North Stafford High School tailback Devyn Ford committed to Penn State over Virginia Tech at his high school on Friday afternoon.
Ford is the No. 2 rated recruit in the state of Virginia for the 2019 class, per 247. He was considered a Tech lean until several weeks ago when he visited Penn State for their Spring Game.
The Hokies sent out several new offers to running backs this week, and will now begin the search for a 2019 running back all over again. We’ll have an article next week that goes into the Class of 2019 running back situation in greater detail.
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Did not read the comments but saw in the state of the program Will refer to folks bickering about the lose of Ford to Penn State.
Remember when we got our RB, Ryan Williams, and we had Darren Evans, and we David Wilson?
Those were heady days on the message boards. I think most thought we would automatically change our status in recruiting and in the standings at the end of the year.
GOod times indeed. But a football team has 22 starters and bunch of coaches, and fans and strategy and tactics.
THe question you have to ask yourself is where do you see the trajectory of the programs long term under Whit Babcock? Notice I did not say Fuente. He is gravy. Notice I did not get into recruits or other coaches, not even Bud. In my opinion, Bud may coach another 10 years, i certainly think he has it in him.
But he wants the cherry on top. But back to my point. Ford is an in game adjustment. That’s it, there are so many moving parts to the success of the program, and while it stings to lose him because of the mini story surrounding the home town kid and how long we have been recruiting, some other kid is going to replacement is production. REMEMBER, we all yearned for? Linemen! They make the train move. I have been TSL for a long time. There is a noticeable move in the needle for offensive linemen in my book. Now, the next big trip wire for me is when starting landing elite defensive linemen we watched spurn us for bigger names (Clelin, Allen, Hand, Nnadi, Sweat, Goldman, _________, ________, ________. etc)
Remember, Coach Fu remarked recently that some 3* offensive landman not even starting are the best he has been around in his career. As long as he achievements in recruiting keep going up in his judgement, that is good for me. Like I said earlier, we did not plan very well for what we knew was a surety, Settle leaving as soon as he could.
I’ll be watching this group to see if they can land some program changers on the DL.
For me, I think failing to conduct a self-analysis and a post-mortem evaluation on how to fix your flaws is the genesis of our troubles. When I see coaches and others trying to quickly sweep recruiting misses under the rug and messaging the fanbase base that they shouldn’t be concerned over loss recruits, I think this is exactly why Tech is in the predicament that it is….which is systematically unable to close and get the Big one. I think too many people within the program have been too dismissive of the warning signs to the point we have become reactive, unprepared, under water, and out recruited. First step to recovery is acknowledge the problem. I think we need to commit to learning and stopping this in state bleeding if we want to ever attract a 5star anything to Blacksburg be it DE, CB, OL, RB, TE, Kicker, or water boys for that matter. If you are a 5star any you see Devyn Ford “changes direction and RUN” the other way….would you come to Tech? Why would these players overlook what they see?
That would make too much sense…
It’s a long time until signing day. Keep the relationship alive…things happen. Ford seems like a great kid and a class act, I wish him well. Would love to see him in a Hokie uniform, for good this time!
With all the offers to rbs this week, the coaches must have suspected this.
For sure but I wouldn’t take the pressure off Ford – if you want him, keep recruiting him until he actually signs the LOI.
I agree! Every other school does it….especially to us!
IMO, the VT coaches knew this (unofficially) before he left the PSU campus. Does not mean they stopped recruiting him, but I’m guessing they knew how this was going to end.