Virginia Tech in the Running For 5-Star Offensive Tackle
By Ty Hodges
That headline sure does read nicely, doesn’t it? You want to know how many 5-star offensive tackles Virginia Tech has landed over the years? Well – by my count, none. So why all of a sudden is Virginia Tech in the mix for a 5-star caliber offensive tackle? You can thank Penn State for this one.
Offensive tackle Dorian Johnson became the fourth player to decommit from Penn State during the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal. Johnson, 6’6, 268 pounds, has confirmed that he has indeed decommitted from Penn State and is actively seeking out schools to transfer to. Apparently his list is down to three schools – Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, and Ohio State.
Johnson, rated 5-stars by 247sports, has stated that he will be making calls to these schools on Wednesday (probably), and it should be very encouraging that Virginia Tech made his short list. Johnson has been in contact with Virginia Tech since the NCAA sanctions were handed down against Penn State, and it seems as if the Hokies have piqued his interest in a big way.
Since Johnson is from Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh might be the early favorite to land Johnson simply because of proximity. However, with Shane Beamer joining the recruiting trail in Pennsylvania starting next year, he might actively be involved in Johnson’s recruitment now. Bear in mind that all of this is predicated on the Virginia Tech coaching staff wanting to move forward in their pursuit of Johnson, but given the situation and Johnson’s ability, one would think this would be a no brainer.
If the Hokies managed to land Johnson, he would be the second 5-star recruit for the 2013 recruiting class, potentially third if/when Holland Fisher receives his 5-star. Let’s all just stop and reflect on that scenario for a second. Virginia Tech could potentially have three 5-star recruits in one recruiting class after not having a 5-star player since Tyrod Taylor in 2007. This has the potential to be huge!
Fighting Gobbler will continue to monitor the situation with Johnson moving forward, as well as any pertinent camp information that comes across the wire.