It is a slow period right now for most schools across the country, with some commitments sprouting here and there. For the most part, the players who have not decided at this point will make official visits and decide in December, January, or February.

Recruiting news will assuredly pick up after November 30^th, which is the beginning of the Contact period. The following is from the 2003-2004 Division I Football Recruiting Calendar:

November 30, 2003 through January 31, 2004 [except for (1) though (5)  below] - Six in-person off-campus contacts per prospective student-athlete shall be permitted during this time period with not more than one permitted in any one calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) or partial calendar week:

1. December 21, 2003 (The Sunday after the third Saturday in December): Quiet Period
2. December 22, 2003 through January 1, 2004: Dead Period
3. January 2 through January 4, 2004: Quiet Period
4. January 5, 2004 through January 8, 2004: Dead Period
5. January 9, 2004 and January 10, 2004: Quiet Period

The definitions of the above periods are�

Contact period - permissible for authorized athletic department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.

Dead period - not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on- or off-campus or permit official or unofficial visits.

Evaluation period - permissible for authorized athletics department staff to be involved in off-campus activities to assess academic qualifications and playing abililties. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts with a prospect are permitted.

Quiet period - permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the member institution's campus.

The top remaining VT defensive targets � with written offers � look like this�

• Defensive Ends: Brandon Daniel (possible DT), Olu Hall, Mike Mangold, Clint Sintim, Willie Young
• Defensive Tackles: Emmanuel Dunbar, Brandon Fanney, Marque Hall, Carl Howard, DeMario Pressley (new addition), Brandon Setzer
• Linebackers: Andrew Bowman, Hugh D�Imperio, John Dunlap, Jerod Mayo, Maurice Reevey, Antonio Reynolds, Brian Toal
• Cornerbacks: Rod Council, Brandon Flowers, Damian Sims (offer per Insiders)
• Safety/Rover: Jamar Adams (soft Michigan commit), Kent Hicks, Purnell Sturdivant

Official visits set for defensive prospects looks like this�

December 5^th: LB Hugh D�Imperio (tentative), DB Brandon Flowers, CB DJ Parker, LB Antonio Reynolds, DL Brandon Setzer, S/ROV Purnell Sturdivant (not final)

Note: The visit date for the Hargrave players was stated by Brandon Flowers.

December 12^th: LB Andrew Bowman, LB John Dunlap (per Rivals), DT Carl Howard, DE Mike Mangold (per Rivals)

January 23^rd: DT Emmanuel Dunbar, LB Jerod Mayo

Brandon Holland 6-5, 265, 4.8 Northside (Roanoke, VA)

At a Glance: Holland plays defensive end and tight end for Northside. Though he was recruited as a defensive end by Virginia Tech, it would be no surprise at all to seem him end up somewhere along the offensive line�Brandon has very long arms and can carry much more weight on his frame.

William Wall 6-3, 243, 4.6 HD Woodson (Washington, DC)

At a Glance: Wall was the first player to commit to Virginia Tech on the defensive side of the ball. He possesses the quickness, size, and athleticism similar to great defensive ends of the past. Wall showed his athleticism this year by lining up at wide receiver on many occasions.

Off the field, he recently scored over 1,000 on his SAT�s and should easily qualify academically.

Brandon Daniel 6-4, 275, 4.75 Ely (Pompano Beach, FL)
Schools: VT (OFFER, OV on 09/26/03), K-State (OFFER, OV on 12/19/03), Miami, FL (No Offer), FLA (OFFER), MICH (OFFER), NCSU (OFFER, OV 12/06/03), OSU (OFFER), PITT (OFFER, OV 11/29/03)

Latest: In a Nov 11^th update, Daniel says Virginia Tech is his favorite, however the Hokies are the only school he has taken an official visit to. He did feel comfortable on his VT visit, which is a good sign�

"When I went to Virginia Tech, I really liked the people. Even though I was there for two days, I felt comfortable...like I'd been there for a long time. The players felt like my teammates there."

Daniel will make all five official visits before deciding. Miami (FL), Florida, Ohio State, and Michigan are the finalists for his fifth and final official visit.

