Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Notes 8/2/20

Photo Credit: Jake Roth

Check out the latest Virginia Tech football recruiting notes on a busy Sunday full of news involving multiple top 2021 targets for the Hokies.

4* LB Jordan Poole

After being rumored to be close to a decision early last month, Jordan Poole tweeted out today that he will be making a decision soon though he did not list a specific date.

While Poole previously released a top 3 of Virginia Tech, N.C. State, and South Carolina; all signs have pointed towards Poole either choosing the Hokies or Wolfpack, though the Gamecocks can't be completely ruled out just yet.

Poole has been a top linebacker target throughout 2020 for the Hokies with Virginia Tech having previously hosted Poole on campus at their elite Junior Day on February 1st. Poole was one of two top 2021 linebacker targets to visit VT during the first few weeks of 2020 along with Will Johnson, who committed to Tech not long after his visit to Blacksburg.

N.C. State may have the home turf advantage for the North Carolina native, but the Hokies have the playing time potential advantage with the clearest path among his top contenders to a starting within three seasons in Blacksburg.

Landing Poole would be another big win for Tech at linebacker this cycle, giving the Hokies a class with two of their top targets at the start of 2020 in Poole and Johnson plus a pair of talented in-state LBs in Isi Etute and Keli Lawson, who could also end up at DE.

3* DT Devin Lee

Three-star DT Devin Lee is down to six schools with Virginia Tech making the cut for one of their top defensive tackle targets.

The Hokies were joined by Mississippi State, Ole Miss, N.C. State, Duke, and Vanderbilt. Lee has been very quiet about his recruitment and even in a conversation with Rivals, Lee didn't really tip his hand about where he may be currently leaning, but did emphasize that visits will be valuable in his future decision.

Lee has visited the Hokies previously according to 247 Sports along with trips to Duke, N.C. State, and Vanderbilt though it's unclear how many of those were personal visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At this point, Lee's recruitment seems pretty wide open, but the Hokies seem to be making him one of their top defensive tackle priorities along with in-state 4* DT Tyleik Williams and 4* DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, who included VT in his top 6 as well.

Keep an eye on Devin Lee as he begins to focus in on a few schools from the ACC and SEC.

OL Bryce Goodner

Virginia Tech extended a major 2021 offer today offering offensive lineman Bryce Goodner who took a visit to Blacksburg last weekend.

This is the first Power 5 offer for Goodner who has great size for an interior lineman at 6'3'' and 300 pounds.

He told us that he "couldn't even describe" his reaction to receiving an offer from Virginia Tech adding this about his whole conversation with offensive line coach Vance Vice.

"It was awesome, he told me that I'm exactly the kind of lineman they want, and that he projects me as a 3 or 4 year starting center," Goodner said.

It's been clear that Vice has been high on what Goodner can bring to the table with Tech now going all in on the under-the-radar offensive lineman from East Tennessee. With this offer, the Hokies are the clear frontrunners to land him with my prediction being strongly in Tech's favor regardless of any other major offers that could come.

Landing Goodner would almost certainly mean that the Hokies are done recruiting high school interior offensive linemen this cycle with 3* OTs Christopher Adams and Canon Boone being among Tech's top remaining offensive tackle targets.