Christian Darrisaw had scholarship offers to play football, but was waiting on that first Power 5 offer to come in.
It came last Friday from Virginia Tech. Just a few days later, Darrisaw announced his commitment to the Hokies for the Class of 2017.
Darrisaw said his visit for the Georgia Tech game made the decision rather easy.
“Just the game atmosphere,” Darrisaw said. “I really enjoyed it and it kind of felt like home.”
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Darrisaw is the third offensive line commitment for Virginia Tech that will be eligible next season. Silas Dzansi and Aiden Brown were the previous two, though Dzansi was originally a member of the 2016 class.
Wide Receivers Coach Holmon Wiggins was Darrisaw’s primary recruiter, and the two have been in close contact since July.
“We talk just about every day,” Darrisaw said. “I like how honest he is and how much he shows he cares.”
Darrisaw has also gotten to know Offensive Line Coach Vance Vice well, who plans on using Darrisaw on the interior of the line.
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Darrisaw was unranked at the time of his commitment, but 247Sports rated him as a 3-star prospect on Wednesday. Darrisaw’s only other offers were Central Connecticut State, Morgan State and North Carolina Central.
Virginia Tech’s sudden pursuit of Darrisaw could relate to the uncertainty surrounding top offensive line targets Tyran Hunt and Mekhi Becton. Both recruitments have been up and down in recent months.
Other recruiting news
Earlier in the week, Virginia Tech picked up a commitment from Class of 2018 safety Chamarri Conner. Conner was the third commitment for the Hokies in the ’18 class.
The Hokies should be set at safety for the next couple of classes. Tech has a commitment from Devante Smith for the ’17 class already and is still pursuing their top target Devon Hunter.
Virginia Tech had six official visitors on campus for the Georgia Tech game: cornerback Shaun Wade, receiver DJ Matthews, running back Rasheed Martin, defensive back Jaylen Kelly-Powell, safety Brelin Faison-Walden and running back Deon Jackson.
Wade, Matthews, Kelly-Powell, Faison-Walden and Jackson are all committed elsewhere. Jackson, who’s currently committed to Duke, is the most likely flip for Virginia Tech, but even that is questionable.
Wade has a soft commitment to Ohio State. The 5-star is getting plenty of attention from multiple schools, including Alabama. Wade is likely off the board for Tech at this point.
Martin is an interesting situation. He’s teammates with both Wade and Conner at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, FL. Virginia Tech currently has zero commitments at running back for the Class of 2017 and an offer could come Martin’s way should Tech feel they need to scramble.
Jalen Holston is still the top target there and his official visit to Tech for the Virginia game could seal the deal. Until then, there are no guarantees. Tech could also still offer Martin, even if Holston commits.
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