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Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Notes January 29th

Jesse Hanson Junior Day 1
The Virginia Tech Hokies are busy on the recruiting trail as they look to close out the 2018 recruiting cycle well and build momentum for their 2019 and 2020 classes. The Hokies will have a chance to build some 2019 momentum right after National Signing Day. The Hokies are also continuing to send out some new offers across the country. With that said, here are some 2019 and 2020 recruiting updates.

Jesse Hanson Sets His Commitment Date

Jesse Hanson is one of the top offensive line targets for the Hokies in 2019. Yesterday, Hanson set a date for making his commitment. https://twitter.com/jessehanson72/status/957687582569259010 Jesse Hanson will make his collegiate commitment on February 8th, the day after National Signing Day. Hanson saw his offer list grow significantly this past fall to include numerous power 5 programs including the Hokies. Hanson visited Blacksburg for Junior Day with that visit going extremely well and definitely putting VT "high up there" in his recruitment. After that visit, we put in a prediction for Hanson to Virginia Tech based on our conversation with him and what we have been hearing. We continue to stand by that prediction as the Hokies continue to be the favorite with UVA being the top challenger to the Hokies at this point. Keeping Hanson in Southwest Virginia would be a great recruiting victory for the Hokies especially after they kept the top 2 2018 SWVA recruits (James Mitchell, Cole Beck) in SWVA. Adding Hanson to the 2019 class would also give VT more in-state momentum with three-star ATH Jahad Carter already on board. The Hokies are in great shape for Jesse Hanson and have a great opportunity to gain a big 2019 recruiting boost the day after National Signing Day via one of their top offensive line targets.

Virginia Tech Offers Woody Baron's Brother

There have been plenty of sets of brothers who have played for the Hokies over the years including the Fullers and the Edmunds brothers. Now, there may be another family name that becomes synonymous with VT for more than just one player. https://twitter.com/Tylerbaron23/status/957326613418577926 The Hokies offered 2020 DE Tyler Baron recently. Baron is the brother of former VT star and All-ACC First Team DT Woody Baron. Baron has a strong offer list that includes the following schools according to 247 Sports:
  • ACC: Virginia Tech, NC State, North Carolina, Virginia
  • SEC: LSU, Tennessee, Florida, Ole Miss
  • Big 10: Indiana
  • Pac-12: Oregon
That is a strong offer list, but the fact that the Hokies have a major connection via his brother is a significant advantage for the Hokies. It's clear that Baron will be a top target for many programs with the Hokies having the opportunity to continue their family tradition as they pursue another Baron in the 2020 class. Having the brotherly connection is far from a guarantee but at a school like Virginia Tech that has traditionally had success recruiting brothers, it helps a lot.

2020 S Antonio Johnson Talks About His Virginia Tech Offer

Last week, Virginia Tech offered a pair of 2020 recruits in the St. Louis area including defensive back Antonio Johnson. We caught up with Johnson to ask about his Hokies' offer, and the impact it has on his recruitment since VT is the first school to offer him. "It’s very significant because it’s my first D1 offer, and it’s also a great school in the ACC. I will not forget it later when making my decision," Johnson told us. Johnson is receiving a fair amount of interest as he told us that Alabama, Tennessee, and Bowling Green are the schools in contact with him the most. However, you can expect the Hokies to increase their amount of contact with him after offering him last week. St. Louis is not a common area for the Hokies to recruit in whatsoever, but the Hokies aren't afraid to have a more national footprint in recruiting at times. That's showing here with the Hokies' pursuit of Johnson and teammate Lawaun Powell.

Photo Credit: @jessehanson72

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