Virginia Tech was the second to offer 2022 CB Jaeden Gould last fall as the New Jersey recruit was emerging as one of the top defensive players in his class. That came to a head when Gould was named a MaxPreps High School Freshman All-American after having a very good freshman season for New Jersey powerhouse Bergen Catholic.
Since then, the rising sophomore has seen his recruitment take off with Gould now having offers from nine Power 5 programs that include schools in the ACC, SEC, and Big 10.
Now, Gould is hoping to take several visits this upcoming summer including one to Virginia Tech. When Gould does visit Blacksburg, his recruitment will look a lot different from what it did when he visited last summer and did not have an offer at that point.
Gould visited Michigan earlier this spring while he is also looking to visit Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and Florida this summer though that list may grow depending on the offers that come.
Obviously, Gould is a top 2022 priority for the Hokies and so far, he has built a good relationship with CBs coach Brian Mitchell who has also been the Hokies' lead recruiter in New Jersey during the Justin Fuente era.
"It’s pretty cool, he’s down to earth and he knows what he’s talking about, and you can tell by the DBs that he’s coached and all of their success that’s he’s a great coach and definitely someone I could see being my coach in the future," Gould said.
While it's definitely quite early in his recruitment, the fact that Gould can see himself playing for and being coached by Brian Mitchell at the collegiate level is a great sign that the Hokies should be a major contender throughout his recruitment.
New Jersey has also been a priority area for the Hokies with Virginia Tech having plenty of success including the signing of four-star DB Ny'Quee Hawkins and the current commitment of 2020 three-star LB Tyreem Powell. That defensive success in the state of New Jersey, especially at defensive back with three New Jersey DBs signing in the past four classes, shows the type of success Brian Mitchell has had recruiting Jersey DBs.
Jaeden Gould is still a long ways away from his Signing Day but two things are quite clear: Gould will be one of the best cornerbacks in the 2022 class and the Hokies will be a major contender throughout his recruitment.
