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Andrew Ford Commits To Virginia Tech

2013-06-17T13:07:29Z

It certainly hurt the Hokies' cause not being able to land either David Cornwell, the nation's top-rated quarterback by 247Sports, or Jacob Park, another top-10 quarterback nationally that the Hokies were linked to. But on Friday, both committed to SEC schools, Cornwell to Alabama and Park to Georgia. Making matters worse is that the Hokies had already missed on their contingency plan, Mason Rudolph, who on June 5th committed to Oklahoma State right after a visit to Virginia Tech, causing many to believe that the Hokies would be the pick.

Furthermore, Tech lost out on Zack Darlington, rated just outside the top-10 quarterbacks nationally by nearly every major recruiting service, the same day as Cornwell and Park, as he committed to Nebraska. In addition to those offers who had long ago committed elsewhere, left the Hokies in a pinch at the quarterback position for the 2014 recruiting class, a class that they had wanted to take a quarterback in for reasons of depth and assurance that they would have their future signal-caller in one of their 2013 or 2014 guys.

Enter Andrew Ford. Ford, a four-star recruit by 247Sports, received an offer from the Hokies after their near-misses on Friday when the coaching staff were going down their board of next-best available. Ford, who camped with the Hokies on June the 2nd, deliberated for a few days before making his decision yesterday:

After much thought and many prayers, I am proud to announce that I will be continuing my academics and athletics at Virginia Tech #GoHokies
— Andrew Ford (@Andrew_Ford7) June 16, 2013

What made it even more special was that Tech defensive back commitment C.J. Reavis had announced there would be a commitment a few days before and in the minutes leading up to the announcement, as he's been recruiting his peers hard to join him at Virginia Tech:

#HokieNation in 5 minutes we will have another big addition to our hokie class of 2014. !! 😎😏
— Cj Reavis1⃣1⃣ (@C_Reavis11) June 16, 2013

Ford, as I mentioned, was ranked as a four-star by 247Sports, where he is ranked the No. 17 quarterback in the nation and the No. 7 player in the state of Pennsylvania. Rivals ranks him as the No. 19 quarterback nationally and the No. 11 player in the state of Pennsylvania. ESPN and Scout both have profiles on him, but neither have ranked or rated him as of yet.

Scout's player evaluation lauds him for his accuracy/consistency, decision-making and intelligence, calling them strengths, while pointing out his weaknesses as size and touch, listing them as areas for improvement. They also said this about him:

"Ford is an accurate passer with good arm strength. He is able to go through his progressions well and can make the intermediate and deep throws. Ford can move in the pocket but he is not considered a dual-threat player."

As for his junior statistics, Scout listed them as follows:

"As a junior, Ford completed 225 of 339 for 2,957 yards, 35 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran 107 times for 324 yards and eight scores."

Ford also was named an Elite 11 quarterback, an honor bestowed on 24 high school quarterbacks who battle each other to finish in the top-11 and ultimately to be named the top quarterback at the camp which culminates with a week-long competition in California at the end of June with quarterback gurus. To be on that list means that Ford is certainly considered among the top quarterbacks in the country.

Though he only had three offers listed by the major recruiting sites, the Hokies, Temple and Massachusetts, he claims to have had 11 offers in total, though he did not make some public as they were contingent upon him visiting the schools in question.

Ford, by the way, said he had about 11 offers. Didn't make them public during process. VT, UVa and Pitt were his top three. #Hokies
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) June 16, 2013

It was interesting to see UVA listed among his top-3 as I hadn't even heard about their pursuit of him or listing of them as an option for Andrew. At any rate, don't ever say the Hokies never beat out the Cavaliers for a prospect in the Mike London era.

Ford's recruitment has also picked up considerably since being named an Elite 11 quarterback, and now the challenge will be to keep him committed to the Hokies. With a quarterback guru of his own to shepherd him through his collegiate years in Scot Loeffler, it would appear that Tech should be able to do that:

Ford was at VT in early June and met w/Logan Thomas, who told him he's learned more under Loeffler in 3 months than he did previous 3 years.
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) June 16, 2013

Now time to shed the rankings break down his tape. Follow me into the land of highlight tape to see how good of a get Ford really is:

Let's start with his sophomore tape, which is readily available on YouTube. First here are his sophomore stats from the beginning of the video:

Then we'll move on to his junior tape:

And the last video worth sharing with you is his Elite 11 camp tape from late April:

After watching those three videos and the other ones on the internet, here's what I realized about Ford:

He knows exactly where and how much air to put on a ball (or touch, so I am disagreeing with Scout there)
Very good at rolling/throwing against his arm.
I like his mechanics. He stands very tall in the pocket. He's very fluid in his dropback, motion and release.
He's good at leading the receiver and putting it where the defensive back does not have a shot at making a play on the ball.
He has very good zip on the ball. He can make pretty much any throw he's going to be asked to make at the collegiate level.
He can thread the ball between two defenders.
As the Elite 11 video (and some of the high school highlight tape) shows, he's good on the move and doesn't lose much accuracy even when rolling against his arm.
He's good at reading the field and finding/making the right read. He knows where he is in the pocket and where the rush is.
He always keeps his eyes downfield, which is why he's so often able to avoid sacks and find receivers under pressure.
He does a good job of evading the rush and extending the play.
He knows how to move the safety with a pump fake.
Has decent enough explosion and acceleration as a high school athlete. I don't know how that will project to college however. ESPN has him running a 4.55 40-yard dash, and he looks like he's within the range of 4.55-4.8, which is good-to-adequate for a college quarterback. Certainly 4.55 would be about the peak of his ability though.

All in all, it looks like the Hokies gained the services of a very good quarterback fundamentally with a live arm, decent ability to get out of the pocket and great ability to make a throw in that circumstance. Even though they missed out on many of their higher targets, make no mistake: Andrew Ford is very good in his own right and will challenge for immediate playing time given the Hokies quarterback situation in 2014.

For all your Virginia Tech recruiting needs, including breakdown of prospect videos (which will be forthcoming today on Ford) and commitment news, Gobbler Country is your best FREE resource on the internet.

