Friday, February 22, 2008
Tech to sign 10 in '09: Would you bet on it?
Alleghany's Wilkes fell through the cracks.
Doug Doughty
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So, you’re in the middle of a 900-mile round trip to cover a sporting event that was not held, and you wake up to find that you failed to pack underwear.
I was left with a thorny decision this morning, whether to wear the same underwear two days in a row or to go commando, a la Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld.
Then, I realized why it is I drive all these places. Here in Commerce, Ga., where I’m staying at the $49.99-per-night Howard Johnson, we’re right across the street from the Tanger Outlet.
That’ll be my next stop after the Cracker Barrel..
WHEN WE LEFT off last week, the subject was Virginia Tech’s scholarship numbers and I hadn’t determined which, if any, of the Hokies’ walk-ons had been given grants.
The answer: defensive end Orion Martin, outside linebacker Cody Grimm and running back Dustin Pickle.
That leaves the Hokies with 94 scholarship players, by my count, which includes the 31 players recently signed. But, of course, a maximum of 25 players can enroll next August, which automatically takes Tech down to 88.
Somehow, at least three players will come off that list, whether its upperclassmen not returning or recruits not qualifying or entering at midyear, so we know the Hokies will be down to 85.
I asked Roanoke talk-show host Greg Roberts, who is close to the program, what he thought of Tech’s decision to sign 31 players.
“Well, they’re only going to take 10 next year,” said Roberts, now vacationing with Tech head coach Frank Beamer in Cozumel.
“I’ll bet you $1,000 they sign at least 15,” I told him.
Roberts wouldn’t take the bet, although I’m not sure I would have made it. Here at roanoke.com, we probably not supposed to be betting on activities we cover.
I DON’T HAVE A subscription to beamerball.com, but Roberts was able to come up with a transcript – imagine that ! – from an online chat involving Beamer and director of football operations Dr. John Ballein.
“We have 10 rising seniors,” Beamer said. “So, our plans now are to have 10 signees in our next class.
“Now, that number always changes for numerous reasons. Some guys choose not to come back after they graduate.
“There’s always injuries or other circumstances, but right now, it looks like we’ll have those 10 seniors to replace, so that’s the number we’re working with right now.”
Just judging from the number of Tech scholarship offers that have been reported on various websites, Beamer can’t help but feel that “circumstances” will change.
(And, how about that? Beamer using Al Groh’s pet word, “circumstance!”).
NOBODY WAS TERRIBLY surprised to hear that Harrisburg (Pa.) High School flash Josh Potts had signed following a visit last weekend to Division I-AA Villanova.
Clearly, Virginia did not make a scholarship offer to Potts and didn’t provide him with an indication that an offer was forthcoming.
I’ve heard various theories on Virginia’s feelings about Potts, including speculation that regular game video showed more flaws in his game than did the highlights video, which was spectacular.
What makes more sense is that Virginia did not want to eat into scholarship numbers for the 2009 class, when projections say that the Cavaliers can take no more than 18 commitments again.
How other schools can routinely sign 25-30 players and Virginia can take no more than 18 is an interesting question, particularly when you do see players drop out of the program, including the suspended four of Jameel Sewell, Chris Cook, Darnell Carter and Chris Dalton.
Optimism for the 2009 recruiting class is high going into Sunday’s Junior Day and the Cavaliers already have taken a commitment from an in-state prospect, Harrisburg running back Alex Owah, who is rated higher than anybody they got last year.
Optimism is always high going into and coming out of UVa’s Junior Day, even in 2007, but the big issue for the Cavaliers is whether they can sustain it. Tech doesn’t have a junior day, choosing to use its spring football game for those purposes.
I GOT AN IDEA how imprecise a science recruiting can be when I covered a Blue Ridge District basketball game involving Alleghany High School and Northside.
I don’t know how any football coach could have gotten a look at 6-foot-5, 240-pound Alleghany senior Steven Wilkes and not wanted to recruit him. A physical specimen, Wilkes had 25 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. And, he can run the floor.
Turns out, Wilkes will be playing football in college, having signed a letter-of-intent with Division I-AA Liberty, but I wonder how many Division I-A programs knew about him. Heck, I should have known about him.
“It’s where we’re located,” said the well-spoken Wilkes, whose school is located just off Interstate 64 between Covington and Clifton Forge. “I thought I should have been at least a three-star.”
I’ve questioned UVa’s commitment to Southwest Virginia ever since Danny Rocco gave up the area, but Clifton Forge is Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring’s home turf, if not his recruiting turf. Next time I see Stinespring between our sons’ AAU basketball games, I’ll ask him about Wilkes.
“A lot of people say I should play basketball in college,” Wilkes said, “but football was always my favorite because it’s what my father played. I guess you could say it’s in my blood.”
Wilkes should have been on The Roanoke Times Top 100, but that’s my fault. He didn’t make Virginia Preps’ Top 200, so maybe we all need to do a better job, the colleges, too.
