Virginia Tech Football

A dominant defensive lineman can transform an entire defense, which makes TyJuan Garbutt's commitment to Virginia Tech a huge win in the 2017 recruiting class.  

Garbutt announced his decision to play for the Hokies on Twitter:

Speaking to Adam Friedman of Rivals, Garbutt explained in detail why Virginia Tech stood out above the rest of the pack.

"I chose the Hokies about a year ago because I saw a bright future with coach (Justin) Fuente after what he did at Memphis and at TCU," Garbutt said. "Coach (Bud) Foster is still going to be there, and he's one of the best defensive coordinators in the country. Coach (Charley) Wiles will be my position coach, and he's been there for so long and coached so many great players. They're on the rise in the ACC."

Garbutt is a prototype high-ceiling defensive lineman who will only get better with college coaching and seasoning. 

Per Scout, Garbutt is the second-ranked defensive end from Virginia, the 18th-ranked defensive end in the nation and the 212th-ranked overall player in the 2017 class. He's also listed at 6'3" and 220 pounds, so there is room for him to add muscle on his sturdy frame. 

On the field, Garbutt isn't entering college football with many deficiencies. There are areas where he can stand to improve, but Scout.com's evaluation paints a positive outlook for him at the next level:

Garbutt shows good quickness off the edge and is very athletic. He is very disruptive and plays fast, but under control. Garbutt moves well laterally and takes good angles when pursuing the football. He needs to continue to get bigger and stronger and improve his technique, but his best football is definitely ahead of him.

Even if Garbutt doesn't bulk up a huge deal in college, he can still be an impact edge-rusher who drops back into coverage. 

Fuente, who had great success turning Memphis into a legitimate football program, is still trying to establish his own identity in Blacksburg after taking over for Frank Beamer.

The ACC is a deep conference with Florida State, Clemson and Louisville leading the charge, and things will only get more competitive with Mark Richt leading Miami. 

Fuente wants to bring Virginia Tech back to the level of those three premier ACC programs. One simple way to do it is convincing the best talent in the state, like Garbutt, to stay close to home. 

The Hokies were hovering around seven to eight wins for four years prior to a breakout 10-win campaign in Fuente's first season, so they need dynamic talent to build around and to lure in other prime recruits.

Virginia Tech is having a great recruiting season, jumping up to No. 13 in Scout's rankings after bringing Garbutt into the fold.

He gives Fuente that necessary piece to help Virginia Tech challenge Clemson and Florida State for the top spot in the ACC. 

Garbutt has the potential to be a three-down lineman with the speed to get after the quarterback and enough power to hold his own against the run. 

Because of his current weight, Garbutt may have to redshirt next season before making his presence felt in 2018. The wait will be worth having a smart, dynamic athlete coming off the edge and wreaking havoc. 

Linebacker Dylan Rivers was a longtime commit to Penn State, but he changed his mind shortly before national signing day, instead choosing Virginia Tech.

The Virginia native announced his decision on his personal Twitter account:

He is considered a 4-star recruit by Scout and listed as the No. 14 outside linebacker in the country. He is ranked No. 201 overall in the 2017 class.

Rivers first committed to Penn State in November 2015, saying he liked the "support from the fans, the coaches, the love, definitely the linebacker situation," per Scout's Michael Clark (via Dustin Hockensmith of Penn Live).

However, his decision changed 14 months after making his initial verbal commitment.

The 6'2", 226-pound prospect has good size for the position with the athleticism necessary to make him a versatile player at the next level. He should be valuable against both the run and the pass and will only get better as he learns more technique.

Virginia Tech allowed a respectable 22.8 points per game last season, which ranked 28th in the country, and returns most of its linebackers from 2016. Still, Rivers should be able to learn behind the veterans before making a big impact down the line.

Devon Hunter has long been one of the most coveted high school football prospects in the country, and the Virginia Tech Hokies can rejoice after the 5-star safety made his commitment official Friday. 

The Daily Press' Norm Wood relayed news of Hunter's decision. 

According to Scout, Hunter is the seventh-ranked player overall in the class of 2017. He's also the No. 1 player in the state of Virginia and the top-ranked safety among all 2017 prospects. 

Hunter fielded offers from the likes of Clemson, Florida, Alabama, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Michigan, Miami, Ohio State on a list that included more than 30 schools. 

