When Bud Foster announced his retirement after this upcoming season yesterday, one of the first thoughts on the future of Virginia Tech football without Foster focused on the recruiting trail and how this could affect some of the Hokies' defensive commits including Tyreem Powell, VT's lone 2020 linebacker commit.
Despite the news, Powell is still strongly committed to Virginia Tech.
"Right now, I’m still all in with VT. I’ll be talking to my family and coaches about any decisions if I need to make any," Powell said about whether the news affected his commitment.
While that last line may seem like a worry, it seems Powell's wondering was more on whether VT's interest would change, which is not at all the case for a player the Hokies have at the top of their board given his massive ceiling.
Powell did say that the news "caught me off guard" but that the Hokies were quick to reach out to him as he had the chance to talk to CBs coach Brian Mitchell, his primary recruiter, and defensive assistant Zach Sparber who also has had lots of involvement with recruits in New Jersey. During those conversations, the message was that "nothing has changed" about the Hokies' desire to have him sign in December which made Powell feel "glad."
While most teams have stayed away from Powell since his commitment given the strength of his VT commitment, Powell did tell us that Penn State has been "pushing to get me." However, Penn State has failed to gain any traction for VT's top of the board linebacker commit with Powell not having any plans to visit any other school than Virginia Tech.
Tyreem Powell also added that's he hoping to visit VT for a "few games" this fall after last visiting for the Spring Game and being impressed by the number of fans in attendance, making him imagine how massive the fan support will be for a real game.
That visit also gave him a chance to meet Tremaine Edmunds with the former Hokies' star encouraging Powell to "keep working hard" as he prepares to come to Virginia Tech and play the same position as Edmunds did, backer.
For now, Powell's top focus is on preparing for his senior season of high school football and the Hokies' commit has plenty of big goals.
"Be a leader for my team, hopefully get another playoff win and then become State Champs. I want to leave all of it on the field my final game," Powell said.
Powell added that individually, the top area he wants to improve on the field is in coverage looking to improve not only through practice but also through improving his speed and conditioning.
Tyreem Powell has also received plenty of advice for preparing to transition to Virginia Tech with the following 3 things among the most notable for Powell.
"Make sure I study my playbook, keep my head in the books and stay hard on the weights," Powell said.
Tyreem Powell has become one of the centerpiece commits of Virginia Tech's 2020 class while also being VT's longest 2020 commit. Powell also has a clear message about what he would tell any recruit about Virginia Tech who is considering the Hokies.
"It's a great place! Outside of football, it's a great academic school. Work hard, keep your grades up and play hard. The coaches will make you feel like family and so will players and the fans," Powell said.
As Tyreem Powell focuses on continuing to improve, Hokie fans can be plenty relieved that VT's top of their board linebacker commit is still "all in" with his commitment even with the Bud Foster news.
Tyreem Powell's Offer List
- ACC: Virginia Tech
- Big 10: Rutgers
- AAC: Temple
Photo Credit: Harley Taylor
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