Your guide to breaking news, recruiting updates and important offers from TechSideline.com!
 
  TSLMail #362- December 26, 2008    
TSL Links
  Home Page
  Football Home
  VT Hokie News
  Football Recruiting
  Message Board

TSL Products
  TSL Pass
  Campus Emporium

TSLMail Archives
  Complete Archives

To Remove Yourself From This Email List:

Log into TechSideline.com by going here:  TechSideline.com login and entering your email address (the one where you received this email) and your TechSideline.com password.

If you can't remember your TechSideline.com password, then use our Password Reset function to set up a new password that you can use to access your account.

Once you're logged into the site, find one of the many "account info" links around the site to access your user profile and change the preferences there, including turning TSLMail on and off. Look for the "Check to Receive Free TSLMail" box.

Thanks, and we hope we haven't inconvenienced you.

Will Stewart
General Manager and Managing Editor
TechSideline.com

To Change Your Email Address:
Log onto the TechSideline.com web site (see the instructions above) and access your "account info" area. Then uncheck the "Check to Receive Free TSLMail" box.

 

You are receiving this email because you opted in to TechSideline.com's weekly TSLMail email when you registered with the site. If you wish to remove yourself from this mailing list, please see the instructions to the right, or reply to this email with the word "UNSUBSCRIBE"  in the subject.

  TSLMail Featured Sponsor

Opportunity is Knocking � Will you Answer?

You can own a Luxury Hotel-Condominium in Blacksburg. Imagine a fully loaded VIP experience when you're in-house and fully taken care of while you're away1. The Collegiate Inn of Blacksburg's Rooms and Amenities include:

  • Custom made Cherry Wood Furniture
  • Professionally designed interiors
  • 42� LCD TV
  • Granite countertops
  • Owners- only pre-game and post-game parties
  • Owners-only shuttle service to football games
  • Over $3,100,000 in planned room and common area improvements
  • On-site restaurant, lounge, banquet facilities, meeting rooms, and extensive parking
  • Large outdoor pool, indoor pool, and fitness room
  • Wireless Internet
  • Located on Prices Fork Road, directly across from the VT Campus and within walking distance to restaurants, shops, and downtown
  • Initial unit offerings from the $120s to $140s

For more information, visit them at http://www.ciblacksburg.com or call (877) 440-4540.

1Ownership may include the opportunity to place your suite in a professional rental management program.


  Advertise on TechSideline.com!


Advertise Your Business On TechSideline.com!

TechSideline.com has come a long way since its inception in 1996. We are the #1 media source and community covering Virginia Tech athletics, producing an average of 130,000 unique viewers and 10.5 million page views each month. We reach a coveted demographic (you know who you are) 24/7, 12 months out of the year.

Rooting for their team clearly represents one of the big passions in the life of our TechSideline.com community members. This site greatly enhances this never-ending passion through information, analysis and most importantly through communal dialog and networking.

Our advertising approach is different in that we make it abundantly clear in a direct and honest way that your company's commitment of sponsorship dollars is what enables the site to continue existing and improving into the future.

To learn more about advertising on TechSideline.com, please visit our advertising info page:
http://www.techsideline.com/advertising

TechSideline.com is a vital part of a unique collegiate sports network that reaches nearly 2 million individuals per month. Like TechSideline.com, each site in the SportsWar network is an organically grown community and the emotional home for its fans.

To learn more about SportsWar network sponsorship opportunities, please contact [email protected] or visit our online media guide- http://www.sportswar.com

To view a list of our sponsors, please visit our Sponsors Page.

 CampusEmporium.com, the Official E-commerce Sponsor of TSL

Virginia Tech Orange Bowl T-Shirt

Price: $19.99

100% cotton tee.

 Tech Sports News

Top-Ranked Recruits Fare Well in Blacksburg
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

Every year on Christmas Day, the Roanoke Times releases their final rankings for the current in-state football recruiting class. Yesterday, the Times named GW-Danville running back David Wilson the top player in the state for the 2009 recruiting class. Wilson has committed to play football at Virginia Tech.

Assuming Wilson signs with Tech in February, this will mark the fifth time since 2001 that Virginia Tech has landed the top rated player by the Roanoke Times.

RT Top Ranked Players
Year Player School
2009

David Wilson

Virginia Tech

2008

Mike Glennon

NC State

2007

Tyrod Taylor

Virginia Tech

2006

Percy Harvin

Florida

2005

Macho Harris

Virginia Tech

2004

Olu Hall

UVA

2003

Xavier Adibi

Virginia Tech

2002

Ahmad Brooks

UVA

2001

Bryan Randall

Virginia Tech

Not only has Virginia Tech been successful in landing the state's top player, but they have done a good job in developing those players.

When Bryan Randall signed with the Hokies in 2001, it marked the first time that Tech had pulled in the top player in the state. Though Randall never had the luxury of a redshirt year, and he took criticism early in his career, he eventually developed into the 2004 Player of the Year in the ACC, leading Virginia Tech to the conference championship and a berth in the Sugar Bowl.

After his college career, Randall went on to spend some time with the Atlanta Falcons. He now plays in the Canadian Football League.

From his first college football game in 2004, when he went head to head with Reggie Bush, we all knew that Xavier Adibi would be a star. He lived up to the hype, combining with Vince Hall to form the best linebacker duo in Virginia Tech history. He was an All-American as a senior in 2007, and he currently starts as a rookie for the Houston Texans.

Though he's not quite finished with his Virginia Tech career, Macho Harris certainly lived up to the hype. He ranks third in Tech's all-time list in career interceptions, and was recently named a 1st Team All-American by The Sporting News. Harris is one of the top cornerbacks in college football.

