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Hoakie82 Hoakie82 OP
Apr 23, 2022 at 10:59 PM ET
PSU has commits from 4 out of top 5 VA athletes or 5 out of the top 10.
Plus a commit from #13.

VT has a commit from #20 & #22. Shame Pry can’t flip some of those players.

102 Replies

V
VTfan2019
Pry's going to have to roll up his sleeves. There is much work to be done.
F
fordham
Some kids do not want to stay close to home
How do you change that?
M
marcbvtgm
The money behind the logo means more than the person behind the logo
F
fordham
These days ya just buy your players. The burg needs more
Stupid rich folks
N
NokieHokie
Sugar daddies, to be precise.
TomTurkey TomTurkey
Even whn the mascot falls off of his horse 🤔
VaTechHokiesACC VaTechHokiesACC
Going to take some time folks
DaveVT DaveVT
Portal back once they lift a few years
S
Stech
We were in a deep hole, that ironically Pry put us in, but with time he can
turn this around. That’s why he got the job.
VPI63 VPI63
No …
This happened because the only relationship that FU had was with his water bottle and any recruit he could find out of TX, where he wanted to go from day one.

This is what happens when you abandon the state for your own agenda. 🤔
V
VTCALS72
Lots of dead horse stuff around but do you realize what you just said?
You just said FU willfully abandoned VA recruits so he could begin making a name in Texas for his return to Texas. He was not successful here but that assertion is way over the top.

It is more correct to say that VA recruits had already begun abandoning VT when the handlers wouldn't even let their 757 players visit VT.

C
crazylane
The negative 757 stuff
Happened under Fuente's watch not Beamer's right? I'm asking. I know recruiting tailed off late under Frank but the coaches in the state had much respect for him i would guess.
N
NokieHokie
The coaches did have respect for Frank, but they didn't have control of the
players anymore. The 757 7-on-7 handlers did...
V
VTCALS72
Agree on that
V
VTCALS72
For the last several years of Beamer, 757 blue chippers
never had transportation and or had conflicts for every VT camp and event. It was my conclusion back before Fuente that the handlers had the juice with the players and they had shut VT out.
O
OldRetiredHokie
You saying FU recruited VA hard? get out!
S
Stech
So you are saying Pry didn't land kids from Virginia at Penn State?
Because that's my main point and a fact, not an opinion. It's also a good thing for our future.

PS If you read my other post on this thread, we agree probably on the Fuente part. I said that he did not make Virginia a priority and he took the rejection too personally.
M
Mercury
Thank you do have another comment
Of course we all cared alot with the VT staff, however, at the end, they frankly didnt outreach at the pace they did in 1990.s We had Hite, and others that had medical issues, that prevented them to be on the road 24 hours 7 day a week. Frankl didnt have the endurance he had in the past. But NO ONE was going to say anything. Also, it was magnified in the administration with Weaver's medical issues and Stegar's as well. So my guessing it started to slip around 2010 slowly and slowly. It was Frank's legacy that kept us even in the game right near his retirement.

THen we got Fuente. enough said.........

My only beef with recruiting evaluations right now, is the loud but small minority, that does not recognize the importance of relationship building. You just can't go in a steal a player. Those commitments have been worked for years. You can see it because Pry did it to us for Penn State, (and where did he learn that from ??? VT)....ITs going to take VT a couple of years to return to be being a trusted staff with a consistent professional program....

You hire folks with proven expertise, If VT can keep all these folks in blacksburg, with pay and benefits and opportunities, these can return pretty fast.
S
Stech
Agreed, I'm skeptical of new coach bump, often built on early PT promises.
Al Groh did it and so has Mack Brown, but neither has proven that promising early PT so often, is productive in the long run.

I want student athletes that want to work their way to the top and who make great teammates. Not just good/great players, but great people too.
V
VTCALS72
This one has stuff and points I can agree with
I do think the handlers/recruits rebuffed the FU/Scott efforts to an extent that surprised Fu. I think the reaction was to decide they could get as good of talent outside of especially 757 without putting up with the specific 757 handler crap.

Just MHO
S
Stech
Yeah I agree that went on, but it’s like fighting technology, adapt or die
so to speak.

Time to look forward, and I think Pry is going to adapt to the circumstances, which are changing at an unprecedented speed in college football. So that’s really good.
V
VTCALS72
True but the handlers aren't like technology, which can be adapted to.
The handlers agenda could/can not be adapted to by the VTs of the area because placing "their" guys in the highest profile national places was/is what builds their rep (and earnings) as the "power".

