Virginia Tech football recruiting continues heading down a road that leads to trouble

As far as recruiting in the Class of 2026 goes, it has been less than stellar for Virginia Tech football coach Brent Pry and his staff. So far, the Hokies have just nine commitments, and recently, the commitments continue to go the other way.

On Friday, three-star in-state recruit JaySean Richardson announced his commitment, and it came down to a Commonwealth battle between Virginia Tech and Virginia. When all was said and done, it was yet another recruiting loss to the Cavaliers, which is becoming a common theme as of late.

JaySean Richardson heading to Charlottesville over Blacksburg

Chalk this up as another in-state recruiting loss for Pry and his staff, but you have to admit that this is becoming a common theme that is very troubling: the Hokies losing recruiting battles to the Cavaliers. During his junior season, Richardson registered 64 tackles, 18 for a loss, and 13 sacks.

Pry and his staff have made strides in recruiting in Virginia as compared to Justin Fuente; however, aside from a strong connection with Green Run High School, the returns haven't been as promising as they would have hoped. Whether you want to believe it or not, recruiting losses to Virginia over time are going to add up and not in the Hokies' favor.

After starting July on commitment watch, it hasn't been full of good news for Virginia Tech. Commits from the Commonwealth are either picking or heading out of state. The Hokies did have a pair of four-star commits in the class, quarterback Peyton Falzone and wide receiver Carnell Warren, but both de-committed and have new homes in other programs. Falzone has gone from Penn State to Auburn since de-committing, and Waaren is now at North Carolina for Bill Belichick. Nine is not a great number for Virginia Tech, but hopefully, the luck turns sooner rather than later.