Recruiting Is Like Fishing

2013-06-16T19:54:46Z

In many ways, recruiting is like fishing. Sometimes the big fish get away. Sometimes the big fish are caught and brought in. Sometimes the big fish will fight and fight until the line breaks or cuts. Regardless, there are always more fish in the sea

In order for fishing to be successful, a fisherman needs to have the right kind of bait and lot of patience. Recruiting, in a sense, requires the same thing. For programs such as Alabama and Michigan, they have baits such as their storied tradition, multiple national championships, top-notch facilities, Heisman trophy winners, and outstanding fan bases to use. Unfortunately, Virginia Tech only has one national championship appearance, a few ACC titles, a bowl appearance streak, as well as top-of-the-line facilities to use for recruiting pitches. The fan base has helped make Lane Stadium one of the toughest venues for opposing fans to play in, but that doesn't hold the weight of the bling that the other schools can offer.

The news of Hand dropping Virginia Tech from his top three did not sit well with the majority of the fans. Many took to Twitter, message boards, forums and blogs to voice their displeasure. Some have gone as far as to say the new coaching changes have failed to secure new commitments, which is absolutely farfetched and ridiculous. Some have said Bud Foster, whom Hand has repeatedly said was his favorite coach, was not a terrific recruiter. For the record, Hand said Michigan was his favorite coaching staff. For those who are not in the know, the difference between one coach and a staff is huge. In a recent interview with SB Nation, Hand cited a gut feeling that Virginia Tech was not the right fit. What is not clear is what Hand meant by "gut feeling," but that is beside the point. The point is: Virginia Tech lost the big fish.

Then Jacob Park decided to commit to Georgia, another big fish that also got away, and fans once again voiced their displeasure. In David Cornwell's case, he was never a Virginia Tech lean in spite of his early eagerness.

To continue the fishing analogy, the coaches are fishermen, and fans are mere spectators. Recruiting, in real life, is not like what can be done on the PlayStation or Xbox consoles where players can go after every four and five-star recruit and secure their verbal commitments. The coaches have to build relationships with high school coaches and players along with their families. It is a time consuming and emotional investment. Sometimes it pans out, and sometimes it does not.

Perhaps with recruiting sites such as 247Sports and Rivals.com, it is easy for fans to latch on to prospects and try to recruit them to their favorite school. It is sure fun to speculate which prospective players would commit to Virginia Tech. It is fun to look at highlight tape and fantasize seeing them in the maroon and orange uniform, destroying offensive linemen or trucking a linebacker for a touchdown. It is not fun seeing prospects deciding to take their talents elsewhere. It is also not fun for the prospects or their families to see fans taking to Twitter and going on a rampage about it. After all, misery loves company. But that doesn't mean fans should jump on the internet and start firing off about it.

Perhaps for all parties, it would be better to let the recruiting process play out, and to remember that a verbal commitment is non-binding until National Signing Day, when recruits sign their National Letter of Intent. Even after the ink dries, there are no guarantees the commitments would be cleared to play for Virginia Tech.

Should The Hokies Reinstate Michael Holmes?

2013-06-16T16:04:51Z

Virginia Tech running back Michael Holmes was given the good/bad news when a judge founding him guilty of assault and battery, a misdemeanor, lowering his previous charge of malicious wounding, a felony.

#Hokies RB Michael Holmes has malicious wounding charge reduced to assault and battery, a misdemeanor. Found guilty on that charge.
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) June 13, 2013

Other two charges of simple assault against Holmes were dropped.
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) June 13, 2013

Holmes, though found guilty, by having his charge lowered to a misdemeanor, may now be eligible to return to the football team pending the athletic department and coach Beamer's approval. That path would seem likely based on several previous cases of Hokies that have been cleared to resume their football careers at Virginia Tech in the wake of their legal matters being resolved. In a similar scenario in late 2011, kicker Cody Journell was charged in relation to a break in at former Tech basketball player Dorenzo Hudson's apartment. When he was pleaded down in court and rejoined the team, we posted a poll to ask if the Hokies should have reinstated Journell? The answer there, according to Gobbler Country readers, was 80 percent yes.

In 2012, Holmes began the season as the Hokies' starting running back, but saw his role dwindle as a member of the four-man backfield of J.C. Coleman, Tony Gregory, Martin Scales and himself. He played in 11 games, starting five and ran for 280 yards on 70 carries, leading all running backs with four touchdowns. He also added 23 yards on 5 receptions in the passing game.

Given the circumstances of each case, while Holmes was still found guilty of a misdemeanor, it would seem his transgression was less severe in nature than Journell's. Therefore, his reinstatement to the team, though not guaranteed, is likely.

Holmes given 12-month suspended sentence. Ordered to pay $13,403 to Antoine Barnes in restitution for hospital bills. #Hokies
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) June 13, 2013

Tech's Michael Holmes denies striking either girl in incident. "It was a scuffle. It was kind of a blur. Hard to tell how people got hurt."
— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) June 13, 2013

Kiarra Barnes, one of the victims, filed a civil suit against Holmes for $25,000. Claims Holmes broke her nose, which will require surgery.
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) June 13, 2013

If he is cleared to rejoin the team, the new question becomes, will he be able to pay the necessary fees to meet the conditions of his suspended sentance? And will he be responsible for the $25,000 in damages that Kiarra Barnes is seeking in civil court? If so, how much?

Jimmy Turk, Tech TB Michael Holmes' attorney: "I hate that he was convicted of anything. He was defending himself." #Hokies
— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) June 13, 2013

Like I've said several times since the incident was reported, I hate this situation for this kid. Regardless of his culpability in the situation, it seems like it was one he was drawn into and was given little choice in the matter of defending someone close to him. We here at Gobbler Country wish him the best of luck going forward, whether it is with the football team at Virginia Tech or not.

Poll

Should Virginia Tech Reinstate Michael Holmes?