Just my observations but I feel the above was laid out to the fresh new VT staff of Fu/Scott. VT was/is seen by the 757 handlers as a place for their 2nd and 3rd level players and if they wanted any piece of 757then Fu/Scott/ VT must "stayed in the "assigned lane."

On the positive side, I think the handlers power has slipped a bit and the coaches have regained some of the power the handlers took during the last decade.

Just my observation but what I have come to believe is the stone wall VT is up against.
V
VTCALS72
Agree Pry is beginning with us at a time of huge change. That might be
good and it might be bad.
VPI63 VPI63
I’m saying that FU didn’t compete and..
created a huge vacuum that PSU and others filled. 🤔
V
VTCALS72
More like PSU and the bluebloods had been there all along
PSU presence in recruiting today is not a reaction to VT not competing for the best VA players.
S
Stech
I agree.
SCHokie1103 SCHokie1103
No offense meant what so ever but how did Pry put is in a deep hole?
TomTurkey TomTurkey
I'm presuming because he recruited them to PSU
S
Stech
He recruited and landed a bunch of Virginia kids while at Penn State, now
those kids playing there are helping Penn State to keep landing them. It's going to take time, but he IMHO will start winning some of those battles for Virginia Tech.
V
VTCALS72
That assumes that the reason PSU won those battles is due to something
VT was doing very wrong rather than just who PSU is vs who VT is to the recruits and handlers. PSU was out recruiting non bluebloods long before Pry got there. If the standard is for CBP to do significantly better vs PSU for similar VA recruits then you just as well sharpen those long knives now because he will be fuenteized on here quickly.
O
OldRetiredHokie
We'll never know because Fu hardly tried
V
VTCALS72
Fear you bought into coachspeak and playerspeak
Think maybe you bought into the Percy Harvinspeak which is the same language as DD's "Auburn has better academics." They were said but, come on. does anybody really believe that Harvin didn't come here because we weren't a speed school or Davis didn't for better academics?

Easy player and coachspeak for "I don't want to say exactly why but I will tell you something that throws shade on VT itself."
O
OldRetiredHokie
What's that have to do with the schools that never heard from him?
Hoakie82 Hoakie82 OP
I know PSU’s always recruited VA but I don’t recall any one school getting
So many of our top 10. Maybe VT did 1-2 times in our peak but I’m not even sure we’ve recruited VA that well.
Stork Stork
Talk about old news.
M
Mercury
Test
Teat
[Post edited by Mercury at 04/24/2022 8:01PM]
O
OldRetiredHokie
Talking to yourself again I see
Start a post with an insult... what a genius lol.
N
NokieHokie
For someone who purports themself to be educated, he has terrible spelling
and grammar. LOL! :)
bourbonstreet bourbonstreet
"Get close to every player handler in the state"... sticky 1o1.
Necessary too.
Kra-kra to say it is 2o22, not too!

However, wild how the last guy eschewed this up and truly spat it out;
...and yet (somehow) zoomed way up on recruiting in spite of renaging
on how you: "play the game" (in modern terms, be that likable or not so much).

Go fig'... "strange days indeed."
--Coach John Lennon



b.street
V
VTCALS72
Catch up in the biggest relation$hip
VTizzle VTizzle
Doesn’t work that way. PSU got there by building relationships. 4-5 months
That’s how long Pry has been a Hokie, and you expect the entire state to flip to VT suddenly? So VT has to catch up and is behind right now and will be for a year or two.

Pry also mentioned in multiple interviews how it starts at the younger ages, not 16-17-year-olds. You have to meet their coaches, HS staff, handlers, and VT alums in those schools and get to know kids at around 14 when they’re about to enter HS sports.


[Post edited by VTizzle at 04/24/2022 12:52PM]
U
uvabasher
Lol I don’t know why people don’t realize this is how it works. Heck even
Nic Saban wasn’t signing top ten classes right away
H
HWA
Nick Saban @ Bama, or Nick Saban at first job?
Because if Alabama, yes he was (signing Top 10 right away).


