The noise out of Blacksburg about their latest crystal ball for that three-star linebacker from Roanoke, and it's the same old story. They think throwing a bigger NIL bag at a kid from our backyard is going to work. They're leaning on that ACC logo hard, selling the idea of playing against Miami and Florida State while we're talking about building a legacy right here in Virginia. Our staff has been on this croot for two years, through multiple OVs, and now they want to come in during the dead period and flip him with a last-minute offer? That's not recruiting, that's desperation.
This is a direct shot across our bow, and we cannot afford to lose this battle. It's not just about one linebacker, it's about senidng a message to every single recruit in the state that if Virginia Tech wants you, they can just take you. We need our collective to step up and match whatever they're putting on the table, because this is the exact kind of head-to-head fight that defines a recruiting year. If we let them poach this kid, it gives them all the momentum for every other target we're both chasing.
Our entire defensive identity for the 2026 class is built on winning these in-state scraps. We don't have the luxury of missing on the guys we've identified early. The staff has to close, the NIL has to be competitive, and we have to make that final OV feel like home. Losing this one to an ACC school would be a gut punch, but winning it proves our model works. This is the rivalry now, not on the field, but on the recruiting trail every single day.