BY THE NUMBERS

Rankings

Virginia Tech’s 2014 class is ranked in the top 36 nationally by all four major recruiting networks (247Sports, ESPN, Rivals, Scout). Rivals.com is most impressed, ranking Tech’s class as no. 25 in the nation. 247Sports’ composite ranking puts Tech’s haul at 27th in the country, while ESPN (no. 31) and Scout (no. 36, though this doesn’t include Isaiah Ford at last check) do not have the Hokies in the 20s nationally.

The individual player rankings are as follows…

247Sports (247s own rankings, not the 247 Composite)

– Twelve 4-star prospects including Chris Durkin, Holland Fisher, Andrew Ford, Isaiah Ford, Shai McKenzie, Vinny Mihota, Raymon Minor, Cam Phillips, CJ Reavis, DJ Reid, Ricky Walker and Marshawn Williams.
– Fifteen 3-star recruits
– One 2-star recruit

Rivals

– Eight 4-star prospects including Fisher, Melvin Keihn, McKenzie, Minor, Phillips, Reavis, Walker and Williams
– Fourteen 3-star recruits
– Five 2-star recruits
– One “Not Rated”

ESPN

– Six 4-star recruits including Xavier Burke, Fisher, I. Ford, McMillian, Mihota and Walker
– Twenty-two 3-star recruits

Scout

– Four 4-star recruits in Durkin, McKenzie, McMillian and Minor
– Seventeen 3-star recruits
– Five 2-star recruits
– Two “Not Rated”

Position Breakdown (per Hokiesports.com)

QB – 2
QB/ATH – 1
RB – 4
WR – 4
TE – 1
OL – 4
DE – 2
DL – 1
DT – 1
LB – 2
DB – 4
CB – 1
PK – 1

CLASS OF 2014 STORYLINES

Hokies Get Offensive

You get a new offensive coordinator, you recruit players to fit his system. Not only did Virginia Tech do this in the class of 2014, but it landed some big-time talents in the process, leaving Scot Loeffler an extremely happy coach on National Signing Day.

Going by Hokiesports.com’s official release, sixteen of Tech’s 28 recruits will at least start out on the offensive side of the ball. This includes two quarterbacks, one quarterback/athlete, four running backs, four wide receivers, one tight end and four offensive linemen. Rankings-wise, nine of the 16 recruits are rated a 4-star by at least one of the four major recruiting outlets (247Sports, ESPN, Rivals and Scout).

Tech Overcomes Missed Opportunities To Claim Good In-State Haul

Frankly, I’m still surprised that 5-star defensive end Da’Shawn Hand eliminated Tech when he did. The Woodbridge (VA) star ultimately committed to and signed with Alabama. Tech was never a real factor with 5-star Bayside (Va. Beach) safety Quin Blanding, who committed to Virginia in February of 2013. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake) DL Andrew Brown of course committed to Virginia as well, and two other 4-star Tidewater prospects – DT Derrick Nnadi (Florida State) and Jalyn Holmes (Ohio State) – escaped Tech’s grasp as well.

Missing out on these players certainly hurts. In particular, Hand and Nnadi stung, as Tech was considered an early

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