[Post edited by HWA at 04/25/2022 4:07PM]
U
uvabasher
Referring to first job but even that class although top 10, wasn’t on to
Par with the type of classes he signs now. Look at how many 3 stars he had in the class and the average ranking
sacramento hokie sacramento hokie
We have a lot of posters here who apparently didn’t like the hire
Even though he just got here and has never played a game… you simply can’t fix stupid
SCHokie1103 SCHokie1103
Exactly right Basher and neither did Dabo turn it around over night.
V
VTCALS72
People just don't want to face reality, PSU is a national blueblood
and the state of VA does not have a national blueblood within it. CBP could recruit the blue chippers for the blueblood, just like Shane Beamer before him, but probably will not be able to challenge PSU, Clemson or UNC for hardly anybody they really want under current college football conditions
H
HokiePail
They are a blueblood but not at the top of the list.
Bama,OSU, UGA recruit above them and VT can beat them for recruits and on the field too.
V
VTCALS72
Yep. Bama doesn't want most of the VA talent
not good enough. PSU is a 2nd level blueblood, but still a blueblood so they go where they can get the most bang for their name. Right now it is VA.
S
Stech
Agree w/ the first part, but we have beaten all those schools for recruits
and Pry will beat them again. However, Rome wasn’t built in 4-5 months.
SCHokie1103 SCHokie1103
I believe he can because he’s been at a blue blood and he gets it and what
It’s going to take. I don’t think he would have come here if he didn’t believe he could recruit and turn it around and return VT to a winner.
S
Stech
I agree.
V
VTCALS72
Seems to me that PSU and UNC have pretty much taken whom they have wanted
from Virginia since before Beamer and the only time they didn't was at Beamer's tops, a time that also correlated with us being closer in spending, or closer in reportable spending.

S
Stech
We have beaten both of them many times with Virginia kids, but not the last
2-3 years with Fuente.

Heck even Fuente was taking some good kids from North Carolina in his early years at Tech.

That said, Penn State and other 100k stadium schools will always get some kids from Virginia, but we have gotten many of them especially in Beamer’s hey day.
2
2hhoop3
Not entirely accurate......
when Lavery lured Dooley to VT the bleeding to UNC was severely curtailed.
V
VTCALS72
For a little while and maybe not the volume but still garnered big names.
Why not? more money, more media and closer to 757 and 804 than VT.
VTHokie2000 VTHokie2000
Given that the era of college football when Dooley came to Blacksburg
was very different than it is now, do you think VT would have been able to hire Dooley in today's environment? I ask because I'm not that familiar with that chapter in VT's history, so I'm unsure what to make of the comparison.
2
2hhoop3
I am not sure....
I can answer that question, however, based on the demands at the time the answer today would be no. No university thinking straight would hire an individual for the dual role of AD and head coach and that was why Dooley came to Blacksburg originally. VT in terms of football pedigree now and what the job can be could hire a coach from UNC now, in my opinion. That answer is predicated on two factors. One the money would have to be right and, two, VT would essentially emphasize everything they are that UNC is not, and will likely never be(i.e. football before basketball).
C
crazylane
I know the money
The location, the royal basketball program, the Jordan brand, and the new dedication to football, but Carolina is not a football blueblood. I get your point and they will be tough to recruit against. But our football tradition is better andcwe have owned their soft baby blue selves. Its a new day. Perhaps Penn or Princeton will throw a couple billion at football and win a natty.
V
VTCALS72
You still don't get the point, its not about royal football or Bball
separately, it's about the size of the national brand and the $$$$ inputs and UNC has way more and is spending way more to go along with the national brand they have. Our better football tradition doesn't do it for recruits like what UNC appears to be offering. As for owning them, all they need is a few more Virginia state 4 star guys and that owning thing can change very fast.

I still say that the big money advertisers want UNC to be a player and really don't want us in the same way.



.
H
HOKIEGOBBLE
You have violated the rules of sensibility
Let’s hear more about your knowledge of national advertisers in love with Carolina.

Carolina ain’t squat and we dominate them in football like small ants that they are.
V
VTCALS72
Let me know where VT beating anybody means squat on the national scene
since way back.

Cincinnati is the latest of the non bluebloods to bubble up. Miami has underacheived for years. but Miami way out recruits Cincy.

