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We caught up with Northside (Roanoke, VA) High School Coach Jim Hickam this week and asked him about star linebacker Justin London. Justin (6-2, 220) is rated the #8 prospect in Virginia by Doug Doughty. He is a four-star player (out of five) and the #12 linebacker in the country, according to Alliance Sports/Rivals.com. Justin has a top two right now that consists of Virginia Tech and Tennessee.  Here's what Coach Hickam had to say:

"There are a wide variety of schools that have contacted him and made official offers to him. Virginia Tech, UVa, Maryland, WVU, UNC, NCSU, all those have made official offers. In terms of where he's leaning, I know that Tech is one of the schools that he is very interested in. I think he has some real interest in Tennessee -- I don’t know that they've made an offer per se -- but he's interested in them. He still seems favorable towards UVa, and his father played at NC State. He also has some interest in UCLA. He has an uncle that lives out there."

"He's the best linebacker that I've coached in 37 years. He brings to it all the physical attributes that you look for in a linebacker. He has a real knack for diagnosing plays, and he has great closing speed. That's what has sold so many people on him. His closing speed from one part of the field to the ball carrier is very impressive.

"He's a good kid, good leadership, very personable, never fails to make a good impression. He's a hitter, great intensity in the game. He's got all the tools that I think people are going to look for if they're looking for a pure linebacker. If you run a 4.6, you can be a linebacker for VT. My conversations with Coach (Bud) Foster are that they were recruiting him as a backer.

"He runs well laterally, he runs well vertically. There's not anything about his speed or agility that anyone would find fault with. We've used him as a wingback, a wide receiver, a tight end. We've used him in a variety of places because he can do so many things.

"I feel that he'll play early (in college). I don't have any reason to doubt that."

Justin has qualified academically.

To view the TSL recruiting database entry for Justin London, click here.

RB Mike Imoh

Running back Mike Imoh of Robinson High School in Fairfax, Virginia (the same school as recent VT verbal Cary Wade) is averaging an astonishing 15 yards a carry (80 carries, about 1200 yards) through Robinson's first six games (they're 6-0). Imoh is a small (5-7, 182), powerful runner whose coach, Mark Bendorf, doesn't pull any punches when describing:

"I'd be reluctant to compare him to anyone else," Bendorf says, when asked if Imoh is comparable to the great Barry Sanders. "He's his own player with his own style. To have the kind of career that he's had, there's not one particular attribute that sets him apart. He's the whole package. He's got breakaway speed that's blinding. He's got tremendous strength. He's a two-time regional powerlifting champion. Dunks a basketball effortlessly. He's a four-year starter on the basketball team. He's got great hands. He's capable of the whole nine yards (running inside and outside).

"I'm not going to name schools (as Imoh's favorites). It has been pretty nuts the last two years. Most of the Big East and ACC has been actively recruiting him. He has visits set up with Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. He's considering Tennessee, Syracuse, Wake Forest, also, but there's a lot more schools in the mix than what I mentioned. This could be very wide open. But I know he's very interested in Virginia Tech. He has said that all along."

To view the TSL recruiting database entry for Mike Imoh, click here.

-- The November 3rd football game at Pittsburgh has been slated for a noon kickoff (imagine that!) and will be broadcast on ESPN+/Big East Regional TV.

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