Back in 2002, the Commonwealth of Virginia boasted its best-ever recruiting class, on paper. The top of the class was headed by major national recruits such as Ahmad Brooks, Marcus Vick and Kai Parham. This was the most top flight talent that Virginia had ever produced, as many of those players garnered offers from some of the top programs in the country. Despite such impressive offer lists, most of those players decided to stay in-state.

Coming off a disappointing season in which UVA didn’t finish .500, new head coach Al Groh pulled a major recruiting coup when he signed some of the top players in the state ahead of Frank Beamer and the Hokies. Highly touted linebackers Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham headlined the UVA class. A total of five of the Roanoke Times top ten players signed with UVA, while only two signed with Virginia Tech.

On paper, this was a recruiting battle that UVA won, or best case scenario for Tech, broke even with the Hokies. But as we’ve seen many times in the past, football games are won on a football field instead of on a piece of paper. That’s evident in the Class of 2002, where an argument can definitely be made that the Hokies have gotten more out of their recruits. Some of the UVA recruits panned out, some didn’t, and the jury is still out on some. The same can be said for Tech, but the Hokies also seemed to reach lower into the barrel to pull out some gems whose production thus far has been just as good, if not greater than some of the players in the top five.

Let’s take a look at each player from Virginia who signed with either UVA or Tech in 2002, and their accomplishments thus far. The Hokies and Hoos signed 28 players off the Roanoke Times Top 50 list, with #37 Brenden Hill being the lowest-rated player signed by either school.

1) LB Ahmad Brooks, UVA, Roanoke Times #1. Brooks committed to UVA and was expected to be an immediate starter. After spending a year at Hargrave Military Academy, Brooks enrolled at UVA for spring practice of 2003. He was a Freshman All-American in 2003, collecting 117 total tackles. In 2004, Brooks collected 90 tackles. Brooks is a good player already who has the athletic ability to be outstanding. He has the potential to be a great linebacker, but at times he has seemed to lack focus and a feel for the game. The question is whether or not he develops into a great player at UVA or further along the line in the NFL.

2) QB Marcus Vick, VT, Roanoke Times #2. Vick signed with Virginia Tech when many thought he would head elsewhere. Vick redshirted in 2002 and got quite a bit of playing time in 2003. He helped lead the Hokies to a victory over Miami and flashed great talent, but at times looked like the freshman he was. Vick missed his sophomore season because of his well-publicized run-ins with the law, but he is back and ready to lead the Hokies in 2005. He has all the talent in the world, but time will tell if he can live up to the hype.

3) LB Kai Parham, UVA, Roanoke Times #3. Parham was the second stud linebacker signed by UVA in the class of 2002. He redshirted in 2002 and joined Ahmad Brooks as a starting inside linebacker in 2003. He had 89 tackles as a freshman and 80 as a sophomore. He was also a Freshman All-American. Parham, like Brooks, has flashed potential in his first two seasons, but will need to continue to work to become an all around player. Also like Brooks, Parham sometimes struggles to get off blocks.

4) DT Jonathan Lewis, VT, Roanoke Times #4. Lewis played as a true freshman in 2002 and ended up starting part of the season because of injuries. He looked good at times, but generally speaking he lacked the intensity needed to become a top defensive tackle during his first two years at Tech. He developed that intensity in 2004, and also dropped some weight, allowing him to develop into one of the ACC’s top defensive tackles. Lewis will be one of the anchors of Tech’s defensive line in 2005.

5) RB Michael Johnson, UVA, Roanoke Times #6. Johnson signed with UVA with a national reputation as one of the fastest players in the country. He has been buried in the depth chart behind Alvin Pearman and Wali Lundy and has seen spot appearances in the backfield for the Hoos. Pearman is gone, but Lundy returns in 2005. Johnson will also have to deal with emerging r-freshman running back Cedric Peerman. Johnson rushed for 381 yards on 63 carries in 2004, his best season.

6) CB Marcus Hamilton, UVA, Roanoke Times #9. Hamilton played in one game in 2002 before a knee injury forced him to redshirt. He broke into the starting lineup as a r-sophomore in 2004, leading UVA in interceptions with four. Hamilton appears to be a player with a very bright future.

7) CB Stefan Orange, UVA, Roanoke Times #10. Orange never played a down at UVA. He redshirted, transferred to James Madison, and then left that program before ever playing a game as well.

8) RB Mike Imoh, VT, Roanoke Times #11. Imoh has had a solid career in Blacksburg thus far, spending time at tailback and wide receiver. He has also returned kicks, including a return for a touchdown against UConn in 2003. Imoh holds the Virginia Tech record for most rushing yards in a game with 243 against UNC in 2004. He will battle Cedric Humes for the starting tailback spot in 2005.

9) QB Anthony Martinez, UVA, Roanoke Times #12. Martinez was the prototypical NFL style quarterback that Al Groh was looking for to run his team. However, things didn’t pan out that way. Martinez struggled as the starter when Matt Schaub was injured early in 2003. He later left the program before the 2004 season and now plays baseball for the Cavaliers. He played in 12 games this spring, starting 5, and batted .304 as a first baseman.

