here's my personal take on our recruiting class this year

we came in and had pressing needs at WR and LB, and to a lesser extent DE and DT

here's what VT wanted to sign before the recruiting season began

QB (1)
RB (2)
WR (4)
TE (1)
OL (3)
DE (2-3)
DT (2)
LB (4)
CB (3)
FS (1)
SS (1)

so with that said, here goes:

Quarterback: needs (1), landed (1, maybe 2)...Grade C

Joseph "Ju Ju" Clayton - 6'2 200, solid quarterback prospect, not someone who will be expected to play right away, as a matter of fact, he will not come in til the end of Fall Semester of next year...VT needed another QB on the roster for when Glennon and Holt graduate and they got it in Clayton...he is a guy who will probably be a career backup but a solid one at that...after him comes Kevin Newsome who is very high on VT's list for next year and vice versa

Marcus Davis - 6'6 225, started playing QB his Sr year and showed some flashes and will get his first look at QB like Kam Chancellor, but his future looks MUCH MUCH brighter as a WR or H-Back...ran a 4.45 40 at a Nike combine over the summer and at that height and weight he could also grow into a good DE

Running Back: needs (2), landed (2)...Grade A-

Ryan Williams - 5'11 200, U.S. Army All-American, #4 RB in the nation...scouts at the All-American practices compare his running style to Cadillac Williams...has great vision and finds holes quick and makes his cuts quick...he'll play in the fall right away

Tony Gregory - 6'1 190, lightning fast back out of Va Beach...he won't run over you like Williams but he has the same burst that Williams does, he will have to prep but will be at VT in '09

Wide Receiver: needs (4), landed (7)...Grade A

Dyrell Roberts - 6'3 195, this kid is a playmaker, played RB in high school and ran for 2,000 yds as a senior in 11 games...excellent speed, great hands, he will play right away

D.J. Coles - 6'4 210, another playmaker, very dangerous with the ball, Single A 100m sprinting champion as well...will have to prep but will see immediate time when he gets on campus

Randall Dunn - 6'3 217, big strong WR in the mold of Josh Morgan, about .2 of a second faster than Josh at the same stage and much more raw...just began playing football halfway through his Junior year, used to be a basketball player only

Jarrett Boykin - 6'3 205, another big strong receiver who is very athletic, out of Butler HS in NC...catches with his hands instead of his body...also does a good job of staying on his feet after contact

Ben Barber - 5'11 195, brother of former VT free safety, Willie Pile...very strong but not as fast as the other prospects, good hands, but will probably move to the defensive side of the ball to FS where his brother played

Austin Fuller - 6'2 195, doesn't have blazing speed, but isn't slow...has the best hands out of all the WR prospects, has a frame to let him add 20-25 lbs without a problem...that's why the VT staff thinks he might be better suited at Rover or Whip LB, with his great instincts

Derrick McCoy - 6'3 220, he had been slotted at WR throughout the process but put on 20 lbs of muscle during the season and now the staff sees him as a probable LB, fast and athletic, he should be good at either position

Tight End: needs (1), landed (1)...grade B-

Eric Martin - 6'3 240, think John Kinzer, plays the same way and even looks the same way, if he starts leaping over Maryland players we might need to check birth certificates

Offensive Line - needs (3), landed (3)...grade B+

Vincent Painter - 6'6 317, very big, very agile...can play either OT, OG or DT...he will stick with the OL though as he is one of the top OL in the nation ad was preseason #1 overall in the state in 2007

Michael Via - 6'6 280, needs to add some strength but his footwork is great and he got a lot of praise at the NC-SC Shrine Bowl, even getting a bump in the rankings from rivals, he is top 15 overall in NC

Nick Becton - 6'7 330, another kid who got high praise at the Shrine Bowl...needs to learn to play with his pads low, but may start out at DT for VT, but his future is bright on the OL


there's the offense ill do the defense after my 2nd round of classes