Dallan Wright
WR, Class of 2020
Saluda High School, Saluda, SC
6-1, 170
247: 3-star, No. 141 WR, No. 14 player in SC
Rivals: 2-star
ESPN: 3-star, No. 168 WR, No. 16 player in SC
Dallan Wright was a late offer for the Hokies, and most people considered him more of a basketball prospect than a football recruit up until his senior season. In fact, his Hudl profile picture is one of him playing basketball. However, then his senior season on the gridiron happened, and he went from an obscure football prospect to one who would have had a much bigger offer list if we were still living in a time in which most college hadn’t filled their recruiting classes before recruits’ senior seasons even begin.
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A quick look at his numbers from his senior season show why he showed up on the radar of recruiters…
Catches: 87
Yards: 1,508
YPC: 17.3
TD: 25
Wright won the South Carolina 2-A State Championship, and by late November he was a household name in the area. Most schools have already filled their classes by late November, though. Virginia Tech had not, and they added him late as a February signee. Wright jumped up in the rankings late because nobody knew anything about him before his senior season.
You can’t argue with Wright’s production as a senior. To me, he just looks like a solid, natural football player. I wouldn’t give him an A-grade in any category, but I don’t think he would end up grading below average in any category either. He’s solid across the board. Here are some notable traits that stand out to me…
Quicker than fast: Like Isaiah Ford, I don’t think he’ll wow anybody with straight ahead speed. However, he’s quick in and out of his breaks, and he can make some guys miss.
Willing to be physical: Wright seems to be a willing blocker, though we have a very small sample size. He doesn’t shy away from contact on defense either.
Versatility: I believe Wright flashes the ability to play on the inside or outside at the college level, depending on how tall he is. I also could see him contributing as a kickoff returner at some point in his career.
At 170, Wright still has some filling out to do. Isaiah Ford and Cam Phillips played as true freshman at around the same weight, but it wasn’t ideal. It would be best if he could take a redshirt year (ABR) and add some strength and mass before stepping on the field for the first time.
Bottom Line: Wright could play inside or outside at the college level. I can’t quite tell how tall he is. If he’s 6-2, then I think he’s definitely an outside receiver. If he’s 6-0 or shorter, then he’ll most likely be in the slot. If he’s 6-1, it could go either way, and he’ll likely be used in both spots. If I compare Jaylen Jones to Cam Phillips, then Dallan Wright is Isaiah Ford because of his basketball background and similar build. If he turns out to be 6-2, then Ford would be a great comparison. Sometimes guys listed at 6-1 turn out to be closer to 6-2, and sometimes they are more like 5-11. Overall, I think Wright is a good prospect who in a different era would have had more offers.
ETA: 2021. I’m fairly close to picking Wright to play right away as a true freshman. However, I think taking graduate transfer wide receiver Evan Fairs should give the Hokies enough cover that Wright should be able to redshirt. But I also think he’s got good natural ability, and it’s possible that he could force his way onto the field very early in his career. It will all depend on his work ethic and how quickly he can pick up the offense.
could be another BPTre with those YAC performances.
great catch I and recruit staff !
ABR!
More like PBR, amirite?!
I used to play music in a bar in Norfolk that gave us free PBR. Naturally, we called it FreeBR.
Looks solid to me.
Looks like a legit 6’+ guy given he seems to be the tallest guy on the field on nearly every play. Crisper route running will make him very good.
My mistake – just one. Jaylen Jones is 2021.
So we have 2 guys that compare to Isaiah Ford and Cam Phillips in this class? Nothing wrong with that! Let’s hope it works out that way.
Really high on Wright. Definitely flew under the radar and I believe he will have a really good career at Tech.