Currently, Virginia Tech football coach Brent Pry has nine commits in the Class of 2026. That's the lowest number among all ACC programs, and that's not something that you want to see with a pivotal season on tap for the Hokies.
On Friday, three-star defensive lineman JaySean Richardson picked Virginia over Virginia Tech, which is a key in-state recruiting loss for the Pry and his staff. The Varnia High School product was expected to pick the Cavaliers, but one quote he had after announcing his commitment stuck out.
"Trying to make this program turn into a great program,'' said Richardson of Virginia.
Let's face it, the Virginia program hasn't been great as of late, and the Hokies pretty much own them come Thanksgiving Weekend in the Commonwealth Clash. The last two years, the Hokies have needed wins over their rivals to become bowl-eligible, which they were able to do. Before that, the history of results between the programs speaks for itself.
However, it appears that the gap is closing between the two programs when it comes to recruiting, and if things keep going the way they're going, then the gap on the field will be closing in as well. However, with all the questions facing Virginia Tech going into the 2025 season on the field, it if affecting what is going on off the field.
Virginia Tech football questions going into 2025 having an affect on recruiting
Sometimes the best recruiting for football programs is results on the field, and those results just haven't been there the last three years for the Hokies. It's nothing personal against Pry; it's just that the results lead to questions of what the future is, and recruits also look at that as well before they commit.
Of course, the Transfer Portal plays a big part in college sports now, and it's easy to go from one school to another without having to sit out or having an issue getting on the field, for the most part. However, recruiting losses like the Hokies suffered on Friday are losses that will have a huge effect in the moment, but over time, they will hurt the class if recruiting is hitting a rut, which is what is happening to Tech.
It seems like Virginia Tech is stuck spinning its recruiting tires, and that's something that they need to fix sooner rather than later, or this class could be in trouble down the line. There are a couple of more recruits announcing their decisions in the coming weeks, and Pry needs a win or two to feel better about the Class of 2026.