Building a Two-Deep Through Recruiting

In modern-day college football, building a team that has depth at every
position is difficult at best, even for a program builder like Frank Beamer. The
85 scholarship rule, player transfers, legal issues and players not panning out
are some of the things that get in the way. A position can go from very deep one
year to very thin the next. Schools have to project their depth chart for future
seasons, and that isn’t an easy task. The tried (but not always true) method
for keeping a deep team is to recruit a two-deep at every position over the
course of two recruiting years.

So how have the Hokies done in this regard over the past few seasons? Let’s
take a look with the 2004 and 2005 recruiting classes.

2004
and 2005 Recruiting Classes

Pos

Player (Class in Parentheses)

QB

Sean Glennon (04), Greg Boone (05), Ike Whitaker (05)

RB

George Bell (04), Branden Ore (04), Elan Lewis (05)

FB

Michael Green (04), Kenny Jefferson (05)

WR

Jeremy Gilchrist (04), Justin Harper (04), Josh Morgan (04), Eddie
Royal (04), Todd Nolen (05)

TE

Maurice Reevey (04), Ed Wang (05), Sam Wheeler (05)

OL

Ryan Shuman (04), Eric Davis (05), Richard Graham (05), Antonio North
(05), Robert Norris (05), Brandon Holland (05)

DE

Steven Friday (05), William Wall (05)

DT

Carl Howard (04), Hivera Green (05), Cordarrow Thompson (05), Sergio
Render (05)

Mike

Andrew Bowman (04), Demetrius Taylor (05)

Backer

Deveon Simmons (05)

Whip
 

CB

Brandon Flowers (04), Theo Miller (04), Macho Harris (05), Jahre
Cheeseman (05), Stephan Virgil (05)

S

Kent Hicks (04), Cam Martin (05)

ROV

Purnell Sturdivant (04), Dorian Porch (05)

K
 
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