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2017 Signing Class Spotlight: Kalil Pimpleton, Wide Receiver

By Chris Wright

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Virginia Tech wide receiver commit Kalil Pimpleton’s explosiveness could land him as the steal of the Hokies’ 2017 class.

Kalil Pimpleton is an early-enrollee from Muskegon High School in Muskegon, Michigan. Pimpleton has a 3-star rating as a wide receiver from 247sports.com.

Pimpleton proved he can impact a game from anywhere on the field, doing a little bit of everything this past season. After spending most of his junior year as a quarterback, Pimpleton split time between quarterback and receiver in his final year.

247Sports currently has Pimpleton as the 71st ranked wide receiver for the 2017 class. This is very encouraging considering Pimpleton’s lack of size and experience at the position. Despite his short list of offers, Virginia Tech wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins has shown faith in his abilities.

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Pimpleton stands a mere 5’7″ and 157 lbs. This is not exactly standard for an FBS wide out, but what is lacking in size is shown in speed and explosiveness. He accounted for 43 total touchdowns in his senior year. This was thanks, in large part, to his impressive speed (4.49 40-yard dash), which consistently left defenders in slow motion.

Even with holes in the offense after an exodus of playmakers, I don’t see Pimpleton being an every-down receiver yet. His size most likely won’t allow for a high usage rate early on. I do have a hard time, on the other hand,  believing there won’t be plays designed to get him in space at some point.

Ultimately, I project Kalil Pimpleton to be a very valuable get for the Hokies. His speed and elusiveness play right into what Justin Fuente is looking to do. There is no doubt that the offensive minds on Fuente’s staff are going to get the most of his talents. When looking back on this class, we will wonder why Pimpleton wasn’t recruited more heavily.