Yes, it’s only 3 weeks left until February 2nd - Signing Day 2005. To this point, Virginia Tech has received 18 verbal commitments, including Hargrave prep players Brandon Holland and Sam Wheeler. The cream of the crop in this year’s class includes 3 of the state’s top 5 prospects - #1 Victor "Macho" Harris, #2 Elan Lewis and #4 Deveon Simmons. Add Ike Whitaker and many other quality recruits and you have a class that is currently rated in the Top 15 in the country by Rivals.com. And Virginia Tech remains in the mix for many other prospects.

Of the remaining prospects, Tech may have the best chance with defensive tackle Luqman Abdallah, defensive lineman Hivera Green, quarterback/athlete Greg Boone and sleeper offensive tackle recruit Eric Davis out of West Springfield High School. While they have the best chance with those prospects, the Hokies continue to be very much in the running for top talents such as Melvin Alaeze (who will decide this weekend b/t VT and MD), James Davis, J.C. Neal, Jonathan Hannah, Montario Hardesty, Jamie Robinson, Derek Nicholson, Barry Turner, Dakota Walker and possibly Todd Nolen. Tech is right there with these recruits and it wouldn’t really be a big surprise to see the Hokies pull a few out.

With 18 prospects in the fold, I believe Tech could take anywhere from 4-7 more recruits, depending on how high they are rated on the board. If Eric Davis commits as expected, he may not count towards this year’s class, as he would like to grey shirt – which means he would enroll in January of 2006 and could count towards either the 2006 class or the 2005 class.

With as many prospects as Tech is involved with, January promises to be an exciting month. The big official visit weekends will be January 21st and January 28th. We will release a list of players who are expected to visit the Thursday before each of these weekends.

The top remaining offensive targets – with written offers – look like this…

• QB’s: Greg Boone
• RB’s: Toney Baker, James Davis
• WR’s: Geron James, Lavar Lobdell, Derrick McPhearson, J.C. Neal, Todd Nolen
• TE’s: Jonathan Hannah
• OL: Curtis Crouch, Eric Davis
• DE’s: Melvin Alaeze, Hivera Green, Barry Turner, Dakota Walker
• DT’s: Luqman Abdallah
• LB’s: Darryl Gresham, Derek Nicholson
• CB’s: Jamie Robinson
• Ath’s/JAth’s: Montario Hardesty

• Very High – Tech is the favorite.
• High – Tech has landed an official visit and stands a good chance of being one of the final schools when decision time comes.
• Fair – Tech is in the mix but not at the top of the list. In the mix to land an official visit.
• Poor – Tech is on the outside looking in. A long shot at this point.

 

Ike Whitaker, 6-4, 200, 4.5, Northwest (Germantown, MD)

The Skinny: Whitaker is a tough, hard-working prospect with a lot of potential. He shows tremendous arm strength with awesome athleticism. In addition to his athleticism, he has excellent size. Whitaker was bumped to a 4-star prospect following a fantastic senior season, when he earned Washington Post Offensive Player of the Year honors in leading his team to a state championship. Whitaker completed 157 of 262 passes for a school-record 2,586 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2004. He also rushed for 432 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Greg Boone, 6-4, 250, 4.65, Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA)
Finalists: Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
Official Visits: Virginia Tech – 12/10/04, Maryland – 12/17/04, West Virginia – 01/14/05, UNC – 01/21/05
Leaders: None
Tech’s Stock: Very High. This decision will likely come down to VT, MD and UNC. I continue to give Virginia Tech the edge here. Boone will take his remaining visits, but I like VT’s chances in the end.

Elan Lewis, 5-8, 220, 4.5, Phoebus (Hampton, VA)

The Skinny: One of the most productive tailbacks in state of Virginia history, Lewis has a running style similar to former Hokie tailback Shyrone Stith but has more speed. Lewis is a natural runner with excellent vision and power. He is also an effective receiver out of the backfield.

Toney Baker, 5-10, 220, 4.4, Ragsdale (Jamestown, NC)
Finalists: North Carolina, N.C. State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: N.C. State – 12/03/04
Leaders: Many, including myself, feel Baker will announce for NCSU this weekend.
Tech’s Stock: Fair/High. N.C. State is the likely choice for the talented running back this weekend.

