Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 3, 1995 TAG: 9502030062
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia Tech arose at the sound of the clock radio.
Coach Frank Beamer has said he probably will make some changes in Tech's approach toward recruiting, but a rush toward early visits and early commitments left the Hokies in a bind this year.
While programs such as Virginia received as many as 20 commitments by Christmas, Tech continued to rely heavily on January recruiting weekends and could only hope that prospects would not first commit elsewhere.
The Hokies weren't always successful. A case in point was one-time Tech target Darnell Alford, a preseason All-American from Chancellor High in Fredericksburg. Chancellor coach Scott Miller said Boston College gave Alford a Jan.1 deadline, after which the Eagles' offer would be pulled off the table.
Alford committed to the Eagles, who were the story of the year in Virginia recruiting. Boston College signed seven players from Virginia, six rated among the state's top 25 prospects by the Roanoke Times & World-News.
Only once previously, when North Carolina signed seven Top 25 players in 1979, has any out-of-state school landed more than five. Interestingly, then-Carolina coach Dick Crum later was panned for neglecting old recruiting haunts.
Three of Boston College's signees from Virginia were players who also were considering Tech. Only twice in the last 20 years have the Hokies signed as few Top 25 players, two, as they did last year.
While the Roanoke Times & World-News' list should not be considered infallible, consider that in the period from 1990-93, Tech signed 32 Top 25 players, an average of eight per year.
The Hokies have paid increased attention to Florida in recent years, but this is a program that owes its livelihood to Virginia players. Two players who were instrumental in consecutive nine- and eight-win seasons, quarterback Maurice DeShazo and defensive end Cornell Brown, were Roanoke Times & World-News Top 25 choices.
And in the end, after all the talk about a Florida fling, 10 of Tech's 16 signees were from Virginia. Four were postgraduates, including junior-college transfers Greg Melvin and Myron Newsome, and two players from Hargrave Military Academy.
Tech insiders generally seem pleased with the year, especially in light of where it once appeared headed. Less than two weeks before signing day, the Hokies had four commitments, none since the middle of December.
There are those at Virginia who rank the Cavaliers' recruiting class among the best of coach George Welsh's tenure, but some reviews are mixed.
Virginia, with room under the scholarship ``cap'' to sign 25 players, could afford to take some chances. Tech, on the other hand, had only 15 to 17 scholarships to give and wasn't in position to make wholesale offers.
One player, offensive lineman Evan Hunt, said he was offered a scholarship by Virginia on the day that classes ended following his junior year at Spotsylvania High School. Hunt was one of four SuperPrep All-Americans to sign with Virginia, headed by Hallandale, Fla., standout Johnny Shivers.
Shivers and linebacker Dillon Taylor from Spotswood High were the only post-holiday commitments for Virginia, which experienced some late defections at two of the positions it had targeted, tight end and middle linebacker.
UVa also suffered something of an embarrassment when West Potomac lineman Mike Willetts, considered the state's No.1 prospect, revealed that the Cavaliers were among the last schools to contact him.
Otherwise, it was a recruiting comeback for Welsh, ripped last year when he stayed home for the first two weeks of December. Welsh was on the road so much this year that he missed several Independence Bowl practices.
Is the infusion of talent sufficient to sustain the Tech and UVa programs at their current levels? Probably. But, they need to assess the Boston College challenge and do what they can to confront it.
After committing to Boston College, Willetts said he chose the Eagles for the success of the program and the stability of the coaching staff - this of a team that went 7-4-1, including a loss to Tech, and had a first-year coach.
Nobody ever said recruiting made sense.
by CNB