It has been a big weekend on the recruiting trail for Virginia Tech headlined by the Hokies landing a major commitment from four-star LB Xavier Simmons.
Want to thank my family, coaches, teachers and teammates who have helped me along the way!! With that being said I am blessed and thankful to say I am committed to @HokiesFB ❗️❗️#GoHokies 🦃 @CoachFuente @JackInTheBox58 pic.twitter.com/UMhsT2dVe6
— Xavier Simmons (@Xmansimmons) June 19, 2021
Simmons is the second defensive commit of this class alongside 757 DL standout Lemar Law Jr and is the first 2022 commit from the state of North Carolina. He's also the first linebacker commit in this class for Tech.
Simmons has been one of Tech's top 2022 defensive targets for over a year now even through the departure of Tracy Claeys and promotion of Jack Tyler to LBs coach. Tech has faced plenty of stiff competition from the likes of in-state schools North Carolina, NC State, and Duke plus others like Oklahoma and South Carolina.
Simmons took an official visit to Virginia Tech on the first weekend of June with that visit clearly paying off for the Hokies in taking control of his recruitment and closing the deal to land a priority target.
There's no doubt that Simmons is a fascinating prospect with tremendous athleticism and size at 6'3'' and 225 pounds according to 247 Sports. Most believe that he will be a mike linebacker for the Hokies though his athleticism and size could allow him to play backer or even grow into a defensive end given his frame.
While Tech hasn't had as much success in the state of North Carolina recently, their high success rate out of the Greensboro area that is only a couple hours away from Blacksburg continues to shine with this Simmons commitment.
This is also a big moment for new LBs coach Jack Tyler with this commitment being a clear indication of the promise that he brings as a recruiter on the Hokies' staff in addition to his coaching ability that led to him calling defensive plays against Duke this past season with Justin Hamilton and Ryan Smith both out.
With Simmons on board, Tech could take another linebacker with in-state LB Tyler Banks being a top target. Banks and Simmons would form a strong LB class with Tech having a great chance due to Banks' ties to Tech via his relative, former VT LB standout Rayshard Ashby.
