Jeremy Webb and Corey Thomas join #ExitLight18 on big Friday for the Hokies

In Jeremy Webb and Corey Homas, a Pair of ASA Junior College Commitments add to #ExitLight18.

Virginia Tech’s football team got good news in threes on Friday. Not only did they walk away with the commitment of tight end James Mitchell, they also gathered a walk-on commitment from tight end Corey Thomas of ASA junior college, and, of course, his more heralded teammate, four star cornerback Jeremy Webb. Thomas and Webb are the first junior college transfers for this class, and some of the few JUCO kids that Tech has taken over the time I’ve been watching Hokie recruiting. Coming out of ASA Junior College in Brooklyn, both could potentially contribute to Tech, though Webb more likely immediately than Thomas.

Webb, the more talented of the pair of ASA Avengers, formerly went to Adlai Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. He’s rated as a four star cornerback out of the junior college ranks- he’s 19^th in the ESPN JC50, and 247 and Rivals have him at 4 stars as well. But originally from Florida, he spent a year in Lincolnshire due to his brother, Ego Ferguson, being drafted by the Bears. Yes, former LSU Tiger Ego Ferguson. According to research he didn’t have a ton of interest out of high school, but developed in junior college and is now one of the more important pieces in this recruiting class. He also received offers from Nebraska, West Virginia, Iowa State, Ole Miss, and Tennessee.

Thomas was formerly a tight end at Chantilly High School out of Chantilly Virginia, and only had offers from ECU and Kentucky Christian coming out of high school. He was unranked. He now has offers from Bryant, Central Connecticut, Maine, and Sacred Heart.

Let’s take a look at the tape for both of these prospects.

Jeremy Webb (Linconshire, IL by way of Brooklyn, NY. 6’-3”, 195lbs. Cornerback)

Webb has a big, physical frame and knows how to leverage that. He’s much more a man-on cover corner, excelling in the one-on-one game with his very good athleticism and positioning. He’s also strong in the run game, willing to go up and make a tackle unlike many other corners out there. I didn’t get a GREAT sense of ball skills, but his situational awareness seems rather high. I like how he runs wide receivers right out of the play with his positioning, pinning them against the sideline in disadvantageous leverage points. He’s got special teams experience, which always helps, especially if you’re going to play for the Hokies. He’s going to have two years of eligibility, and could significantly help the depth chart next year. With some collegiate level playing experience, he’d be a welcome addition to what could be a quite thin and inexperienced cornerback rotation thanks to the graduation of Greg Stroman and Brandon Facyson.

Corey Thomas (Chantilly, VA by way of Brooklyn, NY. 6’-4”, 225lbs. Tight End)

Thomas vaguely reminds me of Sam Rogers, at least in terms of how he lines up and where he gets his catches and how he’ll willingly throw a block. A sort of H-back, but with more of a lean to a traditional tight end positional slant, he’s got decent hands and alright speed. He’s no athletic marvel, but he’s quite capable on his own and for the low price of not an official scholarship, he’s a solid addition to the roster. He might want to put on just a bit more weight to really play tight end, but he might want to stay right at what he’s at just to keep himself up for a more athletic role.

Welcome to the 2018 recruiting class, guys. Hokie Hokie Hokie Hi!