James Davis, 6-0, 205, 4.5, Douglass (Atlanta, GA)
Contenders: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, Tennessee, Virginia Tech
Official Visits Set: Virginia Tech – 11/26/04, Alabama – 01/07/05, Clemson – 01/14/05
Leaders: Alabama, Clemson, Virginia Tech
Tech’s Stock: High. Davis had a great official visit to Virginia Tech and almost announced for them last week before deciding to make more visits. He has since named Clemson as a co-leader and, more recently, had a great visit to Alabama. He said he "felt at home" at Alabama, which is significant. But Tech is still right there because of the work of their coaches and could pull it out. I think he’s leaning towards Alabama, however.

Kenny Jefferson, 5-10, 230, 4.5, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD)

The Skinny: As a junior, Jefferson earned honorable mention all-league honors. He rushed for around 400 yards and seven touchdowns last season as a junior, averaging around 17 yards per carry. In addition to football, Jefferson is an accomplished wrestler as well. He is a two-time State Champion and two-time National Top Six wrestler.

After an outstanding senior season, Jefferson earned Super 44 Defensive Player of the Year honors and first-team all-metro honors at linebacker by the Washington Post. He finished the 2004 season with 128 tackles and 9 sacks on defense and was an outstanding blocker at fullback on offense.

Jefferson chose Virginia Tech over offers from Penn State and Syracuse. He will easily qualify.

Geron James, 6-4, 178, 4.41, Ashley (Wilmington, NC)
Finalists: North Carolina, N.C. State, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: N.C. State – 12/10/04, VT – 01/28/05
Leaders: N.C. State
Tech’s Stock: High.  Geron now says that he will likely go ahead and wait until after he takes his visit to Virginia Tech before announcing a final decision.  Tech has some ground to overcome, but it appears as if they will get their shot.  The Wolfpack have a lot of factors working in their favor even if he does visit VT, such as proximity to home and friends that go to NCSU. 

Lavar Lobdell, 6-3, 195, 4.5, Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse, NY)
Contenders: Miami, N.C. State, Pittsburgh, Southern California, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Official Visits: West Virginia – 12/10/04
Leaders: None
Tech’s Stock: Fair. Lobdell is another prospect I hope to reach soon. Tech is reportedly being considered for an official visit, but I’m not sure of Tech’s standing right now.

Derrick McPhearson, 6-0, 195, 4.4 Fork Union Military Academy (Hyattsville, MD)
Contenders: Clemson, Florida, Maryland, Nebraska, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: Nebraska – 12/03/04, Maryland – 12/10/04, Clemson – 01/14/05, Virginia Tech – 01/21/05, Florida – 01/28/05
Leaders: Florida
Tech’s Stock: High. It appears that McPhearson does still plan on visiting Virginia Tech. Florida has the edge right now, but anything can happen on official visits and the Hokies were one of the finalists last year.

J.C. Neal, 6-1, 180, 4.39, Lakewood (Sumter, SC)
Contenders: Clemson, Maryland, N.C. State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: Virginia Tech – 11/26/04, Maryland – 12/03/04, South Carolina – 01/07/05, N.C. State – 01/14/05, Clemson – 01/21/05
Leaders: N.C. State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech
Tech’s Stock: High. With the recent coaching attrition, N.C. State has lost ground with Neal. South Carolina is making a big push. Hanging steadily around is Virginia Tech. I expect Neal to make a decision after this weekend and cancel the Clemson visit. If N.C. State can overcome the coaching staff situation then I still think they can land him, but that’s a big question mark right now. This one will be closer than once thought among all three top schools.

Todd Nolen, 6-3, 175, 4.5, Hampton (VA)
Finalists: North Carolina, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: UNC – 01/14/05, Penn State – 01/21/05, Virginia Tech – 01/28/05
Leaders: None
Tech’s Stock: High. Nolen was very close to selecting a school but felt like he needed to make official visits before making a final decision. If he had decided, the school would have likely been UVa. UVa is still in good shape but Nolen wants to visit his other three favorites to explore all options. Right now, all schools appear even.