Of course, it shouldn't come as a surprise that he received so many offers based on the way he flexed his muscles.

Listed at 6'1" and 206 pounds, Hunter put his college-ready frame to use at Indian River High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, while playing on both sides of the ball for stretches. According to Wood, Hunter posted 86 tackles, 1,223 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns as a senior. 

However, his future appears to be at safety. 

And now that he's staying in his home state to play college ball, the Hokies can mull over how they'll deploy Hunter in the years ahead.

Hunter has the speed necessary to operate as a hard-closing and -hitting center fielder, but his instincts in coverage could make him a versatile presence who shifts down and covers more physical receivers from time to time. 

Based on the way he flourished in high school, there's no reason to believe Hunter won't be a legitimate difference-maker when he suits up for head coach Justin Fuente.

With the size, speed and strength to become a force of nature, Hunter should have no problem wreaking havoc in college. 

Recruit information courtesy of Scout.  

Virginia Tech added an impact defender to its 2017 recruiting class Sunday in the form of outside linebacker Nathan Proctor. 

According to ESPN.com's Derek Tyson, Proctor announced his intention to play for the Hokies during the 2017 Under Armour All-America Game.

Per Scout, the 6'3", 220-pounder is a 4-star recruit and the No. 161 overall player, No. 11 outside linebacker and No. 1 outside linebacker from the state of Maryland in the 2017 class.

Given his talent at the outside linebacker position, Proctor generated plenty of interest from power conference schools during his recruiting cycle. Penn State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Florida were all included on Scout's list of interested programs. 

Proctor hinted at his overall talent level and versatility when he discussed how Penn State planned on potentially using him after he visited the coaching staff, per Brian Dohn of Scout: "They plan on using me in a lot of different things, which they were breaking down to me. A lot of [it] made sense with different types of blitzes and stuff like that."

The first thing that jumps out about Proctor’s game is his overall athleticism and speed, which helps him in those blitzes and different defensive designs. Hudl shared some highlights of Proctor’s junior season at the high school level:

Dohn also provided a scouting report for the defensive playmaker and suggested he can play outside linebacker in 3-4 sets or defensive end in 4-3 sets. That ability to play various positions will help Proctor remain on the field for passing and rushing downs as he develops into an impact defender at the college level.

Dohn highlighted Proctor’s speed, which enables him to explode around the edge as a pass-rusher and pursue running backs and ball-carriers in space. If he improves his overall technique when engaged with offensive linemen, Proctor will become an even more dangerous pass-rusher for Virginia Tech.

So long as that improvement comes and his athleticism continues to shine through, Proctor has the potential to develop into one of the prized recruits in the 2017 class.

The 2016 season represented a big leap forward for the Hokies, as they went 10-4 under Justin Fuente, marking their first double-digit-win season since 2011.

Virginia Tech is on the verge of becoming a contender in the ACC once again, and with teams like Clemson and Florida State set to lose key players to the NFL draft, Proctor is the type of player who can help the Hokies become a national power.

Former Virginia Tech Hokies defensive back Keion Carpenter—who also played for the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons in the NFL—died Thursday, according to a family spokesperson.

Reporter Bruce Cunningham passed along the confirmation, noting Carpenter died in Miami at 6:47 a.m. on Thursday. Carpenter collapsed during a run on Wednesday, per ABC2News.com.

WTKR.com noted Wednesday the Virginia Tech football team tweeted a statement from former coach Frank Beamer praising Carpenter for his play and heart, although the tweet was eventually deleted.

According to the Daily Press, a family member called to deny initial reports of Carpenter's death. However, Virginia Tech and Beamer posted the following Thursday morning:

Carpenter was 39 years old and played six seasons in the NFL.

He was the CEO and founder of The Carpenter House, which "aims to strengthen and empower families from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing access to resources, activities and structured environments that enable them to reach their highest academic and economic potential."

Carpenter played with the Hokies from 1995 to 1998 and appeared in 11 games each season. He tallied 10 career interceptions—five during his senior campaign—and ran two of those picks back for touchdowns. He was also a special teams contributor as a punt and kick returner.

He appeared in 83 career games and notched 14 interceptions during his time with the Falcons and Bills.   

