How does a second coming of Brandon Flowers sound?
With the recruitment and signing of cornerback/kick returner Jayron Hosley, that is what some are saying. The Virginia Tech defense appears to be set at cornerback for another four years.
Hosley, who stands 5'11" and weighs 180 pounds, comes from Atlantic Community High School in Delray Beach, Fla., the same high school former Tech cornerback Brandon Flowers attended.
It is no coincidence that both are Hokies.
"Brandon brought (Hosley) up by himself," said Tech defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. "From a personnel standpoint, Brandon was always sharp. He would tell me, 'Coach, you have got to recruit this guy.'"
Flowers told Gray that Hosley is basically a mirror image of himself, except faster.
"That's a heck of a compliment coming from a player like him (Flowers)," Gray said. "If Hosley can be anywhere close to that, we will be more than pleased with him here."
"Brandon and I have similar playing styles," Hosley said. "To hear him comparing me to him at the level he is at, I think that's great."
Tech was late to recruit Hosley, joining the pursuit in January, but it didn't matter. Hosley had been waiting for Tech for a while.
"I wanted a Virginia Tech offer," Hosley said. "If I got an offer from them, that's where I was going. After my visit, it sealed the deal. They showed me around campus and the area. It's a nice campus with the scene. The locker room was nice and the facilities were really good. The coaches were really down to earth and the players were really cool."
On Feb. 6, Hosley finally made his commitment to the Hokies. With spring camps just around the corner, what can the Hokie nation expect from the incoming freshman?
"He's an explosive player," said Santaluces Community's Paul Meunier, who coaches Atlantic's rival football squad. "We were always cognizant of where he was. On special teams we tried to kick away from him because of that explosiveness."
"He has the tools to be very good," Gray said. "He has instinct and play-making ability that will be a real asset to us."
With the Beamerball philosophy of score on offense, defense and special teams, Hosley will fit right in.
"He had a lot of long plays and interceptions," Gray said. "The ball seemed to be a magnet to him. The ball just seems to find this guy."
When at cornerback, Hosley doesn't necessarily feel he is on defense.
"I always like to have the ball," Hosley said. "When the ball is in the air, it's anybody's ball."
Hosley enjoys playing his part and being a good teammate -- no unnecessary flashy moves after a play.
"I'm a laid-back player that likes to be aggressive," Hosley said. "Not so much an angry player. I just like to make plays."
That kind of attitude stems from Hosley's family life. He is extremely close with his family, and he said the trip to Virginia from Florida won't change anything.
"My family is number one for me," Hosley said. "They keep me focused and I like to spend time with them. We are going to stay in contact and talk every week. It won't be too hard knowing they are behind me."
The coaching staff also noticed this connection.
"The kid is very close with his family," Gray said. "I was impressed with how tight-knit they were."
Hosley will quickly become acquainted with the intensity of college level football. The speed and complexity of the game is something both Gray and Meunier agree will be Hosley's biggest challenge as he makes the transition to Division I football.
"For any high school player, the toughest task is adjusting to the speed of the game," Meunier said. "Even playing in the speed of varsity football here in south Florida wasn't enough."
"(First-year production) will depend on how well he can pick up the play book mentally and translate that onto the field," Gray said.
Hosley knows the challenge ahead of him and is ready to start.
"(I've got to) adapt to the college level, work hard and stay focused," Hosley said. "I expect to be great and get better every year and be the top guy coming out of college to further my career."
Expectations are something Hosley is ready to make a reality.
"It's a really great defense now," Hosley said. "I'm a good player coming in, and we have more good layers coming in, so we can be really great. We have great potential and I think we can win one, two or three (national championships)."