Jonathan Hannah, 6-4, 255, 4.8, South View (Hope Mills, NC)
Contenders: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, North Carolina, N.C. State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: Clemson – 09/04/04, Virginia Tech – 10/01/04, UNC – 01/07/05, South Carolina – 01/14/05, N.C. State – 01/21/05
Leaders: Has a top 3 but hasn’t released it. My guess is UNC, NCSU, VT.
Tech’s Stock: High. In Hannah’s own words, he feels very comfortable with the Tech coaches. UNC put themselves in a great position with their recent official visit. N.C. State will get the last visit but, in my opinion, I think it comes down to UNC and VT with UNC having the edge right now. N.C. State will have their chance to impress however. Hannah currently plans to announce his choice on January 24th.

Antonio North, 6-4, 310, North Stafford (Stafford, VA)

The Skinny: North chose Virginia Tech over NC State on June 28th, ending a long process where those two schools were the finalists for quite some time. North, who is projected as a guard, is an excellent addition to the Hokies offensive line.

"Tony has good footwork and tremendous power at the point of attack," North Stafford Head Coach Eric Cooke said. "He moves well. He plays offensive guard for us, and we use him a lot to pull and in sweeps. He moves really well in open space. We can move or pull him on either side."

A 4-year starter, North earned all-Commonwealth District and all-Northwestern Region honors for his senior year. He was also named to the Washington Post all-metro first team.

A good student, North will easily qualify.

Ed Wang, 6-5, 260, 4.8, Stone Bridge (Ashburn, VA)

The Skinny: Wang impressed the Hokies staff mightily during summer camp last year. A tight end and defensive end in high school, Wang will likely grow into an athletic offensive tackle on the next level. Ed earned 2004 Gatorade Player of the Year honors for his senior year performance.

Wang is a good student who will qualify academically.

Robert Norris, 6-4, 300, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD)

The Skinny: Norris committed just a week after teammate Kenny Jefferson verballed to the Hokies. Norris is a big, strong player who has quick feet according to Head Coach Bill McGregor. He chose Tech over offers from Maryland and Syracuse.

Norris will easily qualify.

Curtis Crouch, 6-6, 320, E E Smith (Fayetteville, NC)
Contenders: East Carolina, Clemson, N.C. State, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: Oklahoma – 11/12/04, Florida – 01/07/05, N.C. State – 01/14/05, Clemson – 01/21/05, Virginia Tech – 01/28/05
Leaders: Florida, N.C. State
Tech’s Stock: High/Fair. Oklahoma would be considered a favorite, but it appears that distance will play a factor in Crouch’s recruitment. He greatly enjoyed his visit to Florida and has N.C. State this weekend. The Wolfpack have long been considered the team to beat. I don’t feel great about Tech’s chances right now, however if he visits anything can happen.

Eric Davis, 6-7 ½, 300, West Springfield (Springfield, VA)
Contenders: Virginia Tech, Army
Official Visits: Virginia Tech – 01/21/05
Leaders: Virginia Tech
Tech’s Stock: Very High. Barring any unforeseen event, expect Davis to commit to Tech after his official visit. He may end up grey-shirting and enroll at Tech in January of 2006.

Steven Friday, 6-5, 215, 4.7, Phoebus (Hampton, VA)

The Skinny: Friday had an astounding 27 QB pressures and 17 sacks last season as a junior, earning himself first-team all-state honors. He needs to add weight on the next level but has the fire and athleticism to be a great defensive end in college.

William Wall 6-3, 258, 4.6 H.D. Woodson (Washington, DC)

The Skinny: Wall committed to Tech for the 2004 class, however did not qualify academically and did not sign an LOI with the Hokies. He will attend Hargrave Military Academy for one year beginning late summer/fall of this year and plans on signing with Tech in February of 2005. Wall remains very much committed to Virginia Tech.

Wall is a defensive lineman with excellent athleticism for a player his size. He played wide receiver for HD Woodson as well, a testament to his athletic prowess. At Hargrave, Wall has really come on and impressed many onlookers with his determination, fire and athleticism. He’s turning into a terrific prospect.

Melvin Alaeze, 6-2, 270, 4.7, Randallstown (Randallstown, MD)
Finalists: Maryland, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: Maryland – 12/10/04, Virginia Tech – 12/17/04
Leaders: Maryland, Virginia Tech
Tech’s Stock: High. Alaeze will announce his decision during the January 15th All-American Bowl. His decision is down to Maryland and Virginia Tech. Maryland was thought to be the favorite about a month ago, but Virginia Tech pulled even with an excellent official visit. If I had to guess today, I’d guess Maryland. But it’s close.

