Priority target and three-star DE Makai Byerson out of Midlothian, VA recently released his top 8 with Virginia Tech making the cut.
Top 8 🏘️ (recruitment still open) pic.twitter.com/zuyfLJYvtn
— Makai Byerson (@Showtimekai) February 9, 2023
The Hokies were joined by Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, West Virginia, Rutgers, Virginia, and Boston College. Some notable offers of his to not make the cut include Maryland, Duke, East Carolina, JMU, and Liberty.
He had this to say about why the Hokies made his top 8.
"I like the school, the program overall, and the ideas and goals those coaches have for that team," Byerson said.
As you would expect, DL coach J.C. Price is leading the charge for the Hokies given that he is not only the position recruiter, but also one of Tech's primary recruiters for the Richmond metro. Byerson had this to say about his relationship with Price.
"He kept it real from the beginning so I definitely rock with him," Byerson said.
It shouldn't be a surprise that Byerson is a priority target for the Hokies at defensive end this cycle after an impressive junior season where he had 113 tackles including 10 for loss with 20 QB hurries. His performance helped him earn First Team All-State and All-Metro (Richmond) honors this past season as a junior.
Combine that with being 6'4'' and 235 pounds, and it's easy to see why he's rightly a big time DE prospect.
So what are the strengths of his game and the weaknesses that he looks to improve on?
"I would say a couple of my strengths would be my athleticism and football IQ," Byreson said. "And things I’m going to work on are faster get offs, and you can always get your hands better."
Byerson also added this on what his offseason goals are.
"Just to get faster and add more twitch so I can make plays quicker and recognize plays way faster," Byerson said.
Some of those things will also mean looking at some of the best in the business and seeing what he can learn from how they play. The Manchester HS had this to say about a player he looks to as a model for how he wants to play at DE.
"I watch a lot of Myles Garrett, the way he can switch up from speed to power is crazy," Byerson said.
There's no doubt that Makai Byerson has shown he can be a playmaker on the edge who has plenty of upside given his great physical tools. Now, the Hokies are hoping they can fight off the competition and make Byerson part of another strong Richmond class.
