In-State Hokies' Targets Swing Through Nike Camp in Between Blacksburg Visits

Though many of the Hokies' top targets for the 2017 and 2018 cycles have been shuttling in and out of Blacksburg this spring, several took some time out for a high-profile Nike camp at Northern Virginia's Centreville HS this weekend.

None of the prospects the Hokies are most actively recruiting managed to earn an invitation to Nike's vaunted "The Opening" event in Oregon as part of the event — those honors went to Maryland products RB Anthony McFarland, DE Chase Young and DE Joshua Paschal, and while all three hold Tech offers, only Paschal has visited Blacksburg recently. Nevertheless, a variety of the high schoolers that the Hokies most highly covet from the DMV region got a chance to strut their stuff at the camp.

In particular, 2018 QB DeJuan Ellis of Arlington's Bishop O'Connell HS raised eyebrows during some of the individual drills. He managed a 4.5 second 40-yard dash and a 38.3" vertical jump, and placed fifth overall in Nike's (unofficial) athlete rankings for the camp.

Top 20 unofficial Nike+ Football Ratings from today's @TheOpening D.C. regional. Full marks later this week! pic.twitter.com/HxVcyPgD1E— Brian Stumpf (@Stumpf_Brian) April 18, 2016

As merely a rising junior, Ellis is still a relatively unknown commodity — none of the major recruiting services have assigned a rating yet — but the Hokies are already hot on his trail.

After wrapping up his testing drills at the camp, Ellis told The Key Play that he's fresh off a visit to Blacksburg on March 31. While he visited campus last summer and met some of Frank Beamer's staff, he said this most recent trip to meet Justin Fuente and company was "something new" for him.

"I just loved their energy down there," Ellis said. "He's got a lot of people that are working around him that were great, so it was nice to go down to Virginia Tech and see if we can make something happen."

Ellis noted that he got a tour of the team's athletic facilities on the trip, but he also spent some time getting to know the players that could end up as his teammates one day.

"I hung out with the football players in the locker room, danced around a little bit with them, stayed for a practice and had a meal with them," Ellis said.

The QB happened to be in town to see the Hokies scrimmage that night, and he kept a careful eye on how Fuente handled the players under center, given his reputation for developing stars at the position.

"He's really strict about their quarterbacks when he's coaching their quarterbacks, so they're in good hands there," Ellis said.

Ellis also came away impressed with new OC/QBs coach Brad Cornelsen after sitting in on a position meeting, watching them "going over defenses and the new offense they're putting in."
But he made sure to spend one-on-one time with Fuente as well, since the head Hokie apparently needed to clear the air a bit with Ellis.

"We had a little miscommunication," Ellis said. "He offered me a while ago, but I wasn't too sure about it, so I just went up there and confirmed it with him."

With that offer affirmed, Ellis says he's now "looking forward to working with" Tech's staff in the future.

2017 WR Hezekiah Grimsley of Williamsburg's Lafayette HS came away similarly enamored with the Hokies after making a spring visit of his own on March 22.

"It was a great visit, they put a lot of knowledge in my head," Grimsley said. "They're one of the top schools I want to go to."

Grimsley was on campus on just the second day of spring practice, and he says Fuente's emphasis on pushing the pace was immediately apparent.

"I like how fast they moved around, they all know what they're doing, I like that fast tempo," Grimsley said.

But Fuente also took a few minutes to slow things down and talk things through with Grimsley in his office after practice.

"We sat down in his office and talked a little bit about what would happen if I came to Virginia Tech and what I would get out of that," Grimsley said. "I like how he throws the ball, and wants something for me. I feel like I have a future there, he said I'd play early and I think I will."

Grimsley said he also met the bulk of the rest of the staff, including would-be position coach Holmon Wiggins.

"I could tell he was a great coach and knows what he's doing and wants the best for me," Grimsley said.

Yet Grimsley was hardly the only prospect in attendance that earned Wiggins' attention on a spring visit. 2017 DB Jonathan Sutherland of Alexandria's Episcopal HS said he got the full court press from Wiggins, Fuente and DL coach Charley Wiles on his Tech trip on March 26.

"Overall the trip was great," Sutherland said. "I got to see a spring practice and they practiced with intensity, and I liked the way the coaches coach the players."

For his first ever visit to Tech, Sutherland says he got a full campus tour, and then ate lunch with the staff, Fuente included.
"He has something big going on with the way the coaches coach the game and the schemes that I'd fit in," Sutherland said.

Specifically, he says the Hokies see him fitting in at rover in Bud Foster's scheme. Tech's longtime DC doubles as Sutherland's area recruiter, and he says the visit cemented his comfort level with Foster and his interest in the program.

"He has one of the best defenses in the nation with his scheme and everything like that, so it makes me real comfortable and I think it might be a good fit," Sutherland said.

It only helps matters that safeties coach Galen Scott and the rest of the staff assured him that Foster's defense could help him go pro like so many Hokies in the secondary before him.

"I know they're one of those 'DBU' schools out there, so if I go there, I could get developed and get ready and hopefully make it to the league one day," Sutherland said.

Though Sutherland stressed that academics are a high priority for him, as he's contemplating majoring in business, he added that his desire to "get coached up by the best and eventually get drafted" is also a huge motivating factor in his decision.

His college pledge will likely come soon — he anticipates announcing in July or sometime else in "mid summer" — but he has a few visits left to get to first. He plans to head to Boston College this weekend, then a handful of others in the intervening months.

Based on his first experience in Blacksburg, Sutherland expects to swing by VT once more soon as part of those trips.

"No dates have been set right now, but I will definitely visit again in the future," Sutherland said.

As for Ellis and Grimsley, their plans are a bit more up in the air. Ellis said he could visit Saturday for the spring game, but he's "not too sure," while Grimsley is also "trying to get down there" for the big weekend.

But even though Grimsley hopes to visit Tech again soon, he said the Hokies have already done plenty to impress him.

"I really don't have to see anything, everything was great to me last time," Grimsley said.