Our breakdown of Virginia Tech football recruiting for the 2023 & 2024 classes continues at the wide receiver position with plenty of action happening. Below is links to our previous breakdowns of quarterback and running back before we jump into the WR breakdown.
2023 Class Filling But Still Plenty of Room For A Large Class
Virginia Tech already has one talented wide receiver committed in three-star Marcell Baylor out of nearby Radford, VA as Tech continues to dominate on the recruiting trail among recruits within a two-hour radius. Tech also has a commitment from three-star ATH Takye Heath who could project as a slot receiver or at DB though the WR side seems more likely for the in-state Highland Springs HS standout.
Baylor fills that bigger receiver role at 6'3'' while Heath projects as more of a slot guy with Tech haing room for at least a couple more receivers especially given how Heath kind of fills a swing athlete role in this class.
So where does Tech go from here? Well any WR conversation has to start with four-star North Carolinian Chris Culliver out of Maiden HS, the same HS where Tech found former VT star and current NFL CB Caleb Farley.
Culliver included Virginia Tech in his top 7, but the Hokies have looked like a frontrunner for a while now alongside in-state North Carolina with Culliver having plans to take official to Chapel Hill on the third weekend of June and Blacksburg on the fourth.
Tech also was able to get Culliver on campus this spring and has made a massive push for Culliver who is clearly one of their top WR targets. The officials will be the second 2022 visits for VT and UNC with Culliver, and seem poise to play a decisive role with both schools certainly trying to land his commitment not long after he takes those.
Three-star WR Kyrstian Williams out of Richmond is another big time target for Tech who visited Blacksburg for the Spring Game and will also be taking an official on the fourth weekend of June. According to On3, he has plans to take an official to Rutgers this weekend though Tech does seem in good position going into his upcoming officials. He also took an unofficial this spring to Northwestern with former VT assistant Ryan Smith on staff who has loads of VA connections.
There are a couple newer names on the board starting with four-star WR Carmelo Taylor out of Roanoke who recently received an offer from Virginia Tech before receiving a surge after including ones from Penn State and South Carolina. Taylor has plans to take officials to Penn State and South Carolina along with an unofficial to Tech with South Carolina this weekend and PSU two weekends after per On3. While the proximity with Taylor may not make an official as important, it would definitely be ideal to get him for an official and if they can't in June, keep this recruitment alive longer.
Four-star WR Cameron Seldon out of Northhumberland HS in VA falls into the big name target where there's a lot unknown about him though he has taken a visit to Virginia Tech this spring. Unfortunately, Seldon appears to be trending out-of-state with three officials the next three weekends to Maryland, Tennessee, and Penn State in that order per On3.
Four-star ATH Zack Myers also falls into the more unknown category but unlike Seldon, the Arden, NC standout has tweeted out that he will be taking an official to Virginia Tech the fourth weekend of June following one to NC State the weekend prior per On3. He also took visits to Clemson and Alabama last weekend and will visit Notre Dame in between his officials. There's not much known about Myers but these surprises will happen once or twice when you have a new staff in place.
Three-star 757 WR Paul Billups Jr is another in-state standout with the Hokies hosting him on campus back in January and making his top 8. However, he seems to be trending elsewhere with officials scheduled to Michigan State the third weekend of June and North Carolina the following weekend.
Four-star WR Adarius Redmond out of Tennessee took a visit to Virginia Tech back in March though there isn't too much else known on him.
Three-star WR Ryan Manning out of Baltimore powerhouse St Frances also was on campus earlier this spring and included VT in his top 5 though he has an official to Minnesota this upcoming weekend with no others currently scheduled per 247 Sports. Manning also fits the slot mold that Heath does so we'll see if Tech wants to bring on another true slot guy or not.
Tech is looking at the JUCO front as well via WR Colbie Young out of renowned PA JUCO program Lackawanna where Tech has sent out multiple offers. Young has visited Blacksburg previously this spring with the Hokies getting in early though the 6'4'' WR's offer list has grown since.
WR recruiting is loaded with big name talent with the Hokies looking to land a few more of their top targets after hosting multiple of them on campus for official visits before the end of the month.
2024 Headlined By In-State Standouts
The 2024 class at wide receiver is a great chance and test in some ways for Virginia Tech in VA recruiting given the loads of talent at the position.
It starts with four-star WR Keylen Adams out of Green Run HS in the 757 who is poised to be one of the premier VA recruits in a 2024 in-state class that has the potential to be stronger than the 2023 cycle. Adams is the type of big time recruit that Virginia Tech needs to land way more often under Brent Pry than they did under Justin Fuente.
Adams also has a teammate with a Tech offer in three-star Tasean Young-Stieff who looks like an early slot WR target for VT.
He also isn't the only big time WR recruit as four-star Mekhai White out of King George, VA is listed as an ATH by some, but is a WR first prospect. White has a big time offer list already. Tech has already gotten him on campus in late January with Tech ready to make him a priority.
White also has a talented teammate in four-star Chanz Wiggins who is another big outside receiver that is poised to be a big time target for the Hokies and numerous others, but Tech will need to get on campus.
Three-star WR Lamar Booker out of Richmond is another intriguing in-state WR with a Tech offer who is also teammates with 2023 target Krystian Williams at the Collegiate School. If Tech can land Williams, it could be a small boost in their pursuit of Booker as well.
The in-state talent in the slot is also strong with three-star WR Eric Smith out of Midlothian, VA and three-star WR Jamauri Knox out of Oscar Smith HS with Eric Smith having visited Blacksburg this spring.
Three-star Da'Vontae Floyd out of the 757's Maury HS looks like a similar two-way talent to current VT commit Takye Heath in terms of being able to be a WR or CB in the 2024 class. Joshua Clarke doesn't fit the pure slot profile at 6'1'', but he is a name to know as the Hokies recently offered the Oakton, VA standout.
Looking outside of VA, five-star ATH Quinton Martin was on campus this past weekend and though the PA standout may be a reach, Tech is definitely ready to make a run at one of 2024's elite East Coast talents. The Hokies hosted four-star WR Mazeo Bennett out of South Carolina in April with Bennett's visit going well.
Tech's recruitment of NC wide receivers continues in 2024 with four-star Alex Taylor out of Greensboro who visited Virginia Tech for the Spring Game. Four-star NC recruits Jonathan Paylor and Micah Gilbert visited VT during the previous staff though Tech will have to get them back on campus if there is mutual interest to likely get back in those recruitments.
While Tech is looking at some outside talents, the Hokies are also prioritizing many in-state wide receivers in what is a much deeper 2024 class in terms of VA WR talent.
