While there are limited scholarships remaining in Tech’s 2009 recruiting class, there remains work to be done. Tomorrow, the staff is expected to host some top remaining senior targets including Brookville (Lynchburg, VA) tight end/wide receiver Logan Thomas.
The 6-6, 225-pound Thomas, one of the top overall athletes in the country, lists seven favorites including Clemson, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and West Virginia. His list of offers continues to grow, though, and more schools may still be in the running.
“He has a solid top seven, but Penn State and Florida State both offered recently and he hasn’t ruled them out,” Brookville head coach Jeff Woody said. “He wants to take a look. If a USC offers, he may check them out.”
This weekend’s visit to Virginia Tech will be Thomas’ third college football game in as many Saturdays. He attended UVa’s opener against USC and Wake Forest’s game against Mississippi last weekend. With no other visits currently on the schedule, is there a chance Thomas commits somewhere after this weekend?
“Who knows,” Woody replied with a laugh. “Logan could surprise some people, I think. He’ll probably surprise me, to be honest. Now that September is here, coaches have started showing up at the school. Tennessee and UNC were at our game last Friday. They are starting to show themselves more now that they can.”
Accompanying Thomas will be top junior defensive end Zack McCray, who has been offered by Tech, as well as senior offensive lineman Devin Bolling, a prospect Tech has yet to show significant interest in.
McCray has seen his recruitment pick up this month.
“Clemson has called, Oregon has called, Michigan has called, and so has Penn State,” Woody said. “The interest in Zack is growing.”
In addition to the Brookville standouts, Virginia Tech is expecting to host Deep Run senior defensive back Antone Exum and Brooke Point senior defensive end Lanford Collins. We were unable to confirm whether or not Hargrave quarterback Kevin Newsome will be in attendance, but Hargrave’s postgraduate squad has an open weekend so it is certainly possible that he could make the trip. We were also unable to confirm whether or not Meadowbrook offensive lineman Morgan Moses, TSL’s top ranked player in the Preseason Top 40, will be in Blacksburg.
Good Counsel (Wheaton, MD) linebacker Jelani Jenkins, another top 2009 class recruit, is now not likely to make the trip according to sources. Fork Union Military Academy junior offensive lineman Mark Shuman joins McCray as a top junior set to visit this weekend.
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Update on Tariq and Tyrell Edwards…
TechSideline.com caught up with Marlboro County (Bennettsville, S.C.) head coach Dean Boyd to discuss how Tech commitments Tariq and Tyrell Edwards are performing this season. Of the two twin brothers, 6-4, 225-pound Tariq has certainly made his mark on the 2008 season while 6-4, 220-pound Tyrell is adjusting to playing full time on the defensive side of the ball.
“Tariq leads the team in tackles after two games,” Boyd said. “Unfortunately, he got sick and he won’t be able to play this week. He got food poisoning, so that will hurt us.
“Tyrell has seven tackles so far. He is playing outside linebacker. He is getting better, but he still needs to work on his tackling. He does give us so much athletic ability off the edge. We can do things with him we can’t do with other kids.”
In two games, Tariq has tallied 27 tackles from the inside linebacker spot. He will move back to defensive end, the position he was originally slotted to play this season, the next time he takes the field. The versatile prospect will be missed on offense as well, as he had one catch for 35 yards and a score and three carries for 20 yards in last week’s win.
“He understands the game well,” Boyd said of Tariq. “He is smart. You tell him something one time and he gets it. The playing time he received last year really helped him, too. I think Tyrell would be at the same point had he had that experience, too.”
Coach Boyd believes Tyrell has a lot of ability as well, but he feels as though gray-shirting will be tremendously beneficial prior to his arrival in Blacksburg.
“I think it will really help Tyrell,” Boyd said. “Another year to train and work in the weight room will help him, and knowing these kids they are going to do just that. Tariq, I think, is ready to play now. If it were up to me, I’d offer Tariq early enrollment so he could get some work next spring. With his grades, he could do that. He is a kid who is ready to play now.”
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Last week…
(Note: The position listed in front of the player’s name is the position they are projected to play at Tech)
LB Telvion Clark – Clark tallied 18 tackles in Granby’s 19-0 loss to Hampton last week. Here is a ncie piece on Clark courtesy of the Pilotonline.com.
DE James Gayle – Bethel fell to Phoebus 52-0 last week. The Bruins are 1-1 on the season.
CB James Hopper – Hopper scored in three different ways in Seventy-First’s (Fayetteville, N.C.) 34-21 win over Pine Forest. He had a 36-yard touchdown reception, a 63-yard punt return for a score and a 3-yard touchdown run in the victory, which moved Seventy-First to 3-0 on the year. He added 12 carries for 48 yards.
PK Cody Journell – Journell returned the opening kick-off 92 yards for a score, but Giles eventually fell to Christiansburg 35-14. Journell added two extra points for Giles (0-2).
Hermitage teammates, FS/WR Theron Norman and DE/TE Duan Perez-Means – Hermitage rallied from a 13-point first quarter deficit to defeat Lee-Davis in its season opener last week. Tonight, the Panthers take on OL Morgan Moses and the Meadowbrook Monarchs. Hermitage is ranked #1 in the Richmond Times-Dispatch Top 10, while Meadowbrook is ranked #3.
WR Nubian Peak – Peak had five carries for 54 yards and two touchdowns (10, 20) and hauled in one pass for 28 yards in Pulaski County’s 49-14 blowout win over Patrick Henry. Pulaski County is 2-0 on the season.
DT David Wang – Stone Bridge went to 2-0 on the season after a 41-7 drubbing of Robinson. The defending Group AAA, Division 5 state champs take on Marshall High School this evening.
CB Jerrodd Williams – Williams came up with a huge play to ensure victory for Daniel (Central, S.C.), which defeated Hanna 14-7. The Lions are 2-0 on the season.
RB David Wilson – GW-Danville was idle last week. They return to action tonight, though, as they host Amherst. GW-Danville is 0-1 on the season after falling to Varina in the season opener.
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