In this case, the third time definitely was the charm for Class of 2019 running back Jordan Houston.
Sunday marked the third trip to Virginia Tech for Houston, a rising junior at Flint Hill School in Oakton, Va. This time, he left with an offer, even though he missed out on a family vacation to the New Jersey shoreline.
“I was really happy because I had visited Virginia Tech two times before,” Houston said. “Then, since I’m really good friends with DeJuan Ellis and Cam Goode, they told me how great it is. Coach (Holmon) Wiggins, he came to my school a few times. I met Coach (Justin) Fuente the first time I visited. It seemed like a really good school, so I liked it a lot. Since I got an offer I was really happy.”
Houston, who took part in the Hokies’ final recruiting camp of the summer, now has five offers — Virginia Tech, Penn State, Tennessee, Boston College and Old Dominion. With two high school seasons to go, Houston is already looking at his options.
“I look for if I’ll get to play earlier or not. I really just want to play,” Houston said. “I don’t want to go and ride the bench. I look at how good of a school it is, in case football doesn’t work, if I can get a good job or have a good major. I also look at the coaching staff and see if I like it or not. Then, I’m still deciding if I want to stay closer to home, like at Penn State or Virginia Tech or go to Tennessee or schools in the south, further away.”
Houston also took part in a college tour with his high school team last month that included Virginia Tech. Other schools on that trip were Old Dominion, Clemson, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio State. Houston also was on hand for one of the Hokies’ spring practices in April.
“Nothing was really different besides the camp,” he said of his most recent stop in Blacksburg. “The other two were visits. I’ve already been inside the stadium. It was the same as the first visit. This time I just got offered and I camped. Just like on my first visit, I met with Coach Fuente and talked to him.”
Wiggins has been Houston’s primary recruiter. Over a few visits and conversations, they’ve also developed a strong bond.
“He told me that if I come to Virginia Tech, I would probably play running back and slot,” Houston said. “They move their running back out to the slot. Basically, he was just saying they don’t offer everyone. They’re very selective about that position and basically the whole offense. That’s pretty cool. They want me to come out for a game and keep visiting.”
Overall, Houston said he holds the Hokies in high regard.
“Oh, I love Virginia Tech,” he said. “I really like it. I like Coach Fuente, Coach Wiggins and Coach Burden. Then, I like the campus. It’s really nice. The coaching staff is really good, too. Obviously the football there is really good. I just like it.”
The only other school Houston said he’s seen multiple times is Penn State, which he just saw again a few weeks ago for the Lasch Bash. He also has a bit of history with the Nittany Lions and with the school itself.
“I like Penn State a lot, too, because my mom’s side of the family went to Penn State,” Houston said. “I just had a bunch of connections there since I was little. They were the first to offer after my freshman year. That means a lot, too, because I was only a freshman. I’ve been there like four or five times and I have good relationship with them.”Houston said he won’t take any more visits this summer, but he hopes to see a few games this fall, including when the Hokies meet West Virginia at FedEx Field.
“All the visits, they all just seem good to me because I get to see how the actual college football is, how the facilities are, how crazy it is and how serious they take everything,” Houston said. “Everybody is trying to get the best recruits to win. It’s just the recruiting process overall, it all is just crazy.”