Heading into last weekend, Virginia Tech was thought to be the favorite for Atlantic Community (Delray Beach, FL) defensive end Wedley Estime, despite the fact that Estime had previously pledged to the University of Minnesota. As expected, the 6-4, 215-pound senior switched his commitment to the Hokies, informing the staff of his decision today.
Estime visited both Minnesota and Virginia Tech on consecutive weekends before coming to today’s decision.
“The Virginia Tech visit blew him away,” Atlantic defensive line coach Kelcey Brooks said. “He didn’t talk about Minnesota the way he talked about Virginia Tech. Also, it really doesn’t hurt to have the number one DB in the nation from Atlantic. Virginia Tech is a BCS school. They just won the ACC Championship. I’m not knocking Minnesota. They’ll have a great team, but I told Wedley to think of this as a business decision. You have to go with what you think is the best investment for your future. Wedley felt like his best investment would be with Virginia Tech. He might be able to play with Luther, which is a big plus too.”
“Luther” is Atlantic senior defensive tackle Luther Maddy, who also took an official visit to Virginia Tech last weekend. Virginia Tech has yet to offer the 6-2, 275-pound prospect, but a final decision is expected to be made Tuesday night. It’s highly likely that Maddy would accept if offered.
“I talked to Coach Wiles a little earlier. He and Coach Beamer are truthful and honest. He told me he would call me back [tonight] about Luther. Hopefully, it’ll work out,” Brooks said.
Estime certainly qualifies as one of the more intriguing prospects in Tech’s 2011 class. He didn’t play high school football until his senior season, when he totaled 70 tackles with 12 sacks. He has shown a lot of talent in limited time, and his combination of size and athletic ability makes for tremendous upside. Atlantic head coach Chris Bean believes Estime has the talent to be a true “game-changer” in the mold of a former Virginia Tech star.
“I’ve never seen a guy who goes for the football like Wedley goes for the football,” Bean said. “He has a non-stop motor from the time the play starts to the end. He loves the game. He comes to practice and enjoys practice. He enjoys the game and the fellowship with the other players. I’ve never seen a day he didn’t want to practice.
“After we made up his senior highlight tape, we took a look and realized that this kid was a freak. He is green, but if he reaches his full potential he could be a Corey Moore. He could be a game-changer.”
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