Virginia Tech has offered more prospects than we could possibly cover at one time for the Class of 2018. Because of that, we’ll be focusing more on recruits that the Hokies have a real chance at landing. Today, we’ll profile linebacker Keshon Artis.
Artis is listed at 6-foot-1 and 210-pounds. He plays for Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, VA., a school that has sent several players to Virginia Tech, including Greg Boone and JC Coleman. Artis is a 3-star linebacker by the 247Sports Composite and is ranked as the ninth-best player in the state of Virginia.
According to MaxPreps, Artis finished his junior season with 85 solo tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. Artis was named as an All-State linebacker and the 6A South Region Player of the Year. He’s also an ESPN300 player.
For reasons unbeknownst to me, Artis has flown under the radar to this point and only has six reported scholarship offers  — Maryland, Old Dominion, Buffalo, Rutgers, Virginia and Virginia Tech. After you watch his highlight tape, you’ll see why Artis deserves a few more offers.
Artis plays the run extremely well. His instincts are always on display. He shoots gaps with decisiveness and wraps up well. Too many college players don’t see what they hit when making tackles, but Artis keeps his head up and tackles with good technique. Artis isn’t an elite level athlete, but has the ability to chase down plays from the back side.
He can also make plays in the pass game. In fact, the first two plays of Artis’ highlight film are him dropping into coverage and making an interception. Artis seems like a better fit at mike linebacker than at backer in the Hokies’ defensive scheme.
Artis seems to be one of the few players in the state of Virginia that the Hokies are really high on in this class. Justin Fuente has said that this year’s crop of in-state recruits is not as deep as they would like. Therefore, Virginia Tech has targeted certain in-state kids and spent much of their time recruiting out-of-state prospects, particularly from North Carolina.
Fortunately for Virginia Tech, Artis seems the favor the Hokies over everyone else at this point. However, Artis is by no means in the bag. He did visit Virginia Tech in the middle of January, but also visited Maryland with several other 757 kids on Feb. 18.
Artis is one of only a few linebacker targets for Virginia Tech in the Class of 2018. Because Tech has signed seven linebackers in the last two recruiting classes, the Hokies will likely take a maximum of two linebackers in the Class of 2018. Artis and Dax Hollifield are Virginia Tech’s top targets at linebacker, while the Hokies are also recruiting Teradja Mitchell, Payton Wilson and Eriq Gilyard.
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