Top Target Profile: OL Donovan Smith March 2, 2010 Owings Mills (MD) ended a 53-game losing streak last season, finishing with a 3-7 mark overall. Head coach Steve Lurz hopes to build on last season's efforts with a playoff appearance in 2010. Fortunately for the Eagles first year coach, he'll return one of the state's top prospects in 6-6, 260-pound offensive tackle/defensive tackle Donovan Smith. more
VT Makes Big Impression on Harley March 1, 2010 Warren Central (Indianapolis, IN) defensive tackle Kris Harley had a great visit to Virginia Tech on Saturday. The 6-2, 265-pound junior isn't sure when he'll commit to a school, but Tech has firmly established itself as a strong program in this race. more
Warren Central Star OL Takes in VT Jr. Day March 1, 2010 Warren Central (Indianapolis, IN) offensive tackle prospect Kiaro Holts stopped by Blacksburg this past Saturday, visiting Virginia Tech for the first time since receiving an official offer from the Hokies. The 6-6, 265-pound junior, who impressed at Tech's camp last July, was accompanied by teammate and fellow top junior prospect Kris Harley. more
Coaches, Environment Stand Out To Turner March 1, 2010 The only junior day event Harrisonburg (VA) offensive tackle Landon Turner has been able to attend so far is Virginia Tech's, which of course occurred this past weekend. The 6-6, 300-pound Group AA all-state standout listed Tech and UNC at the top of his list before the weekend. He reflected on Saturday's experience and answered whether or not his list has changed as a result. more
Top LB/RB Impressed by Visit February 28, 2010 Kempsville (Virginia Beach, VA) linebacker Travis Hughes' wrong turn en route to Virginia Tech's junior day on Saturday turned out to be a benefit. The 6-1, 215-pound junior arrived late for the event but was able to see more of Blacksburg than he otherwise would've seen. more
Virginia Tech Scores First Commitment of 2011 Class February 27, 2010 Virginia Tech has kicked of its 2011 class with a commitment from one of its top targets. Not only that, but the commitment hails from the state of Virginia, which, as always, is a primary concern for Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer and company. more
Athletic OL Holds One Offer, Hoping For More February 26, 2010 "Active, athletic and aggressive" is how Manchester (Midlothian, VA) head coach Tom Hall describes 6-5, 280-pound offensive lineman Jake Goins. The Lancers lineman, a second-team all-Dominion district selection at offensive tackle as a sophomore and first-team all-district pick as a junior this past season, cites determination as something that separates him from other prospects. more
Around The State Recruiting Updates February 25, 2010 Checking around the state of Virginia, Colonial Forge (Stafford), and Manchester (Midlothian) and Osbourn (Manassas) all feature FBS prospects in the 2011 class. We'll begin our updates with Colonial Forge, which is guided by longtime Virginia high school head coach Bill Brown. Coach Brown, whose coaching stints included Hylton and Potomac, reports that two of his juniors have earned FBS scholarship offers. more
Star DT To Visit Friday February 24, 2010 Warren Central (Indianapolis, IN) junior Kris Harley attended Virginia Tech's July camp last summer and witnessed a game in the 2008 season. Along with Warren Central junior offensive lineman/defensive lineman Kiaro Holts, the 6-2, 260-pound defensive tackle prospect plans to return to Blacksburg for a visit this Friday and Saturday. more
Oscar Smith LB Awaits First Offer February 23, 2010 Linebacker Raysean Richardson earned AP Group AAA second-team all-state honors last season, which was his third year as a starter on Oscar Smith's (Chesapeake, VA) varsity football squad. The 6-0, 210-pound junior has produced at a high level for one of the state's top high school football programs, but that first FBS offer has yet to arrive. more
Travis Hughes Lands Major Offers February 23, 2010 Kempsville (Virginia Beach, VA) linebacker/running back Travis Hughes was lifting weights one day earlier this month when head coach David Johnson approached. The 6-1, 215-pound junior was told to expect an e-mail from a Southern Cal coach, who was sending a questionnaire. Before heading home, Hughes was again approached by coach Johnson, who then said that Southern Cal assistant coach Joe Barry was on the phone. more
VT Junior Day On Saturday February 22, 2010 A select number of juniors will make their way to Blacksburg on Saturday for Virginia Tech football's prospect day. TechSideline.com will post a full list of confirmed visitors later in the week, but for now let's take a look at some of the top prospects already confirmed for the event. The headliners so far are Kempsville (Virginia Beach, VA) linebacker Travis Hughes, Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, VA) quarterback Lafonte Thourogood and Harrisonburg (VA) offensive tackle Landon Turner. more
Oscar Smith WR Reeling In Big-Time Offers February 22, 2010 "Shocked." That was Quinta Funderburk's answer when asked how he felt about the seven official scholarship offers he has received. The 6-2, 200-pound junior, the latest talented wide receiver out of Oscar Smith High School (Chesapeake, VA), boasts official scholarship offers from Alabama, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. more
Holmes To Visit Schools; Turner Sets Timetable February 19, 2010 Harrisonburg's (VA) running game was tough to stop last season, thanks in part to the performances of junior running back Michael Holmes and junior offensive tackle Landon Turner. The 6-6, 300-pound Turner entered the 2009 season as the more well known prospect, but the 6-0, 200-pound Holmes earned attention from college recruiters with a big-time junior season including several remarkable performances. more