Olu Hall 6-4, 220, 4.7 Robinson (Fairfax, VA)
Schools: VT (OFFER), UVA (OFFER), PSU (OFFER), SYR (OFFER), BC (OFFER), CLEM (OFFER), WAKE (OFFER)

Mike Mangold 6-3, 240, 4.65 Merritt Island (Merritt Island, FL)
Schools: Miami, FL (OFFER), VT (OFFER), PITT (OFFER), TN (OFFER)

At a Glance: The nephew of Virginia Tech AD Jim Weaver committed early to Pittsburgh, but has since opened up his recruitment. Miami may be the team to beat, but it appears Mangold will take his official visits. According to Merritt Island Head Coach Paul Friel, what separates Mike from the rest is his "non-stop motor. He keeps coming at you over and over."

Clint Sintim 6-3, 247, 4.8 Gar-Field (Woodbridge, VA)
Schools: UVA (OFFER, OV 12/12/03), VT (OFFER), OSU (No Offer), TN (OFFER), MD (OFFER)

Willie Young 6-4, 205, 4.6 Palm Beach Gardens (Palm Beach, FL)
Schools: FL (OFFER), AUB (OFFER), Miami, FL (No Offer), NCSU (OFFER), NEB (OFFER), OKL (OFFER), GA (OFFER), OSU (OFFER)

At a Glance: Young plays for the same high school as current Hokie freshman linebacker Mike Brown. Young will be a tough get, especially from the Florida powers. He is being recruited by many, many top Division I-A programs.

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Note: HD Woodson defensive lineman D. L. Lawrence may be added very soon. He is around 6-4, 300 pounds, and a very good athlete, according to Woodson defensive coordinator Wayne Johnson. Irvington (NJ) defensive tackle Nhemie Theodore is another name that may appear in coming weeks. I�m trying to catch up with Nhemie for an interview.

Emmanuel Dunbar 6-4, 270 Deerfield Beach (FL)
Schools: VT (OFFER, OV 01/23/04), OK (OFFER, OV 12/06/03), BC (OFFER), MIA (OFFER), FSU (OFFER), KSU (OFFER), FL (OFFER)

Brandon Fanney 6-5, 261 Morristown (Morristown-Hamblen West)
Schools: BAMA (OFFER), UVA (OFFER), VT (OFFER), NCSU (OFFER)

At a Glance: Fanney may head to the SEC, with Alabama targeting him very seriously. Virginia Tech and Virginia are in there as well.

Marque Hall 6-5, 305 Forest Hills (Marshville, NC)
Schools: UNC (OFFER), NCSU (OFFER), UVA (OFFER), VT (OFFER), TN (OFFER)

At a Glance: Marque is being recruited as a defensive tackle by VT, UNC, and TN, while UVA and NC State like him as an offensive tackle.

Carl Howard 6-6, 290 Matawan (Matawan, NJ)
Schools: VT (OFFER, OV 12/12/03), NCSU (OFFER), MD (OFFER), RUT (OFFER), IOWA (OFFER), BC (OFFER), SYR (OFFER), PITT (OFFER, OV 12/19/03)

At a Glance: Possesses great size and speed � Coach Martucci of Matawan says he runs like a "gazelle." Howard has been timed at 4.8 in the 40 yard dash.

DeMario Pressley 6-4, 290 Dudley (Greensboro, NC)
Schools: FSU (OFFER), MIA (OFFER), NCSU (OFFER), OKL (OFFER), TN (OFFER), UNC (OFFER), UVA (OFFER), VT (OFFER)

At a Glance: Pressley is the nation�s top defensive line prospect and one of the top overall prospects. He hasn�t really narrowed his list, as he has remained wide open up to this point. He had not mentioned VT often until my last update, when he mentioned the Hokies as one of the schools he�s considering for an official visit.

Brandon Setzer 6-4, 280 Hargrave Military Academy
Schools: NCSU (OFFER), UNC (OFFER), TN (OFFER), VT (OFFER)

Latest: Per a brief conversation with Brandon Flowers following the Fork Union/Hargrave contest, Setzer will be making his official visit to VT on December 6^th with Antonio Reynolds, Justin Harper, Flowers, and VT commitments DJ Parker and Cory Holt. There were rumors Brandon was all set for UNC, however he is considering others including VT right now.

 

Needs: Virginia Tech�s linebacker haul last year was one of the better ones in the country, as Adibi and Hall were two of the top five players in the state, and Brown�s stock soared towards the end of the recruiting process. Like with the defensive tackles, the Hokies will be able to wait on the better prospects until the end because of last year�s class, and they are in with some good ones.

