Recruiting never takes time off. Sure, there are some dead periods that coaches have to deal with, but de-commitments happen nearly year-round, and when they happen, the good coaches don't wait long to pounce.
That was the case back in December. When the University of Michigan parted ways with head football coach Sherrone Moore, that opened the door for commitments to have the option to reopen their recruiting. Some of them did that long before the school ended up hiring former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham as Moore's replacement.
One of the players who de-committed was four-star quarterback Peter Bourque. Before he committed to the Wolverines, there was a battle for him that included Penn State and James Franklin, along with quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien. However, Franklin was fired in State College in October and hired in Blacksburg to replace his former defensive coordinator, Brent Pry, as head coach at Virginia Tech two-plus months after Pry was fired.
When Bourque's recruitment reopened, several powerhouse programs got into the mix, along with Franklin and Virginia Tech. Maybe it's only a matter of time before Franklin turns the Hokies into a powerhouse, but Ohio State, Penn State, and Georgia entered the mix for Bourque.
It was along drawn out recruitment, but Bourque made his commitment to Virginia Tech on May 14 over Georgia and Penn State. Now, let the record show that according to Nittany Lions' fans, new coach Matt Campbell did not want the four-star Bourque, but would rather settle for a three-star signal caller in Will Wood. That is turning into a mistake.
Virginia Tech Class of 2027 QB Peter Bourque makes history at Elite 11 last weekend
The Tabor Academy start in Marin, Mass., was in Los Angeles over the last weekend to compete in the Elite 11 Finals against some of the top quarterbacks in his class. There was no shortage of talent in Southern California, and Bourque put on a show for everyone in attendance.
According to Matej Sis of 247Sports and VTScoop, Bourque did something that has not happened in the 27-year history of the showcase by winning the Pro Day and Accuracy Challenge on the same day. That certainly is impressive, given the past talent that has been on display at previous Elite 11 competitions.
So, what does all of that mean? It means that Franklin and O'Brien are getting one of the class's top quarterbacks to come to Virginia Tech for offensive coordinator Ty Howle. Getting a commitment from Bourque gives Franklin and Virginia Tech a legit top signal caller for the future.
Just how things shake out in Blacksburg remains to be seen with the quarterback position in the future. Ethan Grunkemeyer, a transfer from Penn State, is expected to be the starter this season with North Carolina transfer Bryce Baker as his backup. The Hokies also have true freshman Troy Huhn and Kelden Ryan, who were recruited by Pry and the previous staff.
Virginia Tech fans have been waiting a long time for a quarterback with this much hype to come into the program. It's clear that the Hokies have a good one, Penn State lost out on a good one, and James Franklin is cooking already in Blacksburg. What a time to be a Hokies fan.
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