If there has been one area that Virginia Tech football coach Brent Pry has had success in, it's recruiting within the Commonwealth. Whether it's been with high school players or players in the transfer portal to bring them home, Pry has done very well.
Let's make no mistake about it, Pry has and his staff, led by Fontel Mines, has been able to keep more in-state talent than the previous coaching staff. Now with a lot of work to do in the Class of 2025, Pry and his staff have their work cut out for them with a four-star recruit who has listed Virginia Tech in his final eight.
Virginia Tech makes Final 8 for four-star Class of 2025 recruit
Four-star safety Andre Clarke, Jr. of Richmond is getting ready for a busy list of spring visits and he released his Top 8 schools, which included Virginia Tech. Joining the Hokies are Florida State, SMU, Miami, Syracuse, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Michigan.
BREAKING: Class of 2026 4 ⭐️ Safety Andre Clarke Jr. ( @AndreClarkeJr3 ) Has cut his list down to 8️⃣ schools‼️
— Steezo (@SteezoDsgn) March 8, 2025
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Andre Clarke is a 6’1 (170 LBS) Safety/CB out of Henrico, VA. Clarke ranks as the 7th recruit in Virginia and has a total of 31 offers. He currently has visits planned… pic.twitter.com/BNvDyrOgxB
That's a powerhouse list and you can see why Virginia Tech has their work cut out for them. Clarke, Jr. is ranked 132nd in his class, the No. 11 safety and No. 4 player in Virginia according to 247Sports. The 6-foot-1 Clarke, Jr. has a slew of visits set up, which includes a trip to Blacksburg on June 6 in what is going to be a busy timeframe for the coaching staff.
Other visits he has scheduled includes SMU on May 2, Syracuse on May 30, Kentucky on June 13 and Miami on June 20.
Recruiting is going to pick up soon with visits in the Class of 2026, and this is a recruitment that the Hokies somehow need to find a way to win it. Losing an elite in-state recruit would be tough, but losing him to an ACC foe would be even tougher.