Teel: Hokies' football recruiting statewide, especially in 757, trending up

Virginia Tech football’s biggest in-state recruiting splash last year was in metropolitan Richmond, where Brent Pry and his staff landed seven high school prospects, plus Old Dominion transfer receiver Ali Jennings III from Highland Springs. In the ever-fluid talent acquisition world, the Hokies’ most fertile Virginia region in 2024 may shift to the renowned 757, aka Hampton Roads and Tidewater. Teel: Hokies close strong with Richmond-flavored recruiting class The “may” is paramount, because little makes the head spin like recruiting’s myriad rankings, offers, commits and flips. But recruiting optics matter, never more so than in our social media age, and Tech’s optics this summer, especially in the state and Hampton Roads, have improved considerably. Thursday afternoon brought the latest bump, a commitment from four-star receiver Keylen Adams, a rising senior at Virginia Beach’s Green Run High. He selected the Hokies from among stout finalists that also included Alabama, South Carolina, Ohio State and Pitt. The 247Sports composite rates Adams the state’s No. 4 prospect, tops in Hampton Roads and a tick above No. 6 Gerard Johnson, a defensive end from Virginia Beach’s Cox High who pledged to the Hokies late last month. Green Run vs Oscar Smith Football Scrimmage Green Run wide receiver Keylen Adams (3) committed to Virginia Tech on Thursday. Mike Caudill/Virginian-Pilot At the risk of offending Richmond, Roanoke and Northern Virginia, no region of the state matches Hampton Roads’ football heritage, and Tech has been among many schools to mine the area effectively. Bruce Smith, Michael Vick, DeAngelo Hall, Tyrod Taylor, Vince Hall, the Adibi brothers and Chris Ellis are just a few of the marquee Hokies who played their high school ball in the 757. But recruiting is often cyclical, and Tech’s impact in Hampton Roads has waned. Indeed, if the rankings hold and he honors his commitment, Adams would be the first top-ranked 757 prospect to sign with the Hokies since Taylor in 2007. If Adams and Johnson remain the region’s top-rated players, this would be the first time Tech has landed Hampton Roads’ top two since 2005. In that star-crossed year, the Hokies nabbed the area’s top four in Deveon Simmons, Elan Lewis, Steven Friday and Greg Boone. Simmons promptly had disciplinary problems at Landstown High, never enrolled at Tech and two years ago was shot to death in Chesapeake; Lewis played sparingly for one season, while Friday and Boone earned second-team All-ACC honors. To be clear, the Hampton Roads talent pool has ebbed since the mid-2000s. But still, watching Virginia lasso the region’s No. 1 prospect four years running from 2011-14 (Demetrious Nicholson, Eli Harold, Taquan Mizzell and Quin Blanding) troubled the Tech faithful, even as the Hokies continued to dominate the Cavaliers on the field. As did 2015-17, when Florida State signed the area’s top recruit three consecutive years: Josh Sweat, Levonta Taylor and Khalan Laborn. Some of Virginia Tech’s 757 wounds were self-inflicted. The program wasn’t performing on the field, and staff instability frayed some recruiting connections throughout the state, damage Pry and his assistants have strived to repair. Other factors were beyond the Hokies’ control. Florida State’s inroads came on the heels of its 2013 national championship and 2014 College Football Playoff appearance. Then-Virginia coach Mike London has long been a superb recruiter and attended high school in the region. Moreover, outsiders such as Penn State and North Carolina have a rich history of recruiting well not only in Hampton Roads but also across Virginia. Running back D.J. Dozier (Virginia Beach) was a consensus, first-team All-American in 1986, when he led the Nittany Lions to the national championship and scored the decisive touchdown against Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. Linebacker Lawrence Taylor (Williamsburg) was the 1980 ACC Player of the Year, helping the Tar Heels win their most recent conference title. In short, no college football program has ever “owned” Virginia, or even the 757, and the globalization of recruiting in the internet age has amplified that reality. Sure, state products such as Cornell Brown, Darryl Tapp, Lee Suggs, Duane Brown (Hermitage), Vick and Taylor fueled Tech’s rise under Frank Beamer. But UVa countered with Chris Slade, Terry Kirby, Shawn Moore, Herman Moore and the Barber twins under George Welsh. Adams, Johnson and receiver Chanz Wiggins (King George) give the Hokies pledges from three of the state’s top 10 prospects. Salem High linebacker Chris Cole, the consensus No. 1, includes Tech among his finalists. From 2018-23, the Hokies signed only four top-10 state recruits: James Mitchell, Armani Chatman, Jaden Payoute (L.C. Bird) and Gunner Givens. Durng that same span, Penn State, where Pry served as defensive coordinator from 2014-21, signed 13. North Carolina inked nine. On the heels of a 3-8 finish in Pry’s first season, Tech’s chore now is to progress on the field, affirm the prospects’ confidence in Pry’s vision and close the deal when the early signing period opens Dec. 20.