It was an up and down week for Virginia Tech recruiting. The Hokies added a big commitment to their Class of 2017, but also lost one in odd fashion. Here's what you need to know.
Proctor commits at Under Armour All-American Game
Virginia Tech added defensive end/outside linebacker Nathan Proctor to their class on Sunday at the Under Armour All-American Game in Orlando, FL.
This was a huge get for Virginia Tech. The defensive staff worked hard to land Proctor and their efforts paid off. The 4-star prospect from Indian Head, MD. chose the Hokies over several Power 5 programs, including Pittsburgh, Penn State and Maryland. Proctor has 30 scholarship offers altogether, including Georgia, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Tennessee.
Proctor will play on the edge in Bud Foster's defensive scheme. He stands up a lot along the line of scrimmage, but also can play with his hand in the dirt. He shows good athleticism and plays the run game well. 247Sports has his verified 40-yard dash time set at 4.68, which is pretty fast for a 6-foot-3, 220-pound edge defender.
Here's Proctor's senior highlight film. Let me know what you think.
Virginia Tech target Markquese Bell also announced his commitment to Maryland at the game. The 4-star athlete had plenty of good offers, including Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Penn State, Clemson and Ohio State.
Willis decommits, leaves for Auburn
While Virginia Tech struggled vs. Arkansas in the first half of the Belk Bowl last Thursday, athlete Malik Willis announced his decommitment from the Hokies on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/Willis_Malik7/status/814619667117510656
Willis was immediately offered by Auburn to play quarterback and not too long after, he committed to the Tigers.
https://twitter.com/Willis_Malik7/status/814974173726601216
Willis was slated to play defensive back for the Hokies. Willis, a 6-foot-2, 188-pound recruit out of Roswell, GA. has gradually improved his rating during his senior season and would've been a big out-of-state haul for Virginia Tech. Even if he had planned on doing this eventually, perhaps his timing wasn't the best. Either way, he's gone.
Hunter sets final official visits
Virginia Tech's top target Devon Hunter has set his final three official visits for Florida on January 13, Auburn on January 20 and Alabama on January 27.
Generally, three official visits to SEC schools right before Signing Day would be a sign that Virginia Tech isn't sitting pretty, but I think Tech fans might be surprised. Auburn has been the primary competitor as of late and Hunter's recruiter, Wesley McGriff, left Auburn to become the defensive coordinator at Ole Miss.
An official visit to Alabama right before Signing Day could always swing things, but Virginia Tech is still in good position.
Tech makes contact with Zaire
Virginia Tech has reached out to graduate transfer quarterback Malik Zaire from Notre Dame. This comes as no surprise after news broke that Jerod Evans was seriously considering declaring for the NFL Draft.
Zaire will be highly sought after this offseason. Fortunately for Virginia Tech, Zaire doesn't plan to choose a college until April, which allows the staff to develop a relationship. If Evans were to leave, the only remaining quarterbacks left on the roster would be redshirt-freshman Josh Jackson, walk-on Jack Click, incoming freshman Hendon Hooker and walk-on Chase Mummau.