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We told you this could be a busy weekend in Blacksburg and, so far, that has proven to be true as on Saturday the Virginia Tech Hokies picked up two football commitments
The first domino to fall was a bit of a surprise as Jalin Hyatt, a 3-star wide receiver from Irmo, S.C., made his pledge to the Hokies. Hyatt is third commit for the class of 2020. At 6’2”, 165 pounds, Hyatt has good size with the frame to add more bulk. His size will be a welcome addition to the receiving room in the future.
COMMITTED‼️ HOKIE NATION...START JUMPING, I’M COMING HOME‼️ pic.twitter.com/tV3XkMPmVW
— Jalin Hyatt (@jalinhyatt) February 2, 2019
In watching Hyatt’s tape, it’s clear he has outstanding speed. It’s tough to get much out of his ability to run routes at the high school level because he is just so much faster than everyone else. But 6’2” guys with speed and good hands are an outstanding building block.
Hyatt was absolutely a priority for the coaching staff in next year’s class and new receivers coach Jafar Williams likely helped assuage any concerns Hyatt may have had with Holmon Wiggins’ departure. Williams being young and energetic should help the Hokies in recruiting. I would expect Hyatt to pick up more big-time offers over the summer and especially this fall.
The second pledge of the day came around 9 p.m. ET and was expected. Knox Kadum, a three-star quarterback from Rome, Ga., made his intentions known. At 6’3”, 188 pounds, Kadum has good size. He will obviously need to spend some time in the weight room and bulk up.
COMMITTED!!! Go Hokies!! pic.twitter.com/SPfmMy3URy
— Knox Kadum (@KnoxKadum) February 3, 2019
In watching Kadum’s film, you see a smart and competitive quarterback who is accurate in the short and intermediate game. There could be some concerns about his arm strength but that is always something that can improve. Kadum is a winner, leading his high school (Rome) to back-to-back state championships at the highest level in one of the more talent-rich states in the country. He also happens to be an underrated athlete, too.
Kadum won’t have to play this fall. Well, we don’t think he will as Ryan Willis and Quincy Patterson are returning. However, Hendon Hooker’s transfer certainly makes depth at the most important position a bit perilous. I would expect the Hokies to continue to scour the transfer market for a veteran QB and let Kadum redshirt. That’s what he needs.
Well, Hokies, that is four new Hokies this week as Hyatt and Kadum join 2019 commit Jaden Cunningham and 2020 athlete Tyreem Powell as the newest Hokies. Powell and Hyatt and the second and third additions to the class of 2020 joining quarterback Tyler Warren of Mechanicsville.
That’s it—for now. Stay tuned and we’ll have you covered if anything new breaks over the next few days.