He'll have a future on the next level as well. He is currently projected as a second round pick by most experts, and could go as high as the late first round.

Tyrod Taylor was Virginia Tech's starting quarterback by the third game of his true freshman season. That says quite a bit about his talent, smarts, and poise. Though he's not putting up huge numbers at this point, he's flashed enough potential to show that big things could be coming in the future. He'll be Tech's full time starter beginning in 2009, and he'll no longer have to worry about battling Sean Glennon for the starting job.

Those are four good to great players that have attended Virginia Tech. The top recruits who have chosen to attend other schools have had mixed results.

Everybody in the country wanted Ahmad Brooks in 2002. He went on to choose UVA, where he became a starting inside linebacker. Though he was a very good college player, he never quite lived up to the massive hype that was generated during his recruitment. Part of that was due to the injury bug. He is currently a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

Olu Hall played some as a freshman for UVA in 2005, but ultimately left the school. He is now playing for Kansas State, where he starts at outside linebacker, though he hasn't made a big impact. He will be a r-senior during the 2009 season.

Percy Harvin is by far the biggest name on this list. He was the unanimous #1 player in the country, choosing Florida over a host of other big-name programs. He has had a terrific career in Urban Meyer's offense. In three seasons, he has 1,880 receiving yards and 1,730 rushing yards. He is one of the top all-around offensive threats in the nation.

Mike Glennon chose not to follow in his brother's footsteps and attend Virginia Tech. Instead, he selected NC State, where he redshirted in 2008. Unfortunately for Glennon, Russell Wilson was named 1st Team All-ACC quarterback this past year, and he's only a r-freshman. It's going to be very tough to get playing time behind Wilson.

Considering the success rate of #1 rated prospects who attended Virginia Tech, David Wilson has a great chance to succeed in Blacksburg. However, he would have a great chance to succeed no matter where he was ranked.

Wilson was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Virginia. He ran for 2,291 yards, which is a season record at GW-Danville. He ran for 351 yards against Franklin County, which is a single game record. Wilson has great hip explosion, and he holds the National Championship in the triple jump as proof. He chose the Hokies over offers from schools such as Auburn, Alabama and Michigan.

Though Wilson has not even graduated from high school yet, and it's unfair to put expectations on players who have yet to set foot on a college football field, history indicates that he'll have a very successful career in Blacksburg.

 TechSideline.com Pass - Your Ultimate Ticket to Hokie Sports!


TechSideline Pass - Only $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year!

  • Feature Articles
  • Interviews with recruits
  • Editorials
  • Recruiting updates from Chris Horne, our in-house specialist
  • Recruiting prospect and class evaluations
  • A subscribers-only Recruiting message board (only accessible to subscribers)
  • A subscribers-only message board for general discussion

For more info on TechSideline Pass, and to subscribe, click here.

   TechSideline.com Updates From the Past Week
2008 Season Awards
December 26, 2008
Now that we find ourselves at the end of yet another Virginia Tech football season, it's time to hand out some yearly awards. The Hokies had a number of standouts that contributed to the program's second straight ACC Championship. A few stand out above all the others.
more

Tyrell Edwards Back on Board
December 26, 2008
Marlboro County (Bennettsville, S.C.) tight end/wide receiver prospect Tyrell Edwards is back on board with Virginia Tech, Edwards' father, former Virginia Tech standout Bo Campbell, confirmed to TechSideline.com late last night.
more

Williams Appears Solid to VT
December 23, 2008
Daniel (Central, S.C.) cornerback recruit Jerrodd Williams committed to Virginia Tech in June, but the 6-1, 185-pound senior has been in contact with the University of South Carolina throughout the fall. After cancelling a scheduled visit from South Carolina coaches, though, he now seems solid to Virginia Tech.
more

Hokie Hotline Notes for 12/22/08
December 23, 2008
Last night was a full night on the Hotline, with head men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg, offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring, athletic director Jim Weaver, and head football coach Frank Beamer.
more

VT Recruiting Notes
December 22, 2008
TSL updates the situations of two of Tech's top remaining targets, Brooke Point (Stafford, VA) defensive end Lanford Collins and Deep Run (Glen Allen, VA) defensive back/athlete Antone Exum, in this edition of "Notes."
more

Marshman Out, Warren and Worilds Questionable
December 22, 2008
Virginia Tech could be without three key starters when they face Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl on January 1. Starting left guard Nick Marshman will definitely miss the game, while mike linebacker Brett Warren and defensive end Jason Worilds are listed as questionable.
more

Hokies Win Second Straight Holiday Festival
December 21, 2008
Virginia Tech gradually pulled away from St. John's in the second half en route to an 81-67 victory in the championship game of the Aeropostale Holiday Festival in Madison Square Garden. This is the Hokies' second straight Holiday Festival championship, and the win puts them at 8-4 on the season.
more

Hokies Knock Off Columbia 64-52
December 20, 2008
Virginia Tech played a sloppy game on Saturday, but managed to come away with a 64-52 win over the Columbia Lions in Madison Square Garden. This was the first game of the Aeropostale Holiday Festival. The Hokies will take on either St. John's or Marist in the championship game on Sunday at 2pm.
more

Tech and Alabama to Play in Atlanta
December 19, 2008
Finally, it's official. Virginia Tech will meet Alabama on September 5, 2009 in the Georgia Dome in the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff. The game will be nationally televised by either ESPN or ABC, and kickoff is scheduled for 8pm.
more
    TSLMail is a trademark of TechSideline.com - Copyright © 2008 - All Rights Reserved