Slotting the Recruits: The 2010 Class February 18, 2010 As usual, Virginia Tech's 2010 recruiting class features a number of versatile prospects. You can be sure than a handful of these guys will play more than one position during their careers at Tech. Which players are capable of changing positions, and what positions can they play? We'll try to answer that today. more
FB Recruiting Notes: VT In On Top CB February 17, 2010 Virginia Tech has successfully recruited H.D. Woodson High School (Washington, D.C.) on a number of occasions, most recently in 2010 with quarterback Ricardo Young. Head coach Frank Beamer is back for more in 2011, having extended an offer to 6-0, 180-pound cornerback prospect Adeboye Aromire. more
Vandyke's Recovery And Recruiting Going Well February 16, 2010 An impressive sophomore season ended on a sour note for South County (Lorton, VA) safety/wide receiver Ronny Vandyke, who suffered a dislocated shoulder in a playoff loss to Oakton. The 6-3, 196-pound prospect would dislocate the same shoulder again last May and again last August, two weeks into preseason practice. Vandyke, now a junior, sat out the 2009 season and eventually had surgery on the shoulder, which his doctor expects to be better than ever after rehabilitation. more
2011 Profile: Green Run DT David Dean February 15, 2010 Green Run (Virginia Beach, VA) junior David Dean, a 6-2, 285-pound defensive tackle prospect, has the attention of college recruiters. The first-team all-Tidewater selection is up to three FBS scholarship offers (including one in-state offer) and is drawing significant interest from other FBS programs as well. more
Terrell A Big-Time Athlete February 12, 2010 College coaches from all across the country are interested in the speed and quickness of 5-10, 165-pound Osbourn Park (Manassas, VA) junior Dominique Terrell. Coaches differ in terms of how they would like to use Terrell, who has big-time potential on offense, defense and special teams. more
2011 Class Needs: Defense February 11, 2010 Virginia Tech has recruited well on the defensive side of the ball over the past several classes, including 23 prospects in total in 2009 and 2010. there appears to be good depth in place at defensive line and linebacker, but defensive back, specifically safety, appears to be one of the bigger overall needs in the 2011 class. Tech is recruiting other positions, though, and is heavily in the running for top prospects at defensive line and linebacker. more
2011 Class Needs: Offense February 10, 2010 Currently, 81 players (out of a possible 85) are projected to be on scholarship for the 2011 season. The number will change, but the chances are good that Tech's 2011 class will be a small one, even with the typical grey-shirt maneuvering the staff has used so well over the years. There is a long way to go until Signing Day 2011, but let's take a look at what needs the Virginia Tech staff may look to fill in the incoming class. We start on offense, where there aren't a lot of obvious needs. more
A Closer Look at the 2010 Football Schedule February 10, 2010 It's time for a closer look at the 2010 football schedule. The Hokies will be a preseason Top 10 team heading into next season, and every game is very winnable. Today we'll rank the games from easiest to toughest. more
Top Football Players of the Decade: #5-#1 February 9, 2010 Today it's time for the final installment of the Top 10 Players of the Decade, with #5-#1. Most of you will probably guess who #1 is, but what about the other four? There are plenty of guys to choose from, and a few of the players you're going to read about became legends in the minds of Hokie fans over the last 10 years. more
TSL's Early In-State Top 10 February 9, 2010 Linebacker Curtis Grant tops my early in-state Top 10 for the class of 2011. The 6-3, 220-pound Hermitage (Richmond) star, a U.S. Army All-American, has already reached double-digit FBS offers, including a recent offer from national champ Alabama. Virginia and Virginia Tech have offered as well, and while Grant is open and doesn't plan to decide until around Signing Day, his recruitment could turn into a key in-state battle. more
Around the ACC: Jim Young Looks at ACC Recruiting February 8, 2010 Jim Young of the ACC Sports Journal was kind enough to give us a quick look at how each of the ACC schools fared in recruiting this year. Young has good things to say about Tech's class, as well as several other ACC teams. more
Owings Mills (MD) ended a 53-game losing streak last season, finishing with a 3-7 mark overall. Head coach Steve Lurz hopes to build on last season's efforts with a playoff appearance in 2010. Fortunately for the Eagles first year coach, he'll return one of the state's top prospects in 6-6, 260-pound offensive tackle/defensive tackle Donovan Smith.
A select number of juniors will make their way to Blacksburg on Saturday for Virginia Tech football's prospect day. TechSideline.com will post a full list of confirmed visitors later in the week, but for now let's take a look at some of the top prospects already confirmed for the event. The headliners so far are Kempsville (Virginia Beach, VA) linebacker Travis Hughes, Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, VA) quarterback Lafonte Thourogood and Harrisonburg (VA) offensive tackle Landon Turner.
College coaches from all across the country are interested in the speed and quickness of 5-10, 165-pound Osbourn Park (Manassas, VA) junior Dominique Terrell. Coaches differ in terms of how they would like to use Terrell, who has big-time potential on offense, defense and special teams.
It's time for a closer look at the 2010 football schedule. The Hokies will be a preseason Top 10 team heading into next season, and every game is very winnable. Today we'll rank the games from easiest to toughest.
Jim Young of the ACC Sports Journal was kind enough to give us a quick look at how each of the ACC schools fared in recruiting this year. Young has good things to say about Tech's class, as well as several other ACC teams.
