Offensive Line Recruiting: The Final Spot

Vance Vice
Vance Vice probably only has one more spot available for the 2019 class. (Photo by Ivan Morozov)

Virginia Tech’s offensive line recruiting took a turn yesterday when Riley Simonds committed to Florida. All Crystal Balls on 247Sports pointed to Virginia Tech, up until Tuesday night, when it was revealed that he would end up a Gator.

Earlier on Tuesday, I went into his recruiting profile on TSL to update everything in preparation for his impending commitment to Virginia Tech. I noticed that since his last profile update, he had increased his weight from 290 to 324 pounds.

“Man, that’s a big weight change,” I thought. “I hope he doesn’t get too fat to play for us.”

Well, that’s exactly what happened, according to folks with sources inside the football program. Tech had been monitoring Simonds’ weight on his recent visits, and when he showed up in Blacksburg for his official visit on June 14, tipping the scales at nearly 350 pounds, they decided that enough was enough. He was no longer a take for the Hokies.

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