Signing day notes, observations (Nathan Warters)
"But all in all, it was a solid class, and like I wrote in two stories for Thursday’s edition of The News & Advance, rankings and stars don’t always translate into success on the football field."
Signing day disappointment for Hokies (Darryl Slater)
"Obviously, recruiting rankings are to be taken with a grain of salt, because what matters more than anything is what a class does once it arrives at college, not what it did before. But for what it’s worth, this would be Tech’s lowest-ranked class since 2004 (41st) if the current ranking of 35th holds up."
Signing Day is done for VT (Kyle Tucker)
"Still, the Hokies signed some very good players. There are 20 new additions in all. It is a solid class, rated at the moment the No. 33 class in the country by Rivals.com. That’s in the general neighborhood of where most Tech classes have ranked in the last decade – classes that have netted four ACC titles in the last seven seasons."
The fallout from National Signing Day (Mark Giannotto)
"So when asked how he felt about not landing any of the top six recruits from the state of Virginia this year, Beamer countered that he doesn't follow the recruiting sites, and proceeded to praise four-star defense end Corey Marshall, the Hokies highest rated in-state recruit."
One OL and no LB in this recruiting class? Beamer isn't fretting (Norm Wood)
"Tackle Jake Goins from Manchester High in Midlothian was the only offensive lineman or linebacker Tech signed this year. That's not to say Tech didn't go after its share of offensive linemen. Tech missed most notably on tackles Landon Turner and Kiaro Holts, both of whom signed with North Carolina."
Beamer not fretting over lost recruits (Randy King)
"While the results of Wednesday's National Signing Day left many program backers concerned that Tech suddenly had given major ground to the rest of the ACC, a neighborhood the Hokies have owned since joining the league in 2004, Beamer remained undeterred that all remains well in Blacksburg."
Virginia Tech's late recruiting push pays off (Palm Beach Post)
"After a late recruiting push in Palm Beach County, Virginia Tech wrapped up three players Wednesday, continuing the Hokies' recent success of snatching some of the area's best hidden gems."
Beamer Has High Praise for Holmes (WHSV)
"When Frank Beamer watches Harrisonburg's Michael Holmes run, Beamer says he's reminded of one of the best running backs he's had at Virginia Tech. "First time I saw him I thought he reminded me of Lee Suggs," Beamer said Wednesday at his annual signing day press conference."
After Major Recruiting Misses, Time For Changes (The Key Play)
"I said earlier that these kids need to be told things they want to hear. And what do they want to hear? For starters, many want to see the field early -- and not in the 4th quarter against our annual ass whipping of Marshall or in game six because everyone else is hurt. They want to be on the field now, like Percy Harvin was at Florida. Not like Ryan Williams."
The Year of the Project (Tech SuperFans)
"In a sense, all new recruits into a program are projects, but this class is particularly full of kids who have very high ceilings, but based on how little football and physical development they've experienced thus far, we have to rely on what we see in their footage and more importantly what the coaches see and think they can develop in these young men."