Virginia Tech returns two rising stars at linebacker in sophomores Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi. The Hokies also have some young depth in Brett Warren, Andrew Bowman, and Purnell Sturdivant. Tech doesn�t have an immediate need for an impact linebacker, but depth is always necessary and the Hokies need to search for future stars at this critical position. In this recruiting class, Tech would like to land a middle linebacker (Mike in Tech�s system) and a strong-side linebacker (Backer) that could develop into a star of the future. Here are the linebackers that Tech offered:

Deveon Simmons, from AAA-Division 6 state champion Landstown HS in Virginia Beach, is a very aggressive linebacker noted for making big hits. He is an excellent athlete, playing running back on offense and showing the ability to cover receivers as well as make plays in the backfield. Simmons chose Virginia Tech last summer over offers from Florida, N.C. State, Georgia, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida State, Miami, and many more.

Prediction: Simmons' academic status is poor, and he will not come to Virginia Tech this fall. He may not graduate from high school and he might repeat his senior year at Hargrave Military Academy, but the most recent information suggests that junior college (JUCO) is more likely. If Simmons does eventually enroll at Virginia Tech, he will likely play Backer (strong-side linebacker), backing up Xavier Adibi for a year or two before taking over the starting job.

Demetrius Taylor, from Virginia Beach � Floyd Kellam HS, is a powerful, athletic linebacker with considerable potential. He is exceptionally strong with a great attitude and excellent athletic ability. Taylor was also a very good running back, but his future is at middle linebacker. He needs some work on pass coverage. Taylor chose the Hokies early over offers from Duke, Kent State, and Akron. No doubt that he would have had numerous offers based on his play his senior year.

Prediction: Taylor should be a solid contributor at Tech after a redshirt year and will compete with Andrew Bowman and Brett Warren for the Mike linebacker position once Vince Hall graduates.

Derek Nicholson (Florida State), from Winston-Salem, NC � Mount Tabor HS, is an incredibly instinctive linebacker with outstanding physical skills. He is tough and aggressive with the ability to make plays all over the field. Nicholson will unquestionably become an excellent linebacker in college. He followed his brother, current starting linebacker A.J. Nicholson, to Florida State. He selected the Seminoles over offers from North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Miami, Notre Dame, Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan, Oklahoma, Virginia, Florida, UCLA, Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, and many more. The Hokies were in the running for Nicholson, but this recruiting battle basically came down to his brother�s team, Florida State, and his father�s team, North Carolina.

Brian Cushing (USC), from Oradell, NJ � Bergen Catholic HS, has great size, speed, and instincts as an outside linebacker. He is an exceptional athlete that has played a number of positions on offense and actually played strong safety as a junior. He has the ability to cover receivers as well as blitz, making him an outstanding prospect at weak-side or strong-side linebacker. Cushing took the recruiting process down to the wire selecting Southern Cal over offers from Miami, Boston College, Florida, Notre Dame, Louisville, Virginia, Oklahoma, Maryland, Penn State, Ohio State, Florida State, Michigan, and numerous others. Tech was never in strong contention for Cushing, but UVA was reported to be an early leader for him, though the Wahoos faded out of contention down the stretch.

Trey Blackmon (Auburn), from La Grange, GA, is probably one of the two biggest hitters in the last recruiting class (along with Deveon Simmons). He is a great athlete who plays with a nasty streak. Blackmon is undersized, but makes up for his size by being very aggressive and having excellent instincts. He chose Auburn over early favorite Georgia with additional offers from Florida State, LSU, Southern Cal, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Georgia Tech, and a few more. The Hokies were considered but were never in real contention. He would have been a Backer or possibly Whip in Tech�s system.

Jerome Hayes (Penn State), from Bayonne, NJ, is an athletic linebacker that could potentially play inside or outside. He has good size, speed, and strength with good instincts. His recruiting was difficult to predict with Hayes signing after his last official visit with Penn State. Prior to visiting the Nittany Lions he was favoring Miami or Florida. Hayes was also offered by Rutgers, Michigan State, Nebraska, Michigan, Louisville, Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia, and many more. Virginia Tech was under consideration but never really in the running. Hayes should continue a long line of excellent linebackers at Penn State.

Darryl Gresham (Florida), from nearby William Fleming High School in Roanoke, has great size and physical skills, but he is still fairly raw as a linebacker. He does well going forward and is especially effective on blitzes, but he seems a bit lost in space, thus I feel his future is probably as a middle linebacker or possibly as a defensive end. Gresham committed to Virginia in the summer but wavered during the season and finally signed with his father�s alma mater, Florida. He was also offered by Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Wake Forest. Gresham will likely need a couple of years to develop, but the talent is certainly there.

Josh Miller (Clemson), from Manning, SC, is an exceptional athlete who potentially could play a number of positions in college. Outside Linebacker is probably his best position but he is also a very good running back or fullback. He will need a year or two to adjust to college football, but he has outstanding potential. Miller selected Clemson over offers from Florida State, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina. He was a strong Clemson lean from the beginning, so the Hokies were never really in the running.

Jeff Clement (Maryland), from Deptford Township, NJ, is a good-sized linebacker with some mobility. He projects as an inside linebacker or possibly even fullback. Clement is a physical player with some potential. He signed with Maryland over reported offers from Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, and Virgina.

E.J. Wilson (UNC), from Brunswick, VA, is an outstanding athlete who could play a number of positions in college. He played quarterback in high school, but he will likely play linebacker, defensive end, or tight end for North Carolina. Wilson will need some time to develop but he is a great athlete with an excellent attitude. He chose the Tar Heels over offers from Virginia Tech and Navy.

Virginia Tech signed two excellent linebackers from Virginia Beach to provide initial depth and potentially start in the future. Deveon Simmons was probably the second most recruited player in the state last year and he should be an immediate contributor after a year at prep school or two years at JUCO. Demetrius Taylor�s stock really rose during his senior year and he fits perfectly into the Mike linebacker role at Tech. He already possesses the strength to play and has the team attitude that the coaches desire. Statistically, Tech�s linebacker signings rate 75% in the �won-loss percentage� and this score accurately reflects the quality of these players.

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