From the sidelines
Marty Gordon
The countdown is on to Coach Brent Pry’s second season on the sideline in Blacksburg. His Hokies are less than three months out of the September 2 contest against Old Dominion. In the meantime, Pry and his coaching staff have been doing their best to sell the program to the top players around the state.
If you remember, we said Frank Beamer was leaving Justin Fuente a used jalopy in the parking lot with motor running. For two seasons, the used car kept chugging along until it finally ran out of gas.
For Pry, Fuente didn’t leave him anything in the Lane Stadium parking lot. The once used car from the Beamer era was no longer worth trading in for a new improved model. So, Pry is doing his best to find a new car to show off to recruits.
So far, the showroom has been filled with lots of flashy ones as he tries to find the right one to attract talent to Lane.
Pry also upped Fuente by doing something the former coach never got the chance to do—he has his own television commercial for a local automobile dealership. Maybe, he has found the right car to bring to the parking lot and pull the athletes Virginia Tech deserves to the football field.
Earlier this week, the Hokies received a commitment from 4-star Gerard Johnson, a (6-foot-4, 235) defensive end from Cox High School in Virginia Beach. He’s the 13th commit in the class of 2024 for the Hokies, the second defensive end — joining Deric Dandy — and the third from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He chose Virginia Tech over Virginia. Other Power 5 offers included Boston College, Duke, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
His recruiting rankings vary — On3 lists him as the No. 1 prospect in Virginia and a top-150 recruit nationally. Per 247Sports, he’s the ninth-best player in the Commonwealth, while Rivals ranks him 22nd. According to the 247Sports Composite and the On3 Industry Ranking, he’s No. 6 in VA.
He made 48 tackles, including eight sacks and 19 for loss, as a junior at Cox. He also forced three fumbles and had seven pass break-ups.
This is a massive win for the Hokies on the recruiting trail. Maybe that flashy new vehicle has been test-driving needs to stay in parking lot a little longer.