Sports Staff
The Virginia Tech football team capped off one of its most successful recruiting classes in school history by receiving letters of intent from nine of the top 15 players in the Commonwealth of Virginia, including two of the top five linebackers in the nation.
Linebackers Xavier Adibi of Hampton (and brother of Tech defensive end Nathaniel Adibi), along with Vince Hall of Chesapeake headline the 2003 Tech recruiting class.
The two were ranked as the number four and five linebackers in the nation, respectively. Hall received the honor of Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year.
?I think (Hall) is a big-time player,? said Tech head coach Frank Beamer during a teleconference. ?He?s got a knack for playing linebacker, his instincts are very good, and he?s got the size to go with it.?
In addition, defensive end Chris Ellis of Hampton declared his intent to play for Tech on yesterday?s signing day. Ellis was rated No. 13 defensive end in the nation as well as the third best player in Virginia.
?I think we got some great athletes in this class and some good-character kids,? Beamer said. ?I think quite a few have a chance to play (immediately).?
Offensively, the 2003 recruiting class is lead by offensive lineman Tripp Carroll from Jacksonville, Fla. He was ranked as the No. 13 offensive lineman in the nation.
In addition, the signings of tight ends John Kinzer and Nick Marshman and fullback Joey Razzano headlined the offensive recruits.
Marshman ranked as the 23rd best player from the Commonwealth, while Kinzer ranked No. 5 in the nation among all tight ends.
Kinzer?s size, however, may entice the Tech coaching staff to switch him over to the offensive line.
Razzano, ranked as the No. 7 fullback in the nation, may be one of the major steals the Hokies were able to acquire.
?Razzano was the best blocking fullback I saw,? said ESPN recruiting analyst Tom Lemming.
Defensively, Tech finished by recruiting three of the top five players in the Commonwealth, with the University of Virginia landing the fourth ranked player, defensive back Phillip Brown.
?Virginia Tech did a really nice job recruiting in-state this year,? Lemming said. ?They filled all their needs.?
Carroll, Razzano and wide receiver David Clowney from Delray Beach, Fla., are key players who have the biggest ?sleeper? potential among the recruits.
Clowney is a six-foot-one receiver with great speed, and the coaches are thrilled to bring him to Blacksburg.
One of the more intriguing recruits who committed to Tech includes six-foot-three Michael Hinton, coming from Hargrave Military Academy. Hinton?s size and speed make him an excellent cornerback prospect, where the coaches are going to play him in 2003, but has the talent to play wide receiver offensively as well.
Like Chris Gamble of the national champion Ohio State, Hinton may gain the opportunity to play both sides of the ball later in his Tech career.
Overall, Tech finished by handing out 23 football scholarships, including nine to out-of-state players. The coaching staff will prepare to evaluate potential walk-on players for the team.