Branthover Accepts VT’s Offer

About an hour before Virginia Tech’s regular season finale against the University of Virginia, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD) punter/place-kicker Michael Branthover broke the news to Tech head coach Frank Beamer.

“I wanted to get a chance to talk to Coach Beamer, and I had a chance to talk to him before the game,” Branthover recalled. “He said he was glad I came and he really wanted me to come there. I told him that I had some good news for him then. I told him I wanted to commit. He said that was great news right there.”

Branthover, the first of two high school seniors to commit to the Hokies on the day of the Virginia game, accepted Tech’s offer over home-state Maryland. Virginia Tech’s dedication to special teams was one of the deciding factors.

“[Primary recruiter] Billy Hite went to DeMatha and is part of the DeMatha family,” said Branthover. “He guided me through Virginia Tech. Coach Beamer is all about special teams. Maryland also does pretty good at special teams, but I don’t think they make it the priority Coach Beamer does. Maryland wasn’t sure what they wanted to do for me. They weren’t precise with regular enrollment or grey-shirt or whatever. Virginia Tech had it set in stone. They gave me a letter, so everything is official. Of course, it will really be official in February when I sign. There is a trust there. Virginia Tech has a beautiful campus. The Blacksburg feel was great. Everyone was going crazy at the game. It was a great turnout.”

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