Virginia Tech football: 2022 signee Rashaud Pernell will not enroll with Hokies

Virginia Tech’s 2022 recruiting class suffered a blow Thursday when three-star defensive lineman Rashaud Pernell announced — on Twitter — he was decommitting from Virginia Tech and re-opening his recruitment.

Pernell signed with the Hokies in December and was set to enroll next month. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive lineman played his high school football at the talent-rich Highland Springs High School in Highland Springs, Virginia.

Pernell was one of the more active future Hokies on social media, always welcoming new recruits to Virginia Tech, or working to get players to choose the good guys. Where Pernell signed in December, Virginia Tech will have to release him from his scholarship.

When 2023 athlete Takye Heath committed to the Hokies Sunday, it was Pernell welcoming his former high school teammate to Virginia Tech.

We aren’t going to speculate too heavily on this one, but with the suddenness of the decision, it appears other factors were in play here.

From Pernell’s Twitter:

I first want to thank Virginia Tech for believing in me and making me feel apart (SIC) of the family. I’ve come to really love Blacksburg and Hokie nation over the last 2 years and wish everyone there the best. With that being said … I will be decommitting and reopening my recruitment.

While it’s a bummer Pernell won’t be a Hokie next season, we wish him nothing but the best wherever his next stop is.