Top-10 Virginia Tech Players In NCAA 14 Revealed

2013-06-14T13:00:07Z

A few days ago, we posted the released team rankings for NCAA Football 14, which comprised ranking the offense, defense and overall team rankings of each team in the game. Now, per this video from the floor of E3, Operation Sports reveals the top-10 players on each team in NCAA 14. For the Hokies there are both some surprises and some players that were expected to be among that group. The list of top-10 players can be seen in the video below:

Or, if you don't want to sift through the video trying to find Virginia Tech (Hint: At about the 4:28 mark. You'll want to pause it immediately though as they move fast), we've listed each of the top-10 players individually below. Or simply examine the cover photo for this story.

James Gayle 93 OVR
Andrew Miller 93 OVR
Derrick Hopkins 92 OVR
Kyle Fuller 90 OVR
Luther Maddy 90 OVR
Logan Thomas 90 OVR
Jack Tyler 90 OVR
Detrick Bonner 89 OVR
Mark Leal 88 OVR
Tyrel Wilson 87 OVR

Again, while some of those players seem to fit their rating (i.e. Gayle, Miller, Hopkins, perhaps Fuller, Maddy, Thomas on a good day, Tyler is close and Bonner at the end of the year), Leal and Wilson, two backups, while they have in their limited time on the field, are probably not among the top-10 players on the Virginia Tech team by any measurement.

For instance, Mark Leal has only attempted 19 career passes. And while he's completed a high percentage of them, has played against only Appalachian State, Marshall, Virginia (2011), Austin Peay and Bowling Green, all blowouts. So not anything against him, but that's hardly murderer's row when it comes to competition.

Likewise, Wilson, while filling in for an injured James Gayle, has only started five games over the four years he's been in the Virginia Tech program (including a redshirt year, so that may seem misleading). He has, however, produced 7 career sacks, 4.5 coming in 2012, a pretty good total for a backup defensive end to one of the best defensive ends in college football. But to say he's among the best 10 players on the team is a stretch, especially as he is pretty much exclusively a rush end.

There are also some interesting omissions from that list, including Antone Exum and Kyshoen Jarrett, perhaps the Hokies' second-best defensive player a year ago. The discussion that followed our release of the top-10 on Twitter seemed to be mostly about Leal and Wilson's inclusion and the omission of Exum.

For more NCAA related and video game posts, keep coming back to Gobbler Country, your home for everything Virginia Tech sports on the web.

Poll

Who was the most glaring omission from the top-10 Virginia Tech players in NCAA 14?

Virginia Tech APR Released

2013-06-12T11:08:24Z

The NCAA released its annual Academic Progress Rate (APR) findings yesterday, and once again Virginia Tech athletic teams passed with flying colors. What is Academic Progress Rate? Well, according to Hokiesports, this year's APR consists of the following:

"The APR is a scorecard that tracks classroom performance of Division I sports teams, and it takes into account eligibility and retention of student-athletes over a four-year period. The most recent APR scores are multi-year rates based on the scores from the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years."

But how exactly is it scored? It's on a scale to 1,000, with 1,000 being a perfect score. But what is a bad APR? According to this NCAA quote from SB Nation's story on 2013 APR:

"In order to compete in the 2013-14 postseason, teams must achieve a 900 multi-year APR or a 930 average over the most recent two years. The same standard was in place for the 2012-13 academic year. This standard will increase to a multi-year 930, which predicts to a Graduation Success Rate of approximately 50 percent, or a 940 two-year average APR for the 2014-15 postseason"

Several Tech programs had a perfect APR according to Hokiesports:

"Two Tech programs finished with a perfect multi-year 1,000 score - men's cross country and golf. The men's cross country program has scored 1,000 for four straight years, while the golf program has scored 1,000 for three straight years. Both were recipients of a Public Recognition Award based on their most recent multi-year APR."

Congratulations to those terrific student athletes. The number of 1,000-point scorers though in the athletic department is down one, as men's tennis, wich last year had a perfect score, was unable to live up to their 2012 accomplishment. Instead, they had to settle for the score of 993, the second-best figure in the conference. Obviously that was a joke on my part, because that score is tremendous.

According to Hokiesports, they did have four more teams break the 990 APR plateau:

"In addition to having two teams with perfect multi-year APR scores, Tech had four other teams that scored 990 or better. This group included men's tennis (993), women's soccer (992), women's cross country (992) and volleyball (990)."

The total of programs boasting APR's of 990+ is again down by one (from seven to six), with women's swimming and diving falling from 991 a year ago to 983. But that score is still very good. Here is how the rest of the varsity athletic programs at Tech fared according to Hokiesports:

"The multi-year APR scores for the other Tech programs were: baseball (984), women's swimming and diving (983), men's soccer (982), men's outdoor track (982), men's swimming and diving (980), women's basketball (980), men's indoor track (979), women's tennis (978), wrestling (973), softball (969), lacrosse (967), women's outdoor track (958) and women's indoor track (945)."

Men's soccer experienced the largest rise of the Tech programs with a 982 APR after posting a 966 score a year ago. Women's indoor track unfortunately took the biggest drop, from 961 a year ago to 945 this year. All programs, however, are eligible for postseason play next year based on their APR performance.

"But wait," you might be saying. "What about the major revenue sports?" Ahhhhh...did you think we forgot? Nope. Just testing you. So here is the information regarding Tech football and basketball APR:

NCAA APR scores released. Virginia Tech football (970) has highest score ever. #Hokies score has gone up every year since 2005-06.
— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) June 11, 2013

That is a VERY impressive number, that, according to Hokiesports, is 21 points higher than the national average for football. That score tops the Hokies' previous high of 968. Say what you want about Frank Beamer, but his players graduate. But where did that rank the Hokies in the academically prestigious ACC?

