Our scouting report series of Virginia Tech's 2023 class continues as we take a look at one of the Hokies' December flips, three-star WR Ayden Greene.
Here's a rundown of the players who we've done scouting reports on so far.
- 3* QB Dylan Wittke
- 3* QB William Watson III
- 3* RB Tralon Mitchell
- 3* RB Jeremiah Coney
Greene was a top WR target for the Hokies early on before committing to Cincinnati in the spring. However, the Hokies kept recruiting Greene which would pay off as he would decommit from the Bearcats and visit the Hokies after Luke Fickell left Cincy to become the head coach at Wisconsin. It didn't take long for Tech to close to the deaf after landing him soon after ahead of the Early Signing Day.
It's easy to understand why the Hokies were excited about Greene given his high school production as he had 30 touchdowns including 15 this past season while also averaging a HS career best 17.1 yards per reception. He finished his 2022 season with 56 receptions for 956 yards averaging almost 80 yards per game in 12 games this season.
When you have that type of production that not only continually improves but also has been at a high level for years, it's easy to predict that he has a good chance to be a very productive player at the collegiate level. However, not all big numbers are equal based on a whole lot of factors.
So what does the tape say about Greene? Let's take a look.
Ayden Greene may not be a burner as a receiver, but he does have good speed which blends well with his 6'2'' size. He's also able to maintain his top speed well for the type of big plays that can be difference makers when they go for touchdowns instead of simply long, field-flipping gains.
One of the biggest things with Greene is the fact that he's great with 50-50 balls both adjusting well in air and having a pretty good vertical to go over the top of opposing DBs. His time playing defensive back as well in high school likely has helped him both with his ball skills and making catches through contact. He also has good timing and hand-eye coordinator when it comes to knowing when to go up and be at his jump's highest point when the ball arrives.
While there are plenty of home run passes on Greene's highlight tape, there's also plenty of dump-offs and underneath passes that show how dynamic of a playmaker Greene can be. His agility is very good as he can change directions fairly easily once he gets the ball including one play where he turns up field so smoothly that it prevents the DB who's fairly close to him from even having a chance at a tackle.
He's also not afraid of contact either breaking tackles plenty of times while also gaining extra yards through contact even when being brought down. We talk about that a lot with running backs being able to generate those extra yards but that can be just as valuable for receivers in a sport where so man games can come down single-possession margins.
Like most high school receivers, Greene has plenty of room to develop as a route runner, but he brings a stronger foundation than many having a good base route tree that has all the types of things that you would hope for him to have.
Looking ahead, Greene definitely a guy who could come in and be an early contributor for the Hokies as soon as this season. The talent is certainly there and the fact that he is already on campus for spring football definitely boosts him even more. In the long term, it's easy to see why he was a priority WR target as he a great set of skills that can be developed into a big time playmaking wide receiver on the outside.
It's easy to see why Ayden Greene was one of Fontel Mines' top WR targets during the 2023 cycle with the Hokies' persistence helping them land a talented prospect who could contribute from day 1.
