Virginia Tech football: Hokies land a Texas quarterback

The Virginia Tech Hokies picked up a surprise commitment on Thursday when three-star quarterback Alex Orji officially pledged to the Hokies.

A 6-foot-3, 225-pound signal-caller from Sachse High in Sachse, Texas, Orji had 11 confirmed offers from schools such as Oklahoma, TCU, Baylor, Michigan and Houston, among others.

Just from that offer list, this is a good pickup.

At first glance, Orji is an impressive guy. He already possesses terrific size with plenty of time to grow. He is a great athlete and just from spending about 30 minutes watching him, he is an impressive prospect.

One of the things most high school quarterbacks struggle with is making multiple reads. It is understandable. The level of competition at the high school level means most don’t have to look off their first read, and, if so, they just tuck it and run.

Not Orji.

In this clip, watch him roll right, look off the defenders and then toss it down the field for an easy score. This play showed several impressive traits. Orji fits the definition of a true dual-threat quarterback.

As a junior in 2020, Orji passed for 11 touchdowns and rushed for 16 more scores.

Orji becomes the fourth addition to Virginia Tech’s 2022 recruiting class, including the second quarterback, joining Devin Farrell of Milton, Georgia. Like Orji, Milton is a dual-threat passer with a big upside.

I like the move to add multiple quarterbacks. Braxton Burmeister is a senior in 2021. Knox Kadum is the only player behind him with any experience, and that consists of a few snaps. Freshman Tahj Bullock will likely redshirt in 2021.

Adding talent and competition to the quarterback room is smart. Let these kids push each other.

I really like this move for the Hokies. I would expect Orji’s recruitment to pick up even more if the NCAA lifts the dead period this summer.