Tech football tied for sixth in the ACC in APR score (with Wake) at 970. Duke (989) was leader. UNC (934) had the low score. #ACC #Hokies

— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) June 11, 2013

That of course bodes well for both the Hokies and the conference. One last note, however, on the football program's terrific achievement:

#Hokies football team's multi-year APR score of 970 is highest the team has had. Single-year score of 970 down slightly from 981 last year.
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) June 11, 2013

So it does appear that although Tech's multi-year score was the highest ever when it came to football, the single year score was a little lower than last year's. At any rate, being 21 points above the national average in a sport where too often administrators are purposely looking for just the bare minimum to keep players eligible, speaks to the hard work the staff and players at Virginia Tech put in to keep this score up. And of course we have to throw this one in there:

But the important part is that the #Hokies out-APR'd the 'Hoos in football. Must've made bad grades in Mike London's clock management.
— GobblerCountry.com (@gobblercountry) June 11, 2013

Now to men's basketball, where Tech had another tremendous score despite a down year on the floor:

So not all bad... RT @rtd_mikebarber: #Hokies men's basketball scored a 981 in the APR, it's second highest score since APR came into effect
— GobblerCountry.com (@gobblercountry) June 11, 2013

The score ranks second to last year's program high score of 985. So even though the results fell off markedly on the floor after the firing of Seth Greenberg, James Johnson, his coaches and the academic support staff kept the academics running smooth (which shouldn't be surprising given the nearly identical roster). Their program score was a whopping 29 points above the national average of 952. As for where they finished in the ACC:

Virginia Tech basketball 4th in ACC in APR. Duke (995) led the league. Wake (942) was last. #Hokies #ACC

— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) June 11, 2013

Tech trailed only Duke (listed), Miami (990) and N.C. State (984) in men's basketball APR among teams in the ACC, a fantastic spot for a school which is often left out of the conversation of the ACC's elite, especially in a sport which the ACC typically flexes their academic muscles (is that a thing?) in.

But, as Andy Bitter pointed out, those are multi-year scores. Three teams also posted perfect individual year scores this year:

The three #Hokies sports with perfect APR scores of 1000 this year? Men's and women's cross country and softball.
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) June 11, 2013

Congratulations to softball, who nearly went to the Super Regional stage (one step away from the championship round) of the NCAA Softball Tournament and still managed to post a PERFECT single-year APR. That's almost unheard of. Well done ladies. Also kudos to the cross country teams who both scored a perfect 1,000.

Lastly, Andy Bitter provides us with the link to the entire list of Virginia Tech varsity sports and their APR according to the NCAA:

APR scores are out for the 2011-12 academic year. Every one of the #Hokies teams made the grade this year.web1.ncaa.org/app_data/apr20…
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) June 11, 2013

So congratulations again to ALL of the Hokies, both students and staff, that made these scores possible. The Hokie community is proud of you and we hope that you continue to excel both inside and outside of the classroom.

For more news of all types regarding Virginia Tech athletics, I believe you now know that Gobbler Country is the place. Who else writes 1,200+ word stories about the academic accomplishments of college athletes? Nobody. Just us. That's why you've found your home on the internet for all things Virginia Tech sports.

NCAA Football 14 Rates Virginia Tech As A Team

2013-06-12T03:59:43Z

EA Sports' team ratings for the 2014 installment of their yearly college football title NCAA Football have been released via Tradition Sports Online from the E3 (the largest video game conference of the year) floor. The team prestige ratings have not been released, but with some intelligent guesses, you could ballpark that figure yourself.

The Hokies, as we reported earlier today, were looked upon favorably in the team rankings:

#Hokies a 91 on O, 95 on D & 93 OVR RT @kegsneggs NCAA '14 team ratings revealed. Alabama is basically a cheat code. bit.ly/14UbEvu
— GobblerCountry.com (@gobblercountry) June 11, 2013

As for where that ranks amongst all FBS teams? Well, we'll tell you. Overall, the Hokies are behind or tied with:

OVERALL RANKINGS

Alabama 99 OVR

Oregon 95 OVR

Ohio State 95 OVR

Notre Dame (tied) 93 OVR

LSU (tied but the combined total of offense and defense favors Tech by one) 93 OVR

Clemson (tied, but the combined total of offense and defense favors Tech by one) 93 OVR

And that's it. So the Hokies are tied for the fourth best team in the game with Notre Dame, and technically LSU and Clemson, though by the offensive and defensive ratings the Hokies hold the advantage. So looking at those offensive and defensive rankings, where does Tech rank? Ask and you shall receive:

OFFENSIVE RANKINGS

Alabama 99

Oregon 99

Ohio State 97

Oklahoma 97

Clemson 95

Georgia 95

Texas 95

Texas A&M 95

USC 95

Florida State 93

LSU 93

Louisville 93

Notre Dame 93

Kansas State 91 (tied)

Miami (FL) 91 (tied)

Michigan 91 (tied)

Nebraska 91 (tied)

North Carolina 91 (tied)

Stanford 91 (tied)

Washington 91 (tied)

That would put the Hokies' offense tied for 14th nationally with seven other schools, high praise for a team that finished as low as it did a season ago offensively and lost its top three receivers and perhaps top two offensive linemen. Not to mention a quarterback who was among the NCAA leaders in turnovers a year ago and no established running back. But I'll take it if you say so EA. There are of course some other teams EA missed on when calculating this rating as well, many of which were brought up in the comments section of the Kegsnegss blog (the site from the above tweet) post on the ratings (See Texas as a 95 despite finishing the last two years No. 40 and No. 54 nationally in offense respectively, North Carolina as a 91 (they do know Gio left, right?) and you guessed it, your Hokies, who finished No. 81 in the nation in total offense with 377.76 ypg).

That of course still leaves defense, where the Hokies are almost always stronger. Here are the teams that are ahead of the Hokies on that front.

DEFENSIVE RANKINGS

Alabama 99

ANNNNNNNNNDDDDD.....That would be it. That's right, your Hokie defense, despite how we feel about it personally, is ranked second in the entire nation. That's not to say that the 2012 version of the defense wasn't good or didn't have to overcome any adversity, as they finished in the top-25 nationally in most major categories, including total defense. But, based on their preseason expectations, they underperformed. Granted they will have as many as nine starters back, including one additional starter from two years ago. But even then, this is probably generous. On paper they're this good or at least have this much potential, but they have yet to put it all together. Perhaps they'll pull a Florida State from a year ago. All I know is that after a 7-6 season, the program's worst in 20 years, several people are awfully high on the Hokies (Phil Steele ranked the Hokies No. 12 in the nation a few days ago).