It's the name more than recent wins and losses. I have not seen any non blueblood win it's way upward very far. I see a closed society, you apparently see that a non blueblood can move upward based primarily with onfield performance.
VTHokie2000 VTHokie2000
If VT had done a better job of carpe diem the momentum that was gained
after the 2000 MNC game against FSU, then I do think fans would be having a completely different conversation today.
V
VTCALS72
Different time so maybe.
VTHokie2000 VTHokie2000
If you look at the blue bloods, then you will see they struck when the iron
was hot instead of resting on their accomplishments. If VT wanted to take another step closer to becoming a blue blood, then that was its first window of opportunity. Hopefully it won't be VT's last window of opportunity.
V
VTCALS72
I don't disagree that VT did not maximize the success on the field way back
then. I see most of the bluebloods as teams that were being promoted way back before the Game of the Week was in color on TV. FSU is the only team that I have seen make it through a "window of opportunity" and that was in another era. IMHO if anyone else breaks the glass ceiling, it will be someone like Oregon that a major advertiser "buys" their way in.
VTHokie2000 VTHokie2000
College football in the 1980s wasn't that different than college football
in the late 90s. At least you could argue that FSU didn't receive its blue blood membership until the late 80s or early 90s under Bowden.
C
crazylane
I totally get the point
They have been and will be a pain in our arse on the recruiting trail. I realize we have been very fortunate to have owned them and will not be surprised when /if the tables are turned. Their current talent is way better than ours and wull be for at least a few more years. I agrred with your post but Carolina football either sucks or they underachieve. Will they be a force in this new day of college athletics? They may very well.
V
VTCALS72
Look how long big media continues to affix their lips to the posteriors of
FSU, Miami and some others like Nebraska.

Having watched and followed college football I have come to belief its not who can work their way to the top, it is who big media/advertisers want in the top layer. They are pretty sure they can make more money with the names and pouring money to make them winners than to promote a newbie who is earning their way.
T
Truthahn
I think everyone recognizes that Nebraska is lost.
They kept Scott Frost last year in a surprise, which looked like they are realizing no one will fix what is broken there.

SF is now the #1 hot seat coach.

At least FSU and Miami have demographics trending in their favor, and major donor bucks in Miami's case. I'm bullish on those two, especially Miami.
V
VTCALS72
Point is, Neb has been like Miami backness
for a long time past their winning on the field. Why? because Nebraska, Miami, FSU and others are some of the schools the media/advertisers want to be up there.
N
NokieHokie
UVa is a national blue blood in sucktitude.
S
STEAMBOAT
Like Bruce Smith said during the Spring Game-VT must recruit VA first!!
M
marcbvtgm
This will be a losing strategy & I bet Pry’ll mostly pay lip service to it
V
VTCALS72
I think most have identified the problem but how do we fix it?
To really be the player for the recruits, we have to be seen as big time, the best showcase (and payer) for them. Then they have to see a place they can have the best time spending what they make.

I don't know how we get there without some $40 mil gifts for NIL, salaries or something like that.

VTHokie2000 VTHokie2000
It will take time which may not be on VT's side. Also, VT may have to pass
on some of the higher rated recruits, who may not be willing to be patient and give themselves time to develop, for lower rated recruits who are willing to be patient and buy into Pry's development program.
F
Flanker
There are plenty of busts in the top 10. Wait and see who is good.
Tech might be able to get some of these guys in the portal if they can play but cannot make the starting lineup. Jordan Williams went to Clemson but started for Tech in his final season.

My analysis of the 2012 - 2015 VA Top 25 determined that the three stars were more likely to contribute at their programs than the four stars.

While some of these guys will peak athletically in HS, a few others will flunk out or get arrested for something stupid.
P
Polito1
Gonna take some time… new staff is working hard to change
91HokieBob 91HokieBob
^^^THIS^^^ Gonna take longer than 4 months. 🤔😁
F
FLKEYSHOKIE
Agree, four (4) years is probably a much more accurate time frame. Remember
F
FLKEYSHOKIE
Agree, four (4) years is probably a much more accurate time frame. Remember
VTHokie2000 VTHokie2000
Given the role the Portal now plays in college football, it could be done
in a shorter period of time (if the coaching staff gets lucky with the Portal) or a longer period of time (if the coaching staff doesn't get lucky with the Portal). Now by no means am I saying that VT should forget about HS recruits and only rely on the Portal. What I'm suggesting is that the Portal can adjust the timeframe because it giveth and taketh away. Plus, the jury may be out on whether enough of today's players are willing to wait their turn while they develop. If the coaching staff doesn't recruit enough HS recruits that are willing to subscribe to patience, then VT could see some players enter the Portal before they had a chance to even develop into their full potential.
F
FLKEYSHOKIE
The portal might be a very positive route to a quicker turnaround for the
program, provided the coaches have a good nose for talent. I do believe Coach Pry is "far" superior in this area compared to Fu. We are lucky to have the services of Pry !
VTHokie2000 VTHokie2000
I do agree with you that Pry is probably a better judge of (silence)
not sure if "talent" or "willingness to buy into his system" is the word/phrase I want to use here. I say that because you could be very very very talented HS recruit (let's say Jerry Rice or Walter Payton level). However, if you are unwilling to buy into a coach's system because you have a TO-like personality (i.e. want to start as a true FR, be the primary target on 85% of all pass plays, etc.), then how helpful will you really be to a team? In that regards, I have no problem with the coaching staff passing on more "talented" players and targeting players who are more likely to completely buy into the coach's system (i.e. Dax). At least the coaches can work with those players because they are less likely to enter the Portal when things don't go their way.
H
hokeyhokie
Will VT get a new coach recruiting bump or is it all about NIL
J
Jeffroww
Some schools are getting recruiting bumps with new coaches.**