Barry Turner, 6-3, 230, 4.6, Brentwood Academy (Nashville, TN)
Contenders: Auburn, Florida, Miami (Fl), Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech.
Official Visits: Nebraska – 10/15/04, Vanderbilt – 01/07/05, Tennessee - 01/14/05, Colorado – 01/21/05, Virginia Tech – 01/28/05
Leaders: None
Tech’s Stock: High. Virginia Tech seems to have as good a shot here as any other school. I think it comes down to Tennessee and Virginia Tech in the end, assuming Barry does take all of his visits..

Dakota Walker, 6-3, 225, 4.55, Oakcrest (Mays Landing, NJ)
Finalists: North Carolina, Purdue, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: Purdue – 10/22/04, North Carolina – 12/03/04, Tennessee – 12/10/04, South Carolina – 01/14/05 Virginia Tech – 01/21/05
Leaders: None.
Tech’s Stock: High. This one is tough to call. Tennessee was very impressive. He seems to like South Carolina a lot. Virginia Tech is there and will get the final visit. If Tech can really impress on the 21st, they could pull this one out. Right now, it’s a tough call though.

Hivera Green, 6-5, 255, 4.8, Conway (Conway, SC)
Contenders: Clemson, Ohio State (no offer), Oklahoma (no offer), South Carolina, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: South Carolina – 01/07/05, Clemson – 01/14/05, Virginia Tech (01/28/05)
Leaders: Clemson, Virginia Tech
Tech’s Stock: High/Very High. Green had a great unofficial visit to VT last Fall. I like Tech’s chances right now and they could close the deal with an excellent official visit on the 28th.

Sergio Render, 6-4, 290, Newnan (GA)

The Skinny: Render chose Virginia Tech a month after an excellent official visit experience. He wants to play defense, and Virginia Tech will give him a shot to play defense on the next level.

Luqman Abdallah, 6-4, 303, 5.0, The Hun School (Princeton, N.J.)
Finalists: Miami, Michigan State, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Official Visits: Rutgers – 12/03/04, Michigan State – 12/10/04, Wake Forest – 01/07/05, Miami – 01/14/05, Virginia Tech – 01/21/05
Leaders: None
VT Stock: High/Very High. I think this one comes down to Miami and Virginia Tech, and I like Tech’s chances right now. He lived in Virginia for a few years, so that could give Tech an edge in terms of comfort level.

Deveon Simmons, 6-0, 218, 4.5, Landstown (Virginia Beach, VA)

The Skinny: Simmons is the hardest hitting prospect in the state. A devastating hitter, he plays the middle well and really runs well from sideline to sideline. Deveon earned all-state honors for his junior year performance. As a junior, he finished with 91 tackles, 42 tackles-for-loss, and six sacks. He helped Landstown to a Group AAA State Championship game appearance.

"Deveon is about the most explosive player on defense I’ve ever seen," Landstown Head Coach Chris Beatty said. "When he hits people, he runs through them. He covers so much ground and he has unbelievable instincts that you just can’t teach. He also has tremendous athletic ability. Nebraska’s coach called him a Lawrence Taylor-type player. He’s obviously not as big, but he makes the same type of plays sideline to sideline as well as getting to the quarterback."

As a senior, the state’s top linebacker and all-state performer had 105 tackles, 21 tackles-for-loss, 8 sacks and 6 forced fumbles heading into the state semifinals. He has earned Beach District Defensive Player of the Year the past two years. He was named to the all-Tidewater first-team at linebacker each of the last two years.

Demetrius Taylor, 6-1, 220, 4.5 Floyd Kellam (Virginia Beach, VA)

The Skinny: Demetrius Taylor is very fast with solid size. In addition, Taylor is a strong player.

"He can run like no one his size," Kellam Head Coach Chris DeWitt said in an earlier interview. "He’s our fastest sprinter. He runs a 4.5, but we’ve timed him under 4.5 before. He can bench press 355 pounds, and his squat is huge. We do hang-cleans, and Demetrius can hang-clean 325 pounds, which is our highest ever."

