With the start of the spring semester Tuesday, Virginia Tech welcomes seven
new football players to campus. Those players will participate in winter
workouts and spring practice and will be true freshmen in the fall of 2006. The
ages of the new players vary, with one originally being part of the class of
2004, and two others graduating high school in December.
Offensive lineman Brandon Holland (6-4, 290) originally signed with the
Hokies in February of 2004. The Roanoke native ended up at Hargrave Military
Academy that year and got valuable experience playing for coach Robert Prunty.
Holland did not enroll at Virginia Tech in the fall of 2005, instead waiting
until January. If he had qualified directly out of high school, he would either
be a junior or r-sophomore in 2006. Instead, he will be a true freshman.
Steven Friday (6-4, 215) was an All-American defensive end coming out of
Phoebus High School in Hampton. He is expected to play defensive end at Tech as
well. He was a high school teammate of current Virginia Tech players Xavier
Adibi, Elan Lewis and D.J. Parker. Friday, who had 17 sacks as a senior in high
school, is expected to redshirt this fall.
Stephan Virgil (5-11, 165) joins the team after signing in February of 2005.
Virgil is a cornerback from Rocky Mount, NC and was rated the #25 player in the
state of North Carolina during his senior season. He recorded four interceptions
as a senior. He is expected to man one of Virginia Tech’s cornerback
positions, likely the boundary corner. Virgil is a likely redshirt candidate for
2006.
Offensive lineman Sergio Render (6-3, 300) has reported to Virginia Tech for
the second time. He joined the team in August and quickly impressed the coaching
staff, earning a spot on the two-deep in the process. However, Render had to
leave Blacksburg to retake a Georgia high school exit exam. He received the
necessary test score and has enrolled at Virginia Tech for the spring semester.
He will be a true freshman in 2006 and is expected to contend for a position on
the offensive line.
Two members of the class of 2006 have enrolled early as well. The first is
athlete Devin Radford (5-8, 174). Radford hails from Fayetteville, NC and played
tailback and defensive back in high school. He is expected to begin his Virginia
Tech career as a cornerback and could develop into a kick returner as well.
Aaron Brown, a highly touted offensive lineman from Cincinnati, OH has
enrolled early as well. Brown (6-6, 290) chose the Hokies over offers from
schools such as Ohio State, Notre Dame, Purdue and Auburn. He was rated as the
#11 offensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com, and the #4 player in the state
of Ohio. He is a four star prospect. Brown will play offensive tackle for the
Hokies.
The seventh new player is Kenny Lewis, Jr., a tailback from George Washington
High School in Danville, VA. Lewis originally signed with Virginia Tech in 2003,
but the Cincinnati Reds drafted him in the fourth round of the Major League
Baseball draft. Lewis played three seasons in the minor leagues, but decided
recently to give up baseball. Known for his amazing speed, Lewis is expected to
see his first action as a kick returner for the Hokies.
These players will begin classes on Tuesday, January 17th. They will
participate in full team activities, including offseason conditioning and spring
practice.
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