Football practice opened on Thursday for Virginia Tech, and Friday was a big recruiting day for the Hokies as well. Tech is hoping for another ACC Championship season, and their 2012 recruiting class was bolstered by a commitment from one of the top players in the state of Virginia.

On Friday, Virginia Tech picked up a big commitment from Dan River High School (Ringgold, VA) linebacker Trey Edmunds, who chose the Hokies over Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina, amongst other scholarship offers.

Edmunds played linebacker and running back for Dan River, rushing for over 1,300 yards and recorded 124 tackles on the defensive side of the ball. His father, and head coach of Dan River, is Ferrell Edmunds, the former Maryland standout who went on to be an All-Pro tight end with the Miami Dolphins.

Edmunds is still growing, and could conceivably play whip or backer for Virginia Tech. He is ranked the #13 player in the state of Virginia by TechSideline.com.

Of course, now that football practice has begun, recruiting news becomes secondary. Here's a look at the key dates during the preseason.

Plenty of news and info will come out of Blacksburg in the next week. Media day is Saturday, so you'll see plenty of stories and features on Virginia Tech players and coaches.

On Monday, the team will be in full pads for the first time. In the middle of the week they will hold a mini-scrimmage, and finally they will hold their first full scrimmage on August 13. The August 13 scrimmage is at 4pm, and the August 20 scrimmage will be held at 2pm. Both are open to the public. The August 26 scrimmage is closed to the public.

Finally, gameweek preparation for Appalachian State will begin on August 29.

There are several things to keep an eye on between now and the opening of the season �

Backup quarterback battle: Will Ju-Ju Clayton be able to fend off the hard charging Mark Leal? Will Ricardo Young be able to get back into the mix after missing most of the spring with an injury?

Right tackle: With Blake DeChristopher out for much of the preseason, Michael Via and Vinston Painter will battle it out for a spot in the starting lineup.

Defensive line depth: Tech badly needs a fourth defensive end and a fourth defensive tackle. True freshmen Kris Harley, Luther Maddy and Corey Marshall could be called upon to play.

Safety depth: Tech doesn't have much experience behind Antone Exum and Eddie Whitley. True freshmen Boye Aromire, Michael Cole and Ronny Vandyke could end up playing this season.

Virginia Tech's scrimmages will go a long way in determining depth chart positions, and which true freshmen will get a shot to earn playing time in their first year on campus.