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Reviewing The Hokies Two Summer Camp Commitments

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The Hokies scored two commitments for the 2013 recruiting class at yesterday's summer camp in 6'4" 255 lb. TE/OL prospect Kyle Chung out of Ponte Vedra, FL and 6'2" 182 lb. DB/WR prospect Brandon Facyson out of Newnan, GA. Chung is of course the son of former Tech Hall of Famer and NFL offensive lineman Eugene Chung, a member of Beamer's first recruiting class at Tech.

For a review of the players' highlight tapes, an analysis of their potential positions and a look into how their commitments affect the remainder of the Hokies 2013 recruiting haul, continue reading after the jump.

It was an interesting sequence of events at the Hokies summer camp as both commitments produced interesting stories. For Kyle Chung, it was reported early that he had committed, confirmed by many national recruiting experts, only to be reneged later by those same experts. Eventually Chung was confirmed as a commitment, but the confusion centered around Chung and his family's desire to wait until they were home to hold a press conference of their own to announce the commitment.

As for Facyson, he became very ill on the visit and was forced to go to the emergency room. He received an IV and steroid shots for abscesses on his tonsils. When he returned, he committed to the coaches after the camp. It is also interesting to know that Facyson has a 3.9 GPA and dreams of becoming a heart surgeon. Facyson picked the Hokies over at least 16 other FCS offers.

Chung is listed as a three-star according to Rivals and 247 Sports. 247 ranks him as the 22nd tight end in the nation. Chung said that although he is rated by some recruiting sites as a TE, the staff has told him they see him as an interior lineman, and that he doesn't really have a preferred position. However, he is keeping his options open and plans on taking visits over the summer to the remaining teams that he is high on. He should be viewed as a soft verbal commitment, at least until all of his visits are through. Kyle committed to the Hokies over at least 12 over FCS offers.

Breaking down Chung's tape several things stand out. He has a willingness to hit people in the open field. He has great field awareness of the play developing around him. He has tremendous upper-body strength for someone his size, and he puts it on display in the tape as he is often utilized as a blocker. Kyle is VERY good at selling the pass on a run play. He doesn't jog a fake route into a run block, he runs it. Kyle finishes plays, often getting up off the ground to hit a guy or following the play downfield. He is a good enough athlete to play tight end at the collegiate level if the offensive line plan should go awry. I don't think he is a particularly dominating athlete though, just good enough to get by at the next level for a tight end. He is a player that does all the little things.

As for Facyson, he has known for some time where he wanted to go to school, and says that his commitment is set in stone. But his position, like Chung's, is up in the air. He has played a lot of cornerback and wide receiver in high school, and is ranked as a cornerback by most recruiting services. He may be given a look at receiver though.

Facyson is rated between a three and four-star prospect according to Rivals, 247, Scout and ESPN. Scout ranks him as the #83 safety nationally, but ESPN, 247 and Rivals see him as a cornerback, ranking him 23rd, 41st and 45th respectively at that position.

Watching his highlight tape, I would disagree with the assessment that he is a wide receiver. He does a great job at winning jump balls, but that is also applicable on the defensive side. He has defensive back instincts. He is a long strider that can easily get to any part of the field to track down balls. He may be more of a safety, especially with his prototypical length and his ability to cover field, but he is also good in man coverage and would be an asset as a 6'2" corner.

The Hokies now stand at 14 commitments for the 2013 recruiting class, and considering that this class should be just average in size, there isn't too much space left available. So what do these two commitments mean for Tech's strategy for filling out the remainder of the 2013 class? Well, sticking to what I said in my recruiting primer and my interview with SB Nation Recruiting, I expect the Hokies to take anywhere between 20 and 22 players in the 2013 recruiting class on scholarship.

"The Hokies' three biggest needs for the class of 2013 are quarterback, offensive line and cornerback in that order. Tech has already done the meat of their work in those departments as they have secured two quarterback commitments, two offensive line commitments and at least two cornerback commitments in the 2013 class."

The Hokies have certainly filled out those positions since my interview several months ago, but they may be interested in taking additional offensive linemen, even if Kyle Chung does project as an OL. They are monitoring offensive line targets, and have several who seem interested in mammoth tackle Justin Evans and Delando Crooks. They will also have a scholarship waiting on Kendall Fuller (who announced that he was making his decision between Tech and Clemson no later than the Army All-American game in December, a deadline he has maintained for months) no matter what. As for the rest of the positions/prospects the Hokies, expect them to focus now on adding offensive skill position players like running backs Taquan Mizzell, Derrick Green and D.J. Reid and wide receivers DaeShawn Hamilton and Kwamane Bowens, as they have yet to secure a commitment at either position.

Tech may also look to add to their defensive line, as many of their DL targets have committed elsewhere. Wyatt Teller, a player who has shot up recruiting rankings as of late, still remains a prospect the Hokies want, but appears to be a UVA lean right now, even if just slightly. The position breakdown numbers I suggested in the interview with SB Nation Recruiting seem to be still workable, although there may be fewer defensive linemen in the mix.

"The Hokies are probably looking to take somewhere in the ballpark of three quarterbacks, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end, four offensive linemen, four defensive linemen, two linebackers and four defensive backs."

Stay tuned for more recruiting coverage and all your Hokie sports needs here on Gobbler Country.