Virginia Tech’s Battle for Class of 2015 QB Kai Locksley

Oct 5, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Frank Beamer reacts in the second quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Kai Locksley is one of the top dual-threat quarterback prospects in college football with some recruiting sites projecting him for now as a receiver that is likely to play at quarterback in college football. Locksley is currently the top quarterback target for the Virginia Tech Hokies especially since 5-star ATH/QB Torrance Gibson has been certain this whole time to probably end up somewhere like Ohio State, Miami, or Auburn.

Kai Locksley is a 4-star dual-threat quarterback prospect from the Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland. Locksley has been timed as having 4.60 40 yard dash speed and that just proves his versatility to be a dual-threat quarterback. Locksley has a strong junior season and has been surging on many nationa recruiting boards. Locksley is definitely one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the Class of 2015 and is a player the Hokies would love to get.

Now if you recognized the school Locksley is from and you’re wondering why, that is because that is the same high school that the Hokies were able to get 3-star OLB Melvin Keihn from the same program. Keihn is a guy that could be very valuable in the recruiting process of Locksley over the next few months as the Hokies look to get a talented young quarterback from the Class of 2015. The impact of a guy like Keihn who probably is a good friend of Locksley could be huge and an x-factor for the Hokies in this process.

Recently, Kai Locksley announced his six finalist for him on Twitter and here is his list.

The Virginia Tech Hokies were one of the six teams that made Kai Locksley’s list with the only surprise being the Oregon Ducks who have not even offered Locksley a scholarship. Locksley has made an unofficial visit to Oregon and that might be a big sign the Ducks are going to make a scholarship offer very soon. Locksley would also be a very good fit in Oregon’s offense due to his dual-threat style while Marcus Mariota’s extremely strong 2015 NFL Draft stock is another boost that has kept Oregon in it despite how they haven’t offered him a scholarship.

The Texas Longhorns are another interesting contender and could be a team that offers Locksley a chance for some playing time early on his career. Texas brings a lot of national appeal and the chance to help be a part of a revitalization of the Texas Longhorns football program to being a national title. However, the big issue that not only Texas could have but also Oregon is the fact that Locksley seems to be preferring schools out East or in the SEC and the proximity to home factor could be hurting Oregon and Texas.

Aug 20, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies offensive coordinator Scot Loefflerat during practice at the Steve Johnson Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

The Virginia Tech Hokies are kind of seen as fourth by some analysts and are in a good position to be a contender. The Hokies would likely be able to give Locksley a chance to start very early on and the chance to work with a guy like Scot Loeffler who helped develop Tom Brady into an elite quarterback has to be appealling. The lack of major success for the Hokies over the last two years will hurt somewhat but the Hokies have built a strong enough brand to not be too worried while also having a boost with having a very good proximity to home for Locksley.

Florida State and Auburn are once again battling for a quarterback and both teams will once again be contending for national titles. These two programs are not the leaders for Locksley but both of these programs are very serious contenders that are definite threats to the Hokies’ chances of getting Locksley. Locksley could also have a chance to fight for some early playing time since Nick Marshall will be graduating and Jameis Winston is likely headed to the NFL after the season. However, these two programs are not the frontrunners for now.

The current frontrunners are the Maryland Terrapins.

Yes, the former ACC program is now the frontrunner to get Kai Locksley and that is largely due to the fact that his dad is Maryland offensive coordinator Mike Locksley. This connection is something that has really put the Terps in great position to make a run at bringing Kai Locksley to their program. However, Randy Edsall is on the hot seat entering his fourth season and will definitely need to reach a bowl game to keep his job.

If Edsall fails to reach a bowl game and gets fired, the Terps would likely have a major staff change and this would probably damage Maryland’s chances of getting Kai Locksley. However, the chance to make the short move from Baltimore to College Park and play in front of many people who have supported him from a young age has to be appealing. For now, Maryland is definitely the leader but the Hokies are right in the mix with Maryland, Florida State, Auburn, Texas, and Oregon.

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