[Post edited by Jeffroww at 04/24/2022 12:48PM]
BG Hokie BG Hokie
Good question, I guess a bump relative to what? I think yes relative to the
bad recruiting year or two Fuente had before this last one that was actually pretty decent and probably would have helped to save his job if we hadn’t crapped the bed so badly down the stretch.

I’m thinking no bump relative to last years class immediately this class but I think Pry’s relationship building will eventually pay off to a decent uptick but nothing truly head turning.
C
crazylane
In retrospect
Thank God we crapoed the bed. We were going nowhere with that regime. We may not with Pry but I'm pretty sure we won't stand pat with incompetent coaching or have a bizarre recruiting strategy.
M
Mercury
Recruiting is a 4 year effort
Penn state has been working the players and high school staffs for 4 years . It was loocked early llastcyear. Eceryonec including the current vt staff knew it. That is why vt workibg 2924-25.. this is all about relationships .

There is no way to get these guys to chsnge. This is what fuente did to vt and its going to take time

[Post edited by Mercury at 04/24/2022 05:30AM]
P
Pride_and_Joy
He also got the university purse string holders
off their asses. I agree Fuente didn’t recruit very well. I’d also argue that VT as an institution and athletic department were asleep at the wheel for 10 years.

Since we’re pointing out what people “did” to VT, let’s not forget how craptastic our facilities, support, etc have been relative to top 25 programs.
W
WOJO
Respect for PSU and Franklin
We will see no efforts to flip guys this year

He is building for the long term

Next year will be different

Pry is too loyal to steal guys from a long term friend
Vienna_Hokie Vienna_Hokie
Doubt that. If he knows the kids and thinks they're open, he'll call
if he doesn't, it's because he is pretty sure they are solid commits.

Franklin and staff aren't going to stop recruiting kids that verbal here or anywhere else either because of loyalty to Pry.
CrystalCoveHokie CrystalCoveHokie
That’s absurd…If he can flip a good player that would help us win games….
And he doesn’t do it because he’s buddies with Franklin, Pry should be fired immediately. He’s being paid millions to win, not to be loyal to a former boss.
M
Mercury
Obviously u are uninformed
Fuente left vt with nothing .nope coach will ne here for while .
CrystalCoveHokie CrystalCoveHokie
Obviously you didn’t read my post……..
You seriously ok with Fry helping PSU to detriment of VT. Lol
JRHokie JRHokie
Goodness.
Pry is loyal to VT !! Players GO WHERE THEY WANT TO..OR WHO THEY WANT TO PLAY FOR. You act like VT is some damn team in the top 10 or has $$$$$ to give these players. You Follow College much ??? Coach Pry hadnt been at VT a Damn year and VT is No Damn power house and The Fu left this place in very bad shape. Get a grip on Reality...
CrystalCoveHokie CrystalCoveHokie
Obviously you didn’t read my post either….See above
JRHokie JRHokie
I Sure Did.. And Responded .. PRY is For VT..
"And he doesn’t do it because he’s buddies with Franklin, Pry should be fired immediately. He’s being paid millions to win, not to be loyal to a former boss"..... this is your Message ..
CrystalCoveHokie CrystalCoveHokie
So you would be ok with your new wife sleeping with her ex?…….
All the “ex” stuff needs to be gone. We’re paying this guy millions to have only one viewpoint. The VT viewpoint. If he can take every one of PSU’s 4 and 5 star recruits, he should. And if he gets an unpleasant text from Franklin, he can afford some therapy to get over it. If he doesn’t have 100% loyalty to VT, he should go.
TekkNerd TekkNerd
I think he meant to respond to one you replied to first....
O
OldRetiredHokie
FYI I read it and don't understand their responses
Of course, I'm old and senile
Maroon Baboon Maroon Baboon
And wasn't the idea of firing Fuente mid season and paying him
an additional half a year buyout was so we could get the new guy in here early to hit the ground running on recruiting?

In fairness to Pry, I don't think "Fuente is gone and Pry is here" is going to be good enough to start landing bigtime in-state recruits right away. But he needs to start winning right away. Sadly, we are in a conference where winning right away is quite possible.