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Andrew Bowman 6-1, 230, 4.6 Hermitage (Richmond, VA)
Schools: PUR (OFFER), TN (OFFER), UNC (OFFER), UVA (OFFER, OV 11/29/03), VT (OFFER, OV 12/13/03)

At a Glance: Bowman attends the same high school as current Hokie frosh tight end Duane Brown and current UVA frosh receiver Fontel Mines. He set his visit to Tech for "the first or second week in December." Bowman is playing everything close to the vest. Tennessee could be a big factor here, as Bowman has indicated he wants to visit the Vols along Purdue and UNC. He has set visits to UVA and VT.

Hugh D�Imperio 6-5, 230, 4.6 Washington Township (Sewell, NJ)
Schools: MSU (OFFER, OV 12/13/03), VT (OFFER, OV 12/06/03) lead ) MIN (OFFER, OV), TN (no offer, OV), UNC (OFFER, OV)

Latest Update: Spoke with Hugh on November 12^th, and he has VT and Michigan State as his top two schools.

"They are still my top two," said D�Imperio. "I�m really not sure if one is ahead of the other. It flip/flops every day. Those two are a little ahead of the rest. Anything can happen on official visits though."

Hugh has set visits for VT on December 6^th and MSU on December 13^th. He says he will take all five trips, and has set visits to TN, Minnesota, and UNC, however he could not recall the dates.

John Dunlap 6-3, 215, 4.55 Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Hollywood, FL)
Schools: MIA (OFFER) lead AUB (OFFER), FL (OFFER), FSU (OFFER), IOWA (No Offer, OV 10/24/03), MICH (OFFER), NCSU (OFFER), UNC (OFFER), VT (OFFER)

Jerod Mayo 6-2, 210, 4.68 Kecoughtan (Hampton, VA)
UVA (OFFER, OV 12/12/03), VT (OFFER, OV 01/30/04) lead NCSU (OFFER, OV 12/05/03), PUR (OFFER), TN (OFFER, OV 01/16/04)

Latest Update: Mayo appears to be favoring UVA and VT at the moment, with UVA having a slight edge. He will make all five official visits before announcing his decision.

Maurice Reevey 6-4, 225, 4.6 Fork Union Military Academy
Schools: TN (OFFER), UNC (OFFER), UVA (No Offer), VT (OFFER), WVU (OFFER)

At a Glance: After missing most of the season due to a stress fracture in one of his legs, Reevey played for Fork Union for the first time versus Hargrave. He only played one play (rushed the ball on offense), but looks to see more action in the Blue Devils� final game.

Antonio Reynolds 6-4, 245, 4.65 Hargrave Military Academy
Schools: Miami, FL, NEB, OSU, TN, VT (OFFER)

At a Glance: Reynolds signed with the Miami Hurricanes out of high school, but could not start classes because of an academic snafu. He moves really well for his size, and looks like he could carry 10-15 more pounds of muscle to his long frame.

Latest: Per a brief conversation with Brandon Flowers following the Fork Union/Hargrave contest, Reynolds will be making his official visit to VT on December 6^th with Flowers, Justin Harper, Brandon Setzer, and VT commitments DJ Parker and Cory Holt.

Brian Toal 6-2, 227, 4.5 Don Bosco Prep (Wykoff, NJ)
Schools: BC (OFFER), MIA (OFFER), NEB (OFFER), ND (OFFER), ORE (OFFER), PSU (OFFER), TN (OFFER), VT (OFFER)

Sources say the staff is very high on both Hinton and Minor, which would give the staff good depth behind Fuller and Green. DJ Parker is attending Hargrave and will join Tech in the fall of 2004. They have secured a commitment from a very good prospect in Theodore Miller, and will try to sign one more.

Theodore Miller 6-2, 170, 4.5 HD Woodson (Washington, DC)

At a Glance: Miller is the bigger cornerback prospect the Hokies may be moving towards. He is a tremendous athlete, as Woodson defensive coordinator Wayne Johnson calls him "probably the most athletic corner I've ever coached." Miller has a 38" vertical leap. Off the field, he recently scored over 1,000 on his SAT�s and should easily qualify academically.

Rod Council 5-11, 175, 4.5 West Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)
Schools: ND (OFFER, OV 09/19/03), UVA (OFFER, OV 10/18/03), VT (OFFER, OV) lead MICH (OFFER, OV)

At a Glance: Rod made an unofficial to VT for the Miami game. Impressed by his visit, he will now make an official visit to VT before making his decision. It will likely come down to ND, UVA, and VT over Michigan.