As good of a season as he had last year as a two-way player, an opposing coach indicated Taylor was very dominating as a sophomore. That year, Taylor only played linebacker.

"Taylor was a good running back, but he’s an even better linebacker," the opposing coach said. "He was awesome when he only played linebacker his sophomore season."

Taylor, who was receiving interest programs including Michigan and Notre Dame, chose Tech over an offer from Duke. He was recruited as a Mike linebacker.

In his senior season, Taylor averaged 10 tackles per game, forced 5 fumbles and had one interception. He earned first-team all-Beach district honors as a running back and linebacker and first-team all-Tidewater honors as a linebacker.

Derek Nicholson, 6-2, 228, 4.55, Mount Tabor (Winston-Salem, NC)
Contenders: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Miami (Fl), North Carolina, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: Virginia Tech – 11/26/04, North Carolina – 12/03/04, Florida State – 01/28/05
Leaders: Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech may be the primary contenders
Tech’s Stock: High/Fair. Tech landed an official visit and it went well. But UNC and Florida State will be tough to beat. Many still believe that Florida State is in the driver’s seat, but Virginia Tech will be one of the finalists.

Darryl Gresham, 6-3, 230, 4.68, William Fleming (Roanoke, VA)
Contenders: Clemson, Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: Virginia – 12/10/04, Florida – 01/07/05
Leaders: Florida, Virginia
Tech’s Stock: Fair/High. Gresham is undecided at to whether he will make an official visit to Virginia Tech or not. This one will come down to Florida and Virginia.

Dorian Porch, 5-11, 180, 4.4, Gordon Central (Calhoun, GA)

The Skinny: Porch possesses 4.4 speed in the 40. A good leader, he is the quarterback for his team and plays defensive back as well. He projects as a cornerback on the next level, but could also play wide receiver.

Dorian had thought about taking a visit to Tennessee earlier this year, but re-affirmed his commitment to Virginia Tech last week. He appears very excited to be a Hokie, and will take an official visit to Blacksburg on the weekend of November 26th.

Stephan Virgil, 5-11, 165, 4.4, Rocky Mount (NC)

The Skinny: Virgil is a big get for the VT coaching staff. He’s tough and he’s versatile. He played safety in high school but could move to corner. He possesses good coverage skills for a cornerback. He finished his senior year with 98 tackles, 2 sacks and 4 interceptions. He earned a spot on the NC/SC Shrine Bowl as well.

Jamie Robinson, 6-1, 185, 4.5, Rock Hill (Northwestern, SC)
Contenders: Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech
Official Visits: Florida State – 01/07/05, Clemson – 01/14/05, Virginia Tech – 01/21/05
Leaders: None
Tech’s Stock: High. Tech made the final three list. It’s hard to bet against childhood favorite Florida State here, but Tech certainly has a shot as they have the final visit.

Cameron Martin, 6-2, 180, 4.5, George-Washington (Danville, VA)

The Skinny: Martin is a hard-hitting and savvy safety prospect. GW-Danville Head Coach Dan Newell had this to say about his star prospect.

"I defer to what the colleges tell me, and they like the way he plays the run from the safety position. Cameron really fills the alleys. It's one thing to get there, but he gets there and he's a fearless tackler. One coach described him as ferocious. He's not the biggest guy yet, but he plays with great leverage. Cameron has deceptive closing speed. He gets his hand on a lot of passes."

He chose Virginia Tech over offers from UVa, Boston College, Tennessee, Maryland, NC State, UNC, Wake Forest, and West Virginia. I have him rated the number 9 overall prospect in the state of Virginia.

Victor Harris, 6-0, 180, 4.46, Highland Springs (Highland Springs, VA)

The Skinny: The state’s top player – what more can you say? Explosive and dynamic on either side of the ball, Harris projects as a cornerback for the Hokies. If necessary, he could end up as a running back, but defense is his most likely position. Tech landed its top target in the 2005 recruiting class.

Jahre Cheeseman, 5-9, 175, 4.37, Eastern (Voorhees, N.J.)

The Skinny: Jahre chose Virginia Tech after taking official visits to Tech and Penn State.

Very fast, Cheeseman excels in the 55 meter dash in track and has been timed at 4.37 in the 40-yard dash. He is being recruited as an "athlete’ by Virginia Tech, so he could end up at RB, CB or maybe WR.