Virginia Tech basketball loses out on four-star recruit to Providence

Small forward Jaylen Harrell has been on Virginia Tech men's basketball coach Mike Young's radar and the veteran coach made the final six for the talented player in the Class of 2025 from Massachusetts. In the end, however, Harrell chose to stay in the New England area.

The rising four-star committed to Providence Monday night over Virginia Tech, Alabama, Kansas, Rutgers, Xavier and more. It's not surprising that he chose Providence as Friars head coach Kim English has been recruiting hard in the New England area. Harrell, who plays for powerhouse CATS Academy in Braintree, Mass. is the 86th-ranked recruit in his class according to On3 Industry Rankings and the 20th-ranked small forward prospect.

Let's be honest, it was a long shot for Virginia Tech to get a commitment from Harrell as they were going up against some power programs like Kansas, Alabama and a Providence school which is just 35 minutes South of Braintree. Don't get me wrong, he would have been a huge addition to the Class of 2025 for Young, but it should not be surprising to see him end up with the Friars.

Currently, Virginia Tech has a commitment from Sin'Cere Jones on June 16 as their only Class of 2025 commitment. He is a versatile player who can create his own shot, get to the basket, and set up others. Harrell would have been a nice piece to add to him. Instead, it's onto the next one for Young as he looks to build on a roster for a year from now after going through an extensive overhaul of his 2024-25 roster after a mass exodus out of the transfer portal.