As the Brent Pry era really hits full swing on the recruiting trail with Pry on the job now for 6+ months, we take a look at where the Hokies stand both in this recruiting cycle and the next one at every position, and who the names to know are.
Today, we start with the quarterback position where 2023 is set while the 2024 board is already taking shape with top targets emerging. Check out the rest of our stories on VT recruiting below.
2023 Should Be Set With Dylan Wittke
Virginia Tech appears to likely only take one quarterback this cycle with three-star QB Dylan Wittke out of Georgia powerhouse Buford HS being that guy. Wittke is a very intriguing prospect given the fact that he hasn't had the QB spot to himself after splitting time with Stanford signee Ashton Daniels in 2021.
That will change in 2022 with the Hokies potentially getting in early for a guy who could easily impress a lot of people in the fall given early indications of what he's shown to date. He's also a guy that comes from a highly successful program with a winning culture which is a great background for a QB to have given the natural leadership role of that position.
Wittke will also take his official visit to Virginia Tech this upcoming weekend and will likely be trying to recruit some of the uncommitted recruits to join him in Blacksburg.
If Tech were to consider taking a second quarterback which seems very unlikely at this point, there aren't a lot of names even to connect to Tech out of Mississippi three-star QB Vic Sutton who has a VT offer and has shown lots of interest in VT on social media earlier this year.
At this point though, Dylan Wittke is Tech's 2023 QB and there's no indication to think that'll change or grow this cycle among high school recruits. Now could the Hokies look to the JUCO route or transfer portal to add an older guy given that Tech currently projects to only have 4 scholarship QBs at most in 2023? That would seem like a possibility, but it's too early to speculate on that or any potential names.
The Early 2024 QB Names to Watch
So who are the names to watch in the 2024 class for the Hokies at quarterback?
National powerhouse St Frances (Baltimore, MD) standout Michael Van Buren already appears to be one of Virginia Tech's top 2024 QB targets with Van Buren having visited the Hokies previously in late January with Tech extending an offer then as well. Van Buren is already rated as a four-star QB with a strong offer list that also includes Alabama, Penn State, Michigan, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, West Virginia, and more in addition to VT.
Even with that, Tech should be considered a serious contender as Tech has made some positive first impressions while offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen has loads of DMV ties including to the talented private school football leagues that dominate the region. This may also prove to be a big test of the recruiting chops of Bowen with this recruiting battle as well.
The wave of great quarterbacks out of Virginia has calmed in recent years, but may be increasing again with Highland Springs standout Khristian Martin who the Hokies have already offered along with Maryland, Indiana, and more. Tech has plenty of ties to Highland Springs with former players on staff headlined by Loren Johnson at HC with Tech also having lots of recent recruiting success at Highland Springs, currently holding a commitment from three-star ATH Takye Heath this cycle.
Four-star QB Tyler Aronson out of Florida is an interesting name to watch as he was just recently offered by the Hokies and has family ties to Tech via a pair of alum uncles along with family living in VA. He told us that he plans to take his first visit to Blacksburg this upcoming weekend. He also recently transferred to renowned St Thomas Aquinas after a strong sophomore season elsewhere in Florida so Tech getting in early could be beneficial for a guy who will have the stage to impress just about any and every coach in the country.
Tech has had recruiting success in the Jacksonville area in the past and have an extended an offer to QB Riley Trujillo out of Bartram Trail HS. Four-star QB Jake Merklinger is another early VT QB offer for the 2024 cycle out of Savannah, GA where Shawn Quinn was the head coach at local Savannah State before joining Brent Pry's staff so there's a connection there, but also a strong offer list that Tech is a part of.
If you want to look all the way ahead to 2025, note that Tech has only offered three QBs per 247 Sports' tracking of it. It does include Colin Hurley out of Jacksonville's Trinity Christian where Tech has had plenty of recruiting success in the past along with Malik Washington from Maryland.