Below is the complete chart of team rankings from SB Nation's rankings post:

TEAM	OVERALL	OFFENSE	DEFENSE
Air Force	70	68	71
Akron	63	61	65
Alabama	99	99	99
Arizona	86	86	88
Arizona State	84	86	83
Arkansas	88	88	87
Arkansas State	77	79	76
Army	72	72	73
Auburn	88	88	90
BYU	83	84	83
Ball State	79	86	73
Baylor	90	90	88
Boise State	86	90	82
Boston College	86	86	85
Bowling Green	74	75	75
Buffalo	79	81	78
Cal	84	86	83
Central Michigan	72	72	71
Cincinnati	81	81	83
Clemson	93	95	90
Colorado	79	81	78
Colorado State	72	74	73
UConn	81	84	80
Duke	79	79	78
ECU	84	86	83
Eastern Michigan	65	68	65
FIU	79	77	80
Florida	90	90	92
FAU	75	77	76
Florida State	91	93	92
Fresno State	81	84	78
Georgia State	60	60	60
Georgia	91	95	88
Georgia Tech	86	83	88
Hawaii	77	77	76
Houston	84	86	83
Idaho	63	67	61
Illinois	83	86	80
Indiana	81	83	82
Iowa	88	88	90
Iowa State	81	81	83
Kansas	81	84	78
Kansas State	86	91	83
Kent State	74	75	75
Kentucky	84	84	83
LSU	93	93	92
La Tech	74	75	73
Louisville	90	93	88
Marshall	74	77	73
Maryland	86	86	85
Memphis	70	72	70
Miami (FL)	90	91	88
Miami (OH)	72	74	71
Michigan	91	91	92
Michigan State	91	90	93
MTSU	74	75	75
Minnesota	79	79	80
Mississippi State	88	90	85
Missouri	88	90	87
North Carolina State	84	84	85
Navy	74	74	75
Nebraska	88	91	85
Nevada	75	77	73
New Mexico	65	67	66
New Mexico State	65	68	65
North Carolina	91	91	90
North Texas	72	72	75
NIU	79	83	78
Northwestern	86	86	87
Notre Dame	93	93	93
Ohio	79	83	76
Ohio State	95	97	92
Oklahoma	91	97	88
Oklahoma State	91	93	92
Old Dominion	70	74	68
Ole Miss	90	91	88
Oregon	95	99	92
Oregon State	84	86	83
Penn State	84	86	85
Pitt	77	77	80
Purdue	84	84	85
Rice	75	75	76
Rutgers	84	86	82
SMU	81	83	78
San Diego State	84	84	83
San Jose	77	81	76
South Carolina	90	88	90
South Alabama	68	67	70
Southern Miss	74	72	75
Stanford	91	91	93
Syracuse	81	83	80
TCU	84	86	85
Temple	81	81	82
Tennessee	86	84	88
Texas	93	95	93
Texas A&M	91	95	88
Texas State	68	67	70
Texas Tech	86	90	83
Toledo	81	84	78
Troy	75	75	75
Tulane	75	77	68
Tulsa	79	84	75
UAB	68	68	68
UCF	83	86	82
UCLA	88	88	87
UL Lafayette	77	81	75
UL Monroe	75	79	75
UMass	61	61	65
UNLV	72	75	70
USC	91	95	90
USF	84	81	87
UTEP	75	77	73
UTSA	68	68	70
Utah	86	84	87
Utah State	75	77	75
Vanderbilt	83	84	82
Virginia	84	86	83
Virginia Tech	93	91	95
Wake Forest	83	83	85
Washington	91	91	90
Washington State	81	83	80
West Virginia	84	83	87
Western Kentucky	75	72	78
Western Michigan	72	74	71
Wisconsin	88	88	88
Wyoming	75	77	75

EA has also released the top-15 players in the game, none of which are Virginia Tech players. We will try to have a staff member play NCAA Football 14 as a preview each week prior to the Hokies' game and post the results on the site. If you would be interested in such a post, contact the site at chicagomaroon@hotmail.com.

For more on everything Virginia Tech football, including post that derive from video games, Gobbler Country is your #1 hub.

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How do you feel about the Hokies' rankings in NCAA Football 14?

Hokies Likely To Be Drafted In The 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft

2013-06-07T19:33:12Z

We'll start this post out by providing a list of Hokies who have been previously drafted, either out of high school or in a previous season at Tech. Just like in the Hokies In The Minor Leagues series of posts, we will list the players by the year they were drafted, followed by the round and the pick. And as no player for the current crop has been drafted more than once (other than Mantiply who was taken in the 48th round of the 2009 draft by the Mets) according to Hokiesports' Hokies In The MLB Draft. Also, we're not including Chad Pinder on this list as he had not been drafted when we began writing this post. So without further ado, let's get into this list:

Joe Mantiply- Drafted in 2012 28th round 30th pick (878th overall) Philadelphia Phillies

Mantiply was drafted just a year ago by the Phillies, a team who has straddled contention for the last couple of years and are at a crossroads of sorts when it comes to their situation: whether they plan to sell more pieces from the farm for one last chance of instant contention with the group they've got or becoming big-time sellers and mortgaging the present for the future. At any rate, this won't apply to their draft picks unless they already have in mind exactly what they're willing and going to part with and are looking to increase organizational depth to offset those losses in the future. At any rate, pitching depth is a must and you can never have enough, especially starting lefties (which Mantiply is).

The only reason I mention the Phillies this much is that teams that draft players one year typically maintain interest in them the next (ceteris parabus) time they're draft eligible, especially if, even though they've been spurned before by said player, this is the last time the player will be draft eligible and unable to do so again (and still play major league baseball that is). So when I say ceteris parabus, Mantiply's season was for sure at least that when compared to his 2012 campaign, even if some of his peripherals weren't as strong.