10) OL Brandon Gore, VT, Roanoke Times #13. Gore was a highly recruited offensive line recruit that was supposed to be a big time player for Tech. Thus far, Gore has received very little playing time and has struggled to keep his weight down. However, some progress was made this spring when Gore was named the Most Improved Player for the offense. He will be counted on to supply depth in 2005, and to possibly start in 2006.

11) DL Keenan Carter, UVA, Roanoke Times #14. Carter prepped at Fork Union following his high school career, and struggled to keep his weight down. He redshirted at UVA in 2003, and received some playing time in 2004. He made 17 tackles and had 3 tackles for loss, and improved as the season went along. He appears to have control over his weight at this point, and if he continues to do so, could develop into the perfect fit at nose tackle in UVA’s 3-4 scheme.

12) DE Darryl Tapp, VT, Roanoke Times #15. Tapp is a player who has contributed much more than his Roanoke Times ranking would suggest. He showed flashes of brilliance during his first two seasons but struggled with gap control. It all came together for him in 2004 however, when he posted 60 tackles, 16.5 TFLs and 8.5 sacks. He is considered one of the top defensive ends in America heading into 2005.

13) DE Noland Burchette, VT, Roanoke Times #16. Burchette has been a solid player who will be starting his junior season in 2005. Outstanding in his gap control, Burchette is not as flashy as Tapp, but does his job well. However, he will have to work hard to keep his starting job, as rising sophomore Chris Ellis is a budding star.

14) RB/DB Kenneth Tynes, UVA, Roanoke Times #17. Tynes enrolled at UVA, but left the program without making an impact.

15) DL Chris Burnett, VT, Roanoke Times #20. Burnett is a man among boys in the weight room, but that strength has yet to carry over to the football field. Burnett has yet to crack the two-deep at Tech, and at this point it looks highly doubtful that he ever will.

16) OL Brad Butler, UVA, Roanoke Times #22. Starter at right tackle for UVA. Butler is the prototypical offensive tackle with a 6-8 frame. A good player, Butler was definitely ranked too low at #22.

17) CB Brian McPherson, VT, Roanoke Times #23. A player that has yet to see any playing time for Virginia Tech. He possibly could be forced into playing this fall with the off the field status of Brandon Flowers and Theo Miller. However, the fact that he was behind two r-freshmen on the depth chart in the first place says a lot.

18) DB Aaron Rouse, VT, Roanoke Times #24. It took awhile for Aaron Rouse to pick up the game, but he developed into a very solid backup at whip linebacker in 2004. He has been moved to rover in 2005 and will battle Cary Wade for the starting spot. Rouse is a ball hawk who loves contact.

19) RB Jason Snelling, UVA, Roanoke Times #25. Like Tapp and Burchette, Snelling was a very underrated player. A very good fullback as a true freshman in 2002, Snelling was forced to redshirt in 2003 because of a medical condition. He returned in 2004 and played well, but was not as productive as his freshman season. Snelling has a bright future in Charlottesville if he can get back to his 2002 form.

20) WR Robert Parker, VT, Roanoke Times Sleeper of the Year. Robert Parker came to Tech as a wide receiver, but that position didn’t work out. He moved to whip linebacker in the spring of 2005, but quickly moved down the depth chart. Parker is a weight room warrior who won the Iron Man Competition at Virginia Tech but appears to be unable to find a position for which he is suited.

21) DB Jimmy Williams, VT, Roanoke Times #26. In just three years, Jimmy Williams has gone from supposedly the #26 prospect in Virginia to a possible Top 10 NFL draft pick. Williams emerged in 2004 as one of the top cornerbacks in the nation and decided to return to Tech for his senior season. He will be one of the leaders of Tech’s defense in 2005.

22) CB Cary Wade, VT, Roanoke Times #27. Wade played as a true freshman in 2002 and left many fans wondering why, after he looked slow in getting torched by an Arkansas State receiver in the opening game. He redshirted in 2003 and was back on the field as a special teams player in 2004. Wade came alive and looked very solid at the rover position for the Hokies during spring practice, and is poised to give Aaron Rouse a run for his money.

23) P Tom Hagan, UVA, Roanoke Times #28. Hagan was an All-ACC freshman in 2002, but he was inconsistent as a punter and has since given up football to concentrate on baseball. He started 35 games for the Cavalier baseball team this spring and batted .286.

24) PK Nic Schmitt, VT, Roanoke Times #29. Schmitt has amazing leg strength and is poised to take over the punting duties from Vinnie Burns in 2005. He spent some time as the starting kicker back in 2002 when Carter Warley was injured, but he struggled. Consistency has been his problem throughout his career, but he appears to be much improved heading into 2005.

25) DE Lamar Veney, VT, Roanoke Times #30. Veney committed to the Hokies, but never qualified academically.

