Virginia Tech’s coaching staff is getting creative this recruiting season. Friday’s verbal commitment by Tariq Edwards, one of the top prospects in South Carolina, is proof.
The Hokies — limited in the number of scholarships they can offer for 2009 after taking a huge haul from the Class of 2008 — proposed a greyshirt option to Edwards and his twin Tyrell. That means the rising high school seniors would sit out next fall and enroll at Tech in January of 2010, thus counting against the next recruiting class.
Greyshirting is not yet widespread in college football and hardly common with top-tier prospects like the Edwards brothers. But Tariq accepted and his brother is likely not far behind, in part, because of their deep Hokie roots.
Their father, Bo Campbell, played receiver and returned kicks for Tech from 1988-91. He caught 68 career passes for 1,145 yards and nine touchdowns for the Hokies and returned 67 punts for 587 yards.
Campbell’s sons, though, look to be built bigger than their dad.
Tariq is 6-foot-3, 225 pounds and projects as a defensive end at Tech. He had 81 tackles and four sacks as a linebacker last season at Marlboro Coutny (S.C.). Rivals.com rates him the No. 19 prospect in the Palmetto State and he chose Tech over standard scholarship offers from Clemson, Illinois, Maryland, N.C. State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wake Forest.
Tyrell is 6-foot-4, 210 and could play offense or defense in college. He ran 13 times for 89 yards, caught five passes for 87 yards and racked up 71 tackles on defense as a junior. He is rated the No. 24 prospect in South Carolina, currently mulling offers from Illinois, N.C. State and Vandy, along with Tech.
While the latest addition won’t enroll until 2010, Tech now has commitments from 12 rising high school seniors. Offensive lineman Andrew Miller will be on wrestling scholarship his first season at Tech and also won’t count against football until 2010.

-- The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot