Even with coaching turnover, remaining solid in the verbal commitment he gave to Virginia Tech last summer has never really been an issue for Darlington (Rome, GA) offensive lineman Patrick Kearns. Any lingering doubt there may have been has seemingly been put to rest when the 6’5”, 270-pound senior spoke with new Virginia Tech football head coach Justin Fuente and new Virginia Tech offensive line coach Vance Vice.

“I’m 100-percent committed,” Kearns said.

“Number one, I love the school. It’s a perfect fit, campus-wise. Everything is a perfect fit for me there. When I met Coach Vice, I liked him. I felt like he would be a good guy to play for. He’s a really nice guy. He’s nice, but he’s straight with you. He didn’t beat around the bush. He said, ‘We really like you. We hope your foot is doing well.’ He told me what the expectations coming in would be. If I work hard, everything will come from there.”

Of Fuente, Kearns said: “I really liked him. His record at Memphis speaks for itself. He took over a team that was nothing and made it into a Top 25 team. That was great. I had the chance to talk to him over the phone. He’s a nice guy. Everything’s good.”

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