26) DL Robert Armstrong, UVA, Roanoke Times #33. Armstrong signed with UVA, but was forced to go to Fork Union for prep school. He ended up at Maryland after leaving Fork Union, where he is in the rotation at defensive tackle.

27) OL Damian Spradlin, UVA, Roanoke Times #35. Spradlin never made it at UVA. He redshirted, quit the team, came back briefly, then eventually quit for good.

28) WR Brenden Hill, VT, Roanoke Times #37. Hill came to Tech as a wide receiver but was later moved to the defensive backfield. He was involved in the incident of contributing to the delinquency of a minor with Marcus Vick and Mike Imoh. He is unlikely to ever see the field on a regular basis for the Hokies.

A lot of attention goes to the top of the Class of 2002 and rightfully so, but I’m going to throw a curveball and say that the bottom of the class has been just as important as the top, at least thus far. Let’s start at the very bottom.

Both VT and UVA reached below the Top 25 to sign players in 2002, and the Hokies fared much, much better than their counterparts in Charlottesville. Tech signed six players outside the Top 25, and one of them became an All-American and future First Round draft pick…Jimmy Williams. Nic Schmitt will likely be a solid punter for Tech this year, and Cary Wade is challenging for the starting job at rover. Parker, Veney and Hill didn’t pan out, but three out of six is pretty solid from the bottom 25.

Meanwhile, take a look at UVA’s signees from the bottom 25. Tom Hagan is the only player to ever play a down at UVA, and he eventually quit football to concentrate on another sport. The Hoos thought they had found a couple of underrated jewels in Armstrong and Spradlin, and they cast the line and reeled in the fish, but found they weren’t exactly the type to mount on the wall. In fact, one of them ended up mounted on another school’s (Maryland) wall.

So out of the bottom 25, the Hokies signed an All-American who might go down as the best ever at his position to don a VT uniform, and UVA signed a punter who eventually quit to play baseball. Advantage Hokies.

To be fair, UVA signed a couple of guys that turned out to be better than expected as well. Jason Snelling was outstanding as a true freshman fullback for the Hoos, and if he can get back to form, he will be a dangerous weapon in the future. Brad Butler has the perfect size for an offensive tackle and has developed into a good player.

However, neither of those guys has developed into a star player, which brings me to Darryl Tapp. Tapp wasn’t among the bottom recruits in the state, but ranking a guy #15 doesn’t exactly project him to be an All-ACC player either. That’s exactly what Tapp became in 2004, developing into one of the ACC’s top down linemen. Comparable recruits for UVA, as far as the Roanoke Times rankings go, include #12 Anthony Martinez, #14 Keenan Carter and #17 Kenneth Tynes. Two of those guys aren’t even on the UVA team anymore, and the other has been a backup. Again, advantage Hokies.

Now let’s get to the Top 10. UVA signed five players, and one of those (Orange) left the program. Michael Johnson hasn’t been the impact player that many thought he would be. Brooks and Parham were projected to be mega-stars and have not achieved that status as of yet. However, it’s unfair to expect so much out of two guys who haven’t even started their junior seasons. They are good players now, but it remains to be seen how far they can develop. Hamilton developed into UVA’s best defensive back as a sophomore, and looks like he will lead the Cavalier secondary for the next two years.

VT signed only two players in the Top 10, Jonathan Lewis and Marcus Vick. Lewis struggled during his first two years but was very good as a junior, and the same is expected of him as a senior. The wild card is Marcus Vick. Anyone who has seen him practice knows he has phenomenal talent. The question is whether or he can do it in a game. If he does, the Hokies will hit a perfect two-for-two for the players they signed in the Top 10.

Attrition has had a big effect on this class, especially that of UVA. Of the 13 UVA signees, six either quit football or are playing somewhere else. None of those players came from the top nine players in the state; all fell between the #10 and #35 spots. UVA signed nine players from this group, so that means that only three of those players are still on the team. Attrition, aka a wasted scholarship, will badly hurt a program if it happens too much.

Contrast that with the Hokies, who have lost a grand total of one player in the Class of 2002 to attrition…Lamar Veney. And Veney never even enrolled at Tech. When you never had something, did you actually lose it? Even some of the marginal players that Tech signed in 2002 are staying in the football program and developing to the best of their ability. Not so in Charlottesville.

I began this article not intending to make it sound like a VT love fest, but I figured it would come across as such because of the results. The simple fact of the matter is that the Hokies have gotten more out of their 2002 in-state recruits than the Hoos have. That could easily change as players finish their careers, but right now the Hokies are in the lead. And that lead could grow if Marcus Vick develops into the quarterback he is expected to be.

Related links, from the July 24, 2002 edition of the TSL Extra (TSL's now-defunct monthly subscription offering):

Present and Future All-Stars -- Chris Horne
Four Hokie recruits enjoy their last high school hurrah and look to the future.

The All-Stars: A Player's View -- Will Stewart
A fellow VHSCA All-Star talks about the VT recruits who played in the game.