I couldn't find much current information from draft scouts on Mantiply, but here's what I did find:

Back at the beginning of the season, Virginia Tech baseball's Twitter account tweeted out this regarding player's by class:

Baseball America ranked its 2013 Top 50 Prospects By Class - Joe Mantiply (SR-41), Chad Pinder (JR-29) and Tyler Horan (JR-45).
— VT Baseball (@VT_Baseball) February 4, 2013

We also were able to uncover Baseball Draft Report's preseason prospect projections for the Hokies. Here's what they said about Mantiply:

"Joe Mantiply should be a solid senior sign thanks to a fastball between 88-92 fastball (notice a trend?), pro size (6-4, 215 pounds), and a pair of usable offspeed pitches."

Also note that his velocity there varies with the Perfect Game's 86 mph. fastball for Mantiply to go with a 75 mph. change up and slider and a 74 mph. curve, though those were from 2008.

So the rub on Mantiply is he is an average to below-average velocity pitcher for the pro ranks, but he does have threethings that bode well for him:

1. He's 6'4"

2. He's got a decent array of breaking/off-speed stuff

3. He produced at the college level

I would imagine Mantiply would go higher than last year, even if not by a great margin, simply because he's more of a known commodity and there will be a team that will be willing to take a late round risk on a guy who is a seasoned collegian and can provide organizational depth.

Brad Markey- Drafted in 2012 35th round 12th pick (1070th overall) New York Mets

Markey, who has twice transferred (from Georgia Tech and Santa Fe College) had a letdown year in a lot of ways compared to his 2012 campaign at Santa Fe College, though that should have been expected given the elevation in the level of competition. Statistically, Markey still had a decent year, logging 100.1 innings and maintaining a 3+-to-1 K/BB ratio. His batting average against (.295) and ERA (4.93) were less stellar but still passable.

Baseball Draft Report had Markey as his third-best prospect on the team in the preseason and the #446 prospect overall. Here was his report on Markey:

"I liked Markey a lot last year - he was my 446th overall draft prospect, after all - and I see no reason why I should turn on him now. The well-traveled junior throws three pitches for strikes (88-92 FB, 93 peak with a good CB and average CU)."

The Perfect Game has his fastball velocity at 87 with a slider at 73 and a curve at 68, but again that's from 2009. Inside VT Sports had probably the most realistic projection for Markey, albeit with the benefit of doing so postseason:

"Junior Brad Markey slipped down the draft boards a bit this season. I'd be surprised if he wasn't back for his senior year."

And I think I would agree with that. While he may get drafted, I feel like he's certainly not going to improve his draft position and therefore money offered from his 2012 selection. So with that being the case, why not come back and try to improve your stock?

Andrew Rash- Drafted in 2011 36th round 22nd pick (1103rd overall) San Diego Padres

Rash is an interesting case, as he was drafted in 2011 but passed on last year after his poorest season as a collegian. But in 2013 Rash had a bounce-back year, hitting .315, unfortunately still the second-lowest batting average of his college career as well as his second-lowest OBP (.368) and slugging percentage (.563) and his highest strikeout total with 56. He also had 13 errors in the field, not helped by a failed transition to third base in the postseason. But he also boasted a career-high and team-leading 62 RBI and an impressive 11 HR's.

Basically Rash is counting on a team taking a liking to his raw power and hoping they can iron out his inability to take walks and cut down on his strikeouts, two things that are usually hard to iron out. As it stands, he strikes out on about 24 percent of his at bats, near the very upper range of hitters, and walks only about 6 percent of the time, again, near the lower range of hitters.

Here's what Baseball Draft Report had to say about Rash:

"Rash's huge righthanded power is enough for me to take a chance on him late in the draft, but I could see why teams may be hesitant to pull the trigger on a guy with contact issues and an inconsistent approach. He deserves credit for working himself into a playable right fielder."

And Inside VT Sports:

"Andrew Rash has a lot of raw power, but there are questions about his defense and where he projects there. He came back to Tech after not being drafted last season and one would think a team would take a late-round flyer on a guy with power who still has the potential to refine his hitting approach to cut down on strikeouts. He's also played a lot of positions this year (center field, right field, third base), so he potential as a utility guy."

So I think we're all on the same page there. Basically Rash has some good attributes, but there is certainly an elephant in the room. That's why neither Baseball Draft Report listed him among their preseason top-5 Tech players nor did Baseball America include him in either their top-500 prospects or their top-25 prospects in the state (perhaps a little harsh).

I do think Rash gets picked up in the draft, simply because there is too much not to like if he can fix some glaring weaknesses in his game. He may be a later round guy, but he can play several different positions, hit the cover off the ball when he does make contact and is a terrific teammate and person. When those guys can't get drafted, baseball will be a sad sport.

Brendon Hayden- Drafted in 2011 36th round 30th pick (1111th overall) Philadelphia Phillies

Hayden, although he was drafted in 2011 out of high school, is ineligible for the draft as he has yet to complete the minimum number of college years to be considered as a college-eligible.

Eddie Campbell- Drafted in 2010 44th round 12th pick (1327th overall) Cincinnati Reds

Campbell is an interesting case. He was drafted out of high school by the Reds in 2010, and despite some underwhelming college statistics to date, has garnered quite a bit of interest from scouts/analysts. He has a career 5.63 ERA at Tech, but had his best year in 2013 peripherally if not aesthetically. His K/BB ratio and WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) were career-bests and his .240 batting average against was a new career-best as well. He also pitched a career-high 46.2 innings while potentially turning himself into a starter in the home-stretch for the Hokies. He's also a lefty, which increases his value.

So why has Campbell been such a touted prospect if not for collegiate success? Well, as Baseball Draft Report, which listed Eddie as the fourth-best pro prospect for the Hokies in the preseason, and Inside VT Sports said respectively:

"Campbell impressed on the Cape thanks to his crafty lefty repertoire that includes an upper-80s to low-90s FB (92 peak) and above-average curve. I'm more bearish on him than most, due to stuff that doesn't blow me away and too frequent lapses in control."

