Virginia Tech OL coach Joe Rudolph became known for offering a limited number of offensive linemen during his time at Wisconsin and he has taken a similar approach in Blacksburg. That small list of offered or re-offered offensive linemen in the 2023 class grew slightly this week as the Hokies offered three-star OL Austin Barrett out of Saint Charles, Illinois
BLESSED to receive my 14th offer from VIRGINIA TECH! @CoachJoeRudolph @EDGYTIM @AllenTrieu @PrepRedzoneIL pic.twitter.com/TA8vsVI4go
— Austin Barrett (@austinbarrett04) April 5, 2022
Barrett had this to say about his reaction to receiving an offer from the Hokies.
"I was kind of shocked because me and Coach Rudolph have known each other for a while, and it was good to hear from him and also receive an offer from him," Barrett said.
Barrett also had this say about how that conversation went with Rudolph as a whole.
"It was great when he offered me. I wanted to go crazy because I’ve waited for those words from him for years now," Barrett said.
Now you may be wondering at this point what connection led Rudolph and the Hokies to offer an offensive lineman from Illinois along with where the prior relationship between Barrett and Rudolph came from. Barrett explained the deep family connection that Rudolph has to his family.
"Coach Rudolph coached my older brother at Wisconsin and also recruited me there for a couple years now. And when he moved to VT, we still stayed in touch and we have had a strong relationship for a while!" Barrett said.
Austin Barrett's brother is current Wisconsin OL Dylan Barrett who played in a couple games this past season after not playing in 2020. That connection has helped Austin Barrett build a strong relationship with Joe Rudolph as he expanded upon.
"Well we have known each other for awhile and we know exactly what both of us want in a football program in the sense that we need to run the ball and play tough football," Barrett said.
So with that context in mind, how does this offer impact Barrett's recruitment and where Virginia Tech stands in it?
"They are definitely up there right now with the offers I have. If you asked me where I would commit, I couldn’t tell you. Everything is kind of up in the air right now," Barrett said.
Barrett had this to say about why the Hokies are "definitely up there right now" in his recruitment.
"Because of the relationship I have with Coach Rudolph and also, VT has a culture similar to what I’m looking for in a college," Barrett said.
Looking ahead, Barrett told us that he is looking to make his decision "ideally before my season but if that's not possible, that's no sweat to me." Before then, Barrett told us that Virginia Tech is a school he is hoping to visit soon which would be his first visit. Iowa and Wisconsin are also schools he's hoping to visit with both having not offered yet and being potential major challenges to the Hokies.
Virginia Tech has a strong connection to Austin Barrett through Joe Rudolph that has opened the door for the Hokies to be a major player in Barrett's recruitment and makes him an offensive line target worth monitoring.
