Catching Up With Under Armour AA Melvin Keihn

On October 5, 2013, Virginia Tech defeated North Carolina, 27-17, in Lane Stadium. A number of top recruiting targets, including Gilman (Baltimore, MD) senior linebacker Melvin Keihn, were in Blacksburg to watch that game. For Keihn, the experience proved to be a game-changer in terms of his decision-making process.

Melvin Keihn
Melvin Keihn

“Being up there for my first game, to watch the game in person and listen to Lane Stadium go crazy when the players came out, it was really crazy and just a great experience,” recalled the 6’3”, 220-pound Keihn, whose only previous visit to Tech was for the Hokies’ 2013 Spring Game. “Talking to the kids there, we just got along. We don’t even talk football very long. We talk about it a little bit and then move on to something else. [The October 5] visit was a really good visit. That game they played a really good game. I loved what they were doing on defense.”

Keihn named Virginia Tech as his favorite shortly after that experience, but he didn’t commit. He didn’t even commit following his official visit to Tech the weekend of November 15-17. Instead, wanting to be totally sure of his feelings, he didn’t make his college commitment until after he had taken four official visits and gone through in-home visits.

“After [the unofficial visit to Virginia Tech for the UNC game] I thought about it and I had an idea of where I wanted to go, but I wanted to be really sure,” said Keihn, who made official visits to Maryland, Penn State, Virginia and Virginia Tech. “I didn’t make an announcement until after my official visits to make sure I was 100-percent sure. It turned out to be the decision I went with and I’m going to go with on National Signing Day.”

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