Brent Pry has prioritized recruiting the footprint with that largely being the 6-hour radius around Blacksburg in his viewpoint. That includes recruiting into the state of Ohio for the right players with three-star OL Jake Wheelock fitting that mold.
It may be early in his recruitment, but the Hokies are off to a strong start in his recruitment.
Wheelock told us that Virginia Tech currently leads for him adding this about why the Hokies are standing out for him to the point of being his current leader.
"It’s a program that’s looking to change things and I believe they will! I love the coaches especially Coach (Joe) Rudolph, who is a great O-line coach who I would love to play for. I would love to be a part of VT’s turn around. On top of that, they believed me at a time where most didn’t," Wheelock said.
The Dayton, Ohio added about how he would describe his relationship with Joe Rudolph.
"Our bond grows and grows every time we talk. He came all the way to Dayton just for me, and it’s obvious he sees something in me," Wheelock said.
Grad assistant Austin Fields is also heavily involved in Tech's recruitment of Wheelock. He had this to say about his relationship with Fields.
"Me and him talk like best friends. He was the one who talked to me the most at first. He still facetimes me and we have good talks. He’s always checking in on me," Wheelock said.
While the Hokies are currently Wheelock's only Power 5 offer, that seems very likely to change as he told us that he is currently receiving interest from Ohio State, Purdue, and Duke currently.
Looking ahead, he told us that he plans to visit Virginia Tech on January 28th in addition to plans to visit Toledo and Eastern Michigan for their upcoming Junior Days. Currently, he doesn't have a specific timeline for making a decision but isn't worried about setting a specific date either as he told us.
"As of now, not yet. I’m just going to go through with recruiting and when the time seems right, I will go where I feel like I should go. I’m also going to make sure I don’t wait too long as I want to be locked in at a good time as well," Wheelock said.
So what are the key factors in his decision-making process?
"Location, academics, culture, and matching what a team wants from an offensive lineman," Wheelock said.
The Hokies are in a strong position early on for Jake Wheelock with a great chance to build on that later this month.