Michael Vick has always been an electrifying—and elusive—player.

Bleacher Report's upcoming documentary on the quarterback includes mesmerizing highlights from his career, including his time evading defenders at Virginia Tech.

The latest trailer for VICK shows how the dynamic, young signal-caller helped make Virginia Tech "a name in the college football world."

Vick threw for 3,299 yards and 21 touchdowns in two years as a collegiate QB. And Vick being Vick, he ran for 1,299 yards and 17 scores as well.

VICK premieres July 11.

Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander and defensive end Houshun Gaines were arrested on April 24. 

Per Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, citing Montgomery County general district records, Alexander was charged with possession of marijuana. Per Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times, citing Virginia Courts online database, Gaines was charged with underage alcohol and marijuana possession.  

According to Bitter's report in the Roanoke Times, new Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente has indefinitely suspended both Alexander and Gaines for their indiscretions, and Alexander's court hearing is scheduled for June 27. 

The school issued a press release that announced the suspensions, though no specific reason was given, and the school said it "would have no further comment" on the matter.

Gaines will be a redshirt freshman in 2016. He was a 3-star recruit coming out of Nash Central High School in North Carolina, per 247Sports' composite rankings. This season had the potential to be a big one for the defensive end, as the Hokies seek to solidify their depth up front with other players like Vinny Mihota and Ken Ekanem.

Speaking to Matej Sis of 247Sports following an open scrimmage on April 19, Ekanem spoke highly of the redshirt lineman: "(Gaines) has also taken a step forward and will start in place of Mihota for the spring game. He's really stepping up and coming into his own."

Alexander emerged as one of Virginia Tech's best defensive players as a freshman in 2015. The North Carolina native led the Hokies with four interceptions and finished fifth with 55 tackles. He was named as a second-team freshman All-American for his performance. 

The suspensions for Alexander and Gaines leave two potentially huge holes for Fuente to fill. Virginia Tech played its spring game Saturday, so the coaching staff was able to get a look at what the rest of the defensive unit will look like in 2016.

The Virginia Tech Hokies have gotten a head start on the 2017 recruiting race, scoring a commitment from 3-star quarterback Hendon Hooker on Thursday.   

Hooker made the announcement during a radio appearance on a local Greensboro, North Carolina, station (h/t Jason Stamm of Rivals' HokieHaven.com). 

Hooker's commitment to Virginia Tech hardly comes as a surprise. The "crystal ball" predictions on 247Sports listed the Hokies as a 100 percent favorite to land the quarterback, per recruiting insider Ryan Bartow.

A dual-threat quarterback from Dudley High School, Hooker is listed as the ninth-ranked player from the state of North Carolina, the 11th-ranked player at his position and the 360th-ranked player in the 2017 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. 

Spencer D. Turkin of ESPN Triad tweeted a picture of Hooker wearing his Virginia Tech hat after making his decision:

Despite the fact that Hooker is not regarded as an elite prospect right now, his scouting reports speak favorably about his potential to become a star. 

Here's what Scout.com said about Virginia Tech's newest quarterback:

Hooker is a prospect with a lot of natural ability. He is extremely athletic and can beat you with his arm or legs. Hooker is comfortable making throws from the pocket or on the run. He makes good decisions and is very accurate. He needs to continue to improve his technique, but his upside is huge and he has the potential to become a special player at the collegiate level.

Per Hokie Nation, Virginia Tech has moved from 49th to 37th in the latest national recruiting rankings after landing Hooker. 

Speaking to Evan G. Watkins of 247Sports after his announcement, Hooker explained what attracted him to Virginia Tech: "I like Coach [Justin] Fuente because he played quarterback in college and he knows what he is doing. I loved the family feel on the visit, it was the most comfortable I have been on a visit." 

The Hokies could have an opening at quarterback by the time Hooker arrives, with Brenden Motley heading into his senior year and Dwayne Lawson having thrown just nine passes as a freshman last year. 

Given the development Hooker will need, he could redshirt in 2017 before moving into a prominent role the next season. 

Upside with quarterbacks is what teams are always looking for. It helps Hooker's cause moving to Virginia Tech that he isn't limited as just a pocket passer but is capable of using his legs to make plays while working on his ability as a traditional quarterback.

Star rankings courtesy of 247Sports.