Virginia Tech continues to build an impressive 2027 defensive line recruiting class, with the Hokies landing their biggest commitment to date from four-star DL Joseph Buchanan out of McDonogh School in Owings Mills, MD.
Buchanan committed to the Hokies over an impressive list of offers that included Ohio State, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Oregon, Notre Dame, LSU, Tennessee, USC, West Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Duke, NC State, Arkansas, North Carolina, and more.
All three major recruiting services rate him as a four-star recruit with 247 Sports ranking him 176th nationally and Rivals ranking him 196th nationally. He's also ranked as the fourth best recruit in Maryland by Rivals, fifth best by 247 Sports, and seventh best by ESPN.
He is the fourth defensive line commit for the Hokies this cycle, all of which are on the defensive line in three-star DEs Alexander Taylor and Xavier Perkins plus three-star DT Brock Frisby.
At 6'3-4'' and 260-270 pounds, Buchanan likely projects as a defensive tackle at the collegiate level as he continues to fill out his frame. There is a possibility that he could land at defensive end with Buchanan spending plenty of time there during his high school career to date, but there are plenty of bigger, high school defensive ends who grow into defensive tackles by the time they reach college.
This is a tremendous recruiting victory for James Franklin and the Hokies to land a high-caliber defensive lineman like Buchanan, and a great sign that the recruiting magic Franklin had at Penn State will translate to VT beyond just the transition class. DL coach Sean Spencer has lived up to the hype on the recruiting trail so far building an impressive class headlined by the additions of Buchanan and Perkins this week against stiff competition.