"Junior lefty Eddie Campbell could be the wild card. He had a strong summer on Cape Cod last year and given the chance to start in the postseason at Tech, he excelled. He has great stuff and the potential to be a No. 1 or 2 starter next season for the Hokies. But if he goes high enough and the money is right, Campbell will have a decision to make."

Basbeall America also has Campbell as the No. 13 Virginian (either by high school or college). And according to The Perfect Game, of all the pitchers with Virginia ties in the upcoming draft, Campbell has the best breaking stuff, something we saw in his last few appearances of the season with a giant sweeping curve that buckled hitters' knees.

But Virginia Tech coach Pete Hughes told Mike Barber of the Richmond Times Dispatch Thursday:

Hughes said he wouldn't be surprised if Campbell is drafted, but believes his player would benefit from pitching another season with the Hokies.

"I think Eddie needs to come back to school," Hughes said. "He's had a good two weeks. If he came back here and pitched on weekends he could absolutely pitch his way to a prospect slot, top five rounds."

So it appears that Campbell will certainly be drafted for his superior breaking pitches, though it is certain he could improve his stock by coming back another year. Depending on where he is drafted, Campbell might have a tough decision to make. If he decides to come back, he could potentially be the Hokies' ace next year, and would certainly be a regular member of the staff. But if he was drafted highly enough or offered an overslot figure, he might feel compelled to head to the bigs (well, kinda). For sure it seems that he will be drafted prior to the 44th round he was drafted in out of high school.

New Picks

Chad Pinder- Drafted in 2013 2nd round 32nd pick (71st overall) Oakland Athletics

Since Chad was already drafted and we covered him extensively this morning, we're going to keep it pretty simple on him. He was the No. 1 prospect for the Hokies on Baseball Draft Report's preseason list of Hokies as well as the No. 2 player in the state of Virginia postseason according to Baseball America.

Here is Baseball America's take on him as a potential first-rounder from back in March. But strangely that didn't stop him from falling a couple of spots after a monster ACC Tournament as these local beat writers pointed out:

#Hokies Chad Pinder No. 54 and Tyler Horan No. 293 on Baseball America's latest list of top-500 draft prospects for 2013.
— Aaron McFarling (@aaronmcfarling) May 28, 2013

@aaronmcfarling So, Pinder DROPPED a spot from where he was in Baseball America's last rankings? Seems odd given last few weeks he's had.
— Norm Wood (@normwood) May 28, 2013

However, it seemed to work out fine for Pinder, who was taken near the end of the supplemental Competitive Balance B round of the draft last night. It is unlikely he will be returning to Blacksburg given the position of his pick.

Tyler Horan is likely the next Tech player to come off the board. Horan posted a monster junior season that saw him earn All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball newspaper. He tied for the team-lead in home runs with 11 and finished fourth in RBI (50). That led to rave reviews from many scouting agencies, including Baseball America which recently rated him the No. 293 prospect nationally and No. 7 in the state of Virginia.

Inside VT Sports had a long take on what Horan's likely decision will be regardless of his draft position:

"Outfielder Tyler Horan. A redshirt junior, Horan has the option to return, but his Twitter timeline after Sunday's game made it sound like he was done with his time in Blacksburg. Even if he's a lower-round pick, he'll be 23 in December, meaning his clock is ticking in terms of making it through the minors and into the bigs.

Horan has a ton of raw power, as he displayed in the Cape Cod League last summer when he led the wood-bat circuit with 18 home runs. He's also a bit more athletic than one would think for a player his size (6-foot-2, 232). Matt Grabusky at the website BigLeagueFutures.net noted that Horan has above average bat speed, plus raw power, an above average arm and is a solid defensive outfielder. A likely Friday selection."

Baseball Draft Report also had a preseason take on him, but I think of all the players they evaluated, they might want to have Horan's back to do again:

"Tyler Horan has more power, but not quite as strong a hit tool. He also is a corner outfielder only, potentially limited to left field, so the margin of error for his stick is more pronounced. The power is enticing enough that he'll rightfully get drafted with the thought he'll someday hold down an everyday outfield spot."

Coach Hughes also told Barber Thursday:

"I'd be shocked if he doesn't go in the top 10 rounds," Hughes said, praising Horan's power, improved plate discipline and defense.

It would be really surprising if Horan doesn't go pretty early, but if he is a mid-round selection by some twist of fate, his status with Virginia Tech might change and convince him to return. At any rate, whichever team does draft him will be getting a good player as we all know.

Devin Burke had an excellent year for the Hokies, winning 11 games, racking up an impressive 104.1 innings and pitching to a 3.11 ERA. He also had pretty good peripherals, allowing hitters to hit a paltry .248. But unfortunately Baseball America doesn't have him as one of the state's 25 best players and he is at a disadvantage for a reason the Inside VT Sports highlights in their scouting report on him:

"Pitcher Devin Burke. Since he transferred directly from one ACC school to another (Duke to Virginia Tech), Burke forfeited a year of ACC eligibility, along with the usual year players have to sit out when switching schools. So the right-hander's time at Tech is over. Will he be drafted? He won 11 games as a junior including two excellent performances in the postseason. Burke's changeup is a plus pitch, and pitching coach Patrick Mason noted that Burke's changeup to lefties is extremely effective, so effective that he liked Burke matching up against lefties more than the matchups with the lefties in his bullpen. Probably a late-round selection."

Burke may be drafted late, and hopefully can stick on a team willing to remember his situation and give him a chance to prove he's every bit as good as he pitched this season.

Jake Joyce shot up draft boards, including rising to No. 17 in the state according to Baseball America, because of his play in 2013, pitching to a 4.16 ERA in 62.2 innings, all as a reliever (which is impressive). He is at a historical disadvantage however, as relievers are much more infrequently drafted as pro teams value taking starting pitchers and converting them into bullpen arms. However, there are some conventional relievers that are picked up, and Joyce figures to be one of them. Baseball Draft Report has a...well, report:

"SR RHP Jake Joyce has consistently performed out of the Virginia Tech bullpen (9.96 K/9 in 2011, 11.16 K/9 last year), so it wouldn't be a shock to see a club that emphasizes prior production giving him a look this spring."

