Elite 4-star offensive tackle picks Virginia Tech over two Big Ten & one ACC school

Even though we are in the dead period for recruiting for college football and camp not starting for several weeks, there is no shortage of news. July is a very heavy commitment month for recruits, and this year, the Class of 2026 is making their commitments quickly.

Brent Pry and Virginia Tech are on some heavy commitment watches as we begin July, and the first one making a decision was Virginia Beach native Thomas Wilder, a standout at Green Run High School, which has become a pipeline for recruiting for the Hokies lately. That continued with Wilder committing to Virginia Tech on Thursday night.

Virginia Tech picks up in-state commitment from OT Thomas Wilder

Wilder committed to Virginia Tech, picking Tech over Maryland, Penn State, and Bill Belichick, and North Carolina, who entered the picture late. A four-star offensive tackle, the 6-foot-6, 295-pound Wilder is joining current Green Run teammates Zaevion Cleveland (safety) and defensive edge Kamren Johnson in Blacksburg.

Wilder visited three of his four finalists in succession, beginning with Penn State on June 6, Maryland on June 13, and the Hokies on June 20. He is the eighth commitment in the Class of 2026 for Pry, and he'll join Woodberry Forest, Virginia native Buddy Wegdam, along the line for first-year coach Matt Moore, who gets a big commitment for the future.

According to 247Sports, Wilder is the 25th-ranked tackle in his class and the 10th-ranked prospect from the Commonwealth. Virginia Tech had been considered the favorite in his recruiting as two Crystal Ball predictions from 247Sports were logged for Pry and the Hokies and this is a huge win as it keeps two Big Ten schools at bay for him and recruiting in Virginia, where James Franklin has had some luck coming in and pulling away recruits to State College.