Virginia Tech Recruiting Update: Hokies Host Dozens for Junior Day

The dead period is over and Virginia Tech recruiting is in full swing. The Hokies are pushing hard on their final Class of 2017 targets, as well as moving on to Class of 2018 and 2019 recruits. Here’s what you should know.

Hollifield, Joyner highlight Tech’s Junior Day

It was a big Junior Day for Virginia Tech recruiting. Here are the recruits the Hokies hosted.

Class of 2018 — linebackers Dax Hollifield, Keshon Artis, Anthony Toro and Payton Wilson, quarterbacks Dakereon Joyner and DeJuan Ellis, wide receivers James Mitchell and Nigel Fitzgerald, athletes Bryce Thompson, Tre Turner, De’Von Graves and Nadir Thompson, defensive end Andrew Leota, running backs Marcus Caldwell, Jammal Elliott and Caleb Grimes, defensive tackles Alim McNeill, Dante Stills and Kelijiha Brown, safety Alan Tisdale and offensive linemen Warren Ericson, Jordan McFadden and James Collins

Class of 2019 — wide receiver Jacoby Pinckney, defensive tackles Jacob Lacey and Ben Smiley and cornerback Cam’Ron Kelly

As you can see, it was q pretty busy day for Virginia Tech recruiting on Sunday. Let’s go through some of the more notable recruits.

Dax Hollifield is one of Tech’s top targets for the ’18 class. He praises and shows love for Virginia Tech all the time on Twitter and has been considered a Tech lean for a while. That said, the 4-star linebacker has interest from several high-level programs. North Carolina and South Carolina figure to be the top contenders at this point.

Keshon Artis is another linebacker to keep an eye on. The Chesapeake, VA. product is a 3-star recruit who is also considered a Tech lean. Hollifield and Artis would be quite the duo at linebacker.

With Virginia Tech’s depth at quarterback questionable moving forward, both Dakereon Joyner and DeJuan Ellis will be recruits to watch. Ellis is already committed to the Hokies, but at 5-foot-11 and 160-pounds, I’m not sure if Ellis sticks at quarterback. Joyner looks more of the part (6-foot-2, 200-pounds) and is a 4-star recruit garnering interest from several East Coast schools.

Out of the athletes, Virginia Tech could realistically earn commitments from all of them. Bryce Thompson is already committed, Tre Turner likes Tech and UNC, and both Nadir Thompson and De’Von Graves have taken multiple visits to Blacksburg over the last few months despite their “commitments” to NC State. Out of the group, Turner is the highest-rated recruit.

Dante Stills would be a great get at defensive tackle, but Tech will have to fight off West Virginia. Stills is the best player in the Mountaineer State and the 4-star recruit has 10 scholarship offers so far, mostly from FBS programs.

Newsome officially decommits from Maryland

Once Virginia Tech offered Dazz Newsome, it was clear that his commitment to Maryland was “soft.” Newsome made his decommitment official this past weekend.

pic.twitter.com/7rJugM2BhK

— Dazz Newsome (@dazznewsome05) January 14, 2017

Newsome will take an official visit to Virginia Tech this coming weekend, along with several other recruits. He’ll likely arrive in Blacksburg after Devon Hunter announces his decision on Friday night. Speaking of Hunter…

Hunter takes final official before commitment

Unless you were living under a rock this weekend, you saw that Virginia Tech’s top target Devon Hunter was enjoying his official visit to Florida.

https://twitter.com/devonhunter11/status/820432828202708992

https://twitter.com/devonhunter11/status/820042188134510593

Hunter will commit to a school on Jan. 20 during halftime of an Indian River High School basketball game. Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, North Carolina and Virginia Tech are the schools he’ll be choosing from.

Despite his tweets this weekend, I still believe the Hokies sit well with Hunter. They’ve made their impression, and I think it’s gotten through.