8/03, 11:40 pm
Monday's guests were quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers, women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson, and men's basketball coach Ricky Stokes. The bulk of this recap will focus on the appearance by Coach Rogers, with a few basketball notes.
in Hotline Notes

Diamond Walnut Bowl Game Analysis
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 1/7/03, 1:15 am
Analyzing this game is a real chin-scratcher. Usually, after looking at a game film, I've got some themes that emerge, but after plowing through three hours of game tape of Tech's victory over Air Force … nothing. Click here for more

TechSideline Pass Supplement -- by Will Stewart
Third-Down Conversions, and That Awkward Interview with Marcus Vick