Virginia Tech’s Hunt for DT Chance Hall

Nov 30, 2013; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Frank Beamer stands in a huddle against the Virginia Cavaliers in the second quarter at Scott Stadium. The Hokies won 16-6. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Virginia Tech Hokies might only have five commits for the Class of 2015 so far but that number is almost certain to increase by a few over the next few weeks. Frank Beamer and his staff will also look to gain more commits from Virginia players with only one of their five commits being from the state of Virginia right now. However, that number could definitely double tomorrow.

Chance Hall is a 3-star defensive tackle out of Northside High School in Roanoke, Virginia though some people think he would be better off playing offensive tackle in college. Hall is ranked as a four-star recruit ESPN while Rivals and 247 Sports have him as a 3-star recruit. One thing I don’t understand with Hall is why some people think he should play offensive tackle instead of defensive tackle in college.

Last December in the VHSL 3A State Championship, Chance Hall had an absolutely incredible performance in a game that I fully watched as I was rooting for the high school I graduated from, James Monroe High School. In this game, Chance Hall absolutely dominated for Northside and seemed to always be in the backfield putting pressure or stuffing running plays in the backfield.

This was a game that included two players who will be playing for Richmond this fall but Hall had a huge game and proved that he was a four-star caliber player. Hall knows how to penetrate while also having the power to blow up offensive lines. This is a guy that is quite talented as a defensive tackle and it would be insane to move a guy who will be a very good defensive tackle to offensive tackle.

Chance Hall’s recruiting process will likely go on for months but Hall will make a decision on the team he will commit to tomorrow at 5:30 PM though whoever he chooses won’t be certain until he signs a National Letter of Intent. Recently, Chance Hall put out a list of his five finalists.

Notre Dame, Tennessee, Virginia, Vanderbilt, and Virginia Tech all seem to have a pretty good shot to get Hall though Hokies’ fans will hope that Hall comes to Blacksburg. Vanderbilt seems like somewhat of the long shot though Vanderbilt’s academics could be something that is keeping the Commodores in the hunt. However, Vanderbilt is the clear longshot to get a commit from Chance Hall.

Sep 21, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies defensive tackle Luther Maddy (92) reacts after sacking Marshall Thundering Herd quarterback Rakeem Cato (12) during the second half at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee and Notre Dame are the top contenders out of state and the Fighting Irish have some momentum as the most recent team to offer him a scholarship. Meanwhile, Tennessee might just be the favorite as Hall’s most recent unofficial visit was to Knoxville on June 21st. The chance to play in the SEC is also something that has to be intriguing though that option is available at Vanderbilt also.

Tennessee has Butch Jones who has proven himself to be a very good recruiter and definitely will be able to pitch to Hall about how he could be a part of a renaissance at Tennessee. While Tennessee is out of state, it still isn’t very far from Roanoke and the in-state factor is just about thrown out the window because of the proximity of Roanoke and Knoxville.

Virginia has long been seen as the favorite and Hall’s 247 Sports Crystal Ball proves that with all 8 predictions being for Virginia right now. Chance Hall has also made three visits to Virginia including being an attendee at a Virginia camp last summer. Mike London has also had a lot of recruiting success though most of that has been in the 757 and not in the Roanoke area. Virginia has seemed to have lost a little momentum though the Cavaliers are definitely one of the favorites.

The Hokies have had a tough battle for Chance Hall and will be hoping to gain his commitment tomorrow night though it is far from certain. Despite the fact that the Hokies already have a commitment from defensive tackle Eric Whitehead and possibly another in Harry Lewis, Hall could definitely be a starter in Blacksburg. Stacy Searels is the primary recruiter for Hall and he has a reputation of getting the job done.

The chance to work with Bud Foster also has to be something that really interests Hall as he probably has seen the large amount of success Virginia Tech defenses have had while growing up in Roanoke, not too far away from Blacksburg. Hall also probably recognizes how the Hokies have produced plenty of NFL players and how DT Luther Maddy is almost certain to join that group after his senior season.

Chance Hall is a very good prospect that the Hokies are one of the favorites for but it is far from certain that he will end up in Blacksburg. Right now, Tennessee seems to be the frontrunner but Frank Beamer and the Hokies’ coaching staff have plenty of reasons to be optimistic that Hall will choose Virginia Tech.