Brandon Flowers 6-1, 195, 4.5 Hargrave Military Academy

Schools: VT (OFFER, OV 12/06/03), TN (OFFER)

Latest: Per a brief conversation with Brandon following the Fork Union/Hargrave contest, he will be making his official visit to VT on December 6^th with Antonio Reynolds, Justin Harper, Brandon Setzer, and VT commitments DJ Parker and Cory Holt. Flowers will also make a visit to TN, however VT leads right now.

Damian Sims 5-10, 180, 4.5 John I Leonard (Greenacres, FL)
Schools: ECU (OFFER), Iowa St (OFFER), KSU (OFFER), PITT (OFFER), VT (OFFER)

At a Glance: Damian transferred to John I Leonard before the start of the season. Plays tailback and cornerback for head coach Terry Gough.

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Jamar Adams 6-3, 200, 4.4 Butler (Charlotte, NC)

Schools: MICH (OFFER, OV 09/05/03, Verbal) leads FSU (no offer, OV), UCLA (OFFER, OV 12/12/03), UNC (OFFER, OV 01/09/04), VT (no official offer, OV?)

Latest: Adams committed to Michigan earlier this year, however he will make more official visits and may take all five.

"Yes sir," said Adams when asked if he was making more visits. "I'm going to UCLA on December 12th and UNC on January 9th. And I'm most likely going to take official visits to Virginia Tech and Florida State as well."

Though he remains a Michigan commitment, Adams admitted he cannot rule anyone out because he is taking more visits.

On Virginia Tech, Adams said:

"[VT Commit George] Bell called me last month, and asked if I watched the "Countdown to Signing Day" show," said Adams. "I said no, and the he told me he committed to Virginia Tech. I was pretty shocked. When we were up at Michigan, all he talked about was NC State. After the visit, all he talked about was Michigan. But he was telling me that being at Virginia Tech was like being around family. He says it's really cool up there and I should come up there. I want to go and see for myself why he likes Virginia Tech so much.

"I called Coach [Danny] Pearman and told him I might want to take a visit. He told me to call back if I was absolutely sure and definitely wanted to set something up. Right now, I'm thinking about it and I'll maybe have something set up in the next week."

Donte Herrod 6-1, 190, 4.35 HD Woodson (Washington, DC)

Schools: MD (verbal offer), MICH ST (OFFER), NCSU (OFFER), SYR (OFFER), VT (no offer), WV (OFFER)

At a Glance: Herrod said the following in an October 28^th update� "I'm considering NC State, Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Maryland, West Virginia, and Syracuse," said Herrod. "Right now, the ones I want to visit are NC State, Virginia Tech, Michigan State, and Syracuse. NC State and Virginia Tech are the ones that stand out right now. They both play a similar defense to what we run, and I think I could fit in well at both."

Kent Hicks 6-3, 210, 4.4 Culpeper (Culpeper, VA)
Schools: BC (OFFER), MD (OFFER, 12/06/03), TN (OFFER, OV 12/13/03), UVA (OFFER, OV 10/18/03), VT (OFFER, OV)

At a Glance: Kent has set up official visits to Maryland and Tennessee in December. He says he will definitely make an official to Virginia Tech as well. He has already been to UVA. All five schools are even at the moment.

Purnell Sturdivant 5-11, 225, 4.4 Lake Taylor (Norfolk, VA)
Schools: VT (OFFER, OV 12/06/03) leads CLEM (OFFER), MD (OFFER), NCSU (No offer), SYR (OFFER)

Latest: In an update on November 11^th, Sturdivant says VT is still his clear leader.

"Yep, Virginia Tech is still my leader," said Sturdivant. "I just like the program, the academics, and how they are winning right now. I really like how they communicate with players. They lead, but I want to take all five [official] visits."

He has tentatively set a visit date for December 6^th to Virginia Tech. It is not final.

Sam Wheeler 6-4, 235, 4.7 Blacksburg (Blacksburg, VA)

At a Glance: Wheeler plays fullback and inside linebacker for Coach David Crist. He may attend Hargrave or Fork Union next year to further develop his football skills before getting to Virginia Tech. He could contribute at a number of different positions on the next level because of his size, strength, and athleticism. A good basketball player as well.

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