Expect Joyce to be a late-round selection.

Clark Labitan is also at a disadvantage despite a strong 2013 where he pitched to a 2.58 ERA in 45.1 innings, recording 11 saves. For one, he is a reliever, but on top of that he has a diminutive stature, as he is listed at 5'8" 175 lbs. according to Hokiesports.

Inside VT Sports explains why that might be an issue:

"Senior relievers Jake Joyce and Clark Labitan have late-round potential, but size will be an issue with both. Labitan also has a history of shoulder problems."

And Baseball Draft Report concurs when talking about Tanner McIntyre and Labitan:

"Same could be said about SR RHP Tanner McIntyre, a pitcher who has done the job when called upon (10.16 K/9 last year) but still could be on the outside looking in come June if teams decide they can't look past lack of size (5-9, 170 pounds) and pedestrian (by pro standards) stuff. You can go ahead and put 5-9, 175 pound SR RHP Clark Labitan in the same category."

So with plenty to overcome in the minds of draft scouts, Labitan is probably a fringe pick, but could be a nice surprise for a team willing to take a risk on him in the late rounds.

Tanner McIntyre was off to a great start in 2013, compiling a 3-0 record with a 3.81 ERA in four starts and nine appearances before injuring his shoulder and missing the rest of the season. While he has pitched extremely well in the last two seasons, compiling a 10-0 record and a 3 ERA, the injury coupled with his short stature (see Labitan notes above) and his primary usage as a reliever don't do him any favors. The chances that McIntyre is taken are pretty hard to calculate since it basically revolves around a team seeing something they like in him and willing to risk a pick to hope those concerns all pan out.

Gary Schneider, Chad Morgan and Colin O'Keefe are the only other juniors on the roster, but each one either had a poor/mediocre season or had their season derailed by injury. If any one of them is taken (and it would be one of the first two), expect them to return as it will likely just be a late round feeler pick.

For more Hokies baseball coverage, including comprehensive coverage of the 2013 MLB Draft, Gobbler Country is your Virginia Tech sports home. Don't touch that internet dial...OR ELSE!

Chad Pinder Drafted By Oakland Athletics

2013-06-07T11:27:58Z

Pinder, one of the Hokies' best players over the past few years, was selected by the Oakland Athletics with the 71st pick of the MLB First-Year Player Draft (or Rule 4 Draft), just two picks before the conclusion of the first day of the draft. His selection marks the highest for a Hokie since Joe Saunders was drafted No. 12 overall by the Anaheim Angels, coincidentally the only former Hokie currently in the major leagues.

That's the highest a #Hokie has gone since 2002 when Joe Saunders was drafted #12 overall by the Anaheim Angels.
— GobblerCountry.com (@gobblercountry) June 7, 2013

Pinder was lauded by the MLB Network broadcasters covering the draft:

Greg Amsinger: "Chad Pinder...You're looking at a major reason of the resurgence of baseball at Virginia Tech. Great defense for a third baseman. When they needed him to later this year he moved to shortstop. Where does he project in your eyes at the next level?"

John Hart: "I'll tell you what, I like him. I mean you put him out there at third-base, but I think this is the type of player that has the ability to play all over the diamond. I think he can play third, short, second. I like that he's a baseball player. I think it's a good Oakland pick right here. This guy's got major league written all over him."

Jonathan Mayo: "He's a college performer, a big reason why Virginia Tech, as you said, has been so good. And then late in the season, college tournaments, scouts pour into those and he put on a show. He showed more power than he had shown for much of his college career right at the end there, so I think there's probably some more belief that maybe there's little more pop in his bat to come."

That is certainly high praise from that group, though they are notorious for not saying negative things about young players who are drafted. That's not to say when someone receives overwhelmingly positive comments from commentators that is not significant, just to caution those who take it without a grain of salt.

So what does Pinder being drafted, and more particularly Pinder's draft position mean for both Pinder and the Hokies? Well, Pinder does have a year of eligibility still remaining, but despite Pinder's comments before the draft, leaving it open for his return, I would say that was simply a possibility should he not have been drafted in a spot to his liking. Coach Pete Hughes tends to agree with that assessment, telling Mike Barber yesterday he believed there was "no chance" that Pinder returned and saying:

"He's a projected big leaguer. He's got the work ethic to do it. He makes jumps every year."

Unlike several other Hokie draft hopefuls, Pinder was not drafted when he came to Tech in 2010 out of Poquoson High School. Therefore, being drafted for the first time might be more significant for him. However, there is at least a slight chance that Pinder is unhappy with his draft position, the team he was drafted by, loves the college experience too much to not return or some combination of those factors which would lead him to return. But for the amount of money he is about to be offered as a top-75 pick (especially as he can use those factors mentioned above to command more money above his slot), I would again find it hard to believe that he would return for his senior year to improve his stock, regardless of how consistent he has been as a collegiate player.

One thing is for sure, if Pinder does decide to return to Virginia Tech, he would be welcomed back with open arms by the fans of the program.

Pinder also joins an organization in Oakland which, despite having many options at the high levels of their minor league system who can play short, only have one player (2011 first rounder Addison Russell) at the lower levels who has proven the ability to hit and play the position in the field at a competent level. So his ability to get at bats and prove his worth at that position should be attainable in that organization. Oakland also spent its other first and second round 2013 picks elsewhere (center field and pitcher).

The Athletics do want to keep him at short per their press release, seemingly because of his ability to play the position, his strong arm and his ability to profile as a plus power producer from that position more than a corner infielder.

In his three-year career at Virginia Tech to-date, Pinder hit .322 with 18 home runs and 101 RBI while adding 15 stolen bases. He also compiled a .389 OBP (on-base percentage) and slugged .509. In 2013, his best year to-date, Pinder achieved career-highs in every category except batting average (.321) and slugging percentage (.483). He also hit 8 home runs and added 50 RBI, tied for third on the team.

For more on the MLB First-Year Player Draft and the Hokie hopefuls that will be waiting to hear their names called Saturday and Sunday, keep checking back with us here at Gobbler Country, your home for all things Virginia Tech baseball.