Virginia Tech football recruiting: Local OL Hannes Hammer commits to Hokies

The Virginia Tech Hokies picked up their third commitment of the 2023 recruiting class Sunday when three-star offensive tackle Hannes Hammer announced his commitment to the good guys.

Hammer is a 6-foot-6, 272-pound offensive lineman who plays at North Cross in Roanoke. He is from Cologne, Germany, and moved to the United States last year to earn a football scholarship. He was recently offered by Virginia Tech offensive line coach Joe Rudolph.

Hammer wanted to finish up his recruitment before heading home for the summer, and Rudolph pushed for his commitment, and Hammer obliged. He joins fellow offensive lineman Lance Williams (Alcoa, Tennessee) and defensive end Jason Abbey (Richmond) as 2023 commitments.

Hammer projects as an offensive tackle in college. Rudolph is one of the best in the business, and when he gives his approval to an offensive lineman, I am all in. Rudolph was aggressive in his pursuit of both Williams and Hammer for 2023.

While Hammer only had seven official offers, that number was expected to grow as he was scheduled to participate in multiple camps before next season began. Hammer will not participate in those camps now that he’s locked in with Virginia Tech.

“It’s a great fit overall,” Hammer said per Evan Watkins of 247Sports. “My mom likes it, and I want to study architecture. I really like Coach Rudolph, and we get along well. It’s also a big football program with history, and I just feel like I can excel there.”

Hammer will be the second German on Virginia Tech’s roster, joining Danijel Miletic, a current redshirt freshman guard.