Five players new Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry needs to flip
The Virginia Tech football program hasn't been clicking on all cylinders, but Brent Pry has been hired to give it a jolt. There are plenty of big-time players in Virginia and Maryland who are committed elsewhere.
Here are five recruits Pry and his staff could try to flip.
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Jennings has been committed to North Carolina since July and hasn't wavered but there are some strong connections the new Virginia Tech coaching staff could exploit. The Richmond native visited Blacksburg a few times before he committed and he's very familiar with the atmosphere and people at Virginia Tech.
On top of that, Jennings' father played at Virginia Tech in the 1990s.
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Covil has always liked Virginia Tech and visited the campus a handful of times before ultimately committing to Clemson. The Tigers were his dream school but Virginia Tech has some strong ties in the area, his school and to the people around him.
There is also some uncertainty surrounding Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who is a candidate to fill the head coaching vacancy at Oklahoma. Covil did take a visit to North Carolina in the last month or two, signaling his recruitment may not be completely shutdown.
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Over the years Virginia Tech's defense has been known for having big, physical cornerbacks. Pry's defenses at Penn State were slightly different but there could be a great fit with Bridges.
Penn State did offer him but he committed to Cincinnati anyway. Expect Pry and his staff to get back in the mix with Bridges and see if they can sway him.
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It would be a little out of character for Pry to go after a current Penn State commit but Johnson makes too much sense. Johnson lives less than two hours from campus and did visit this past offseason.
There is certainly some familiarity between Pry and Johnson so another visit to see Virginia Tech or hosting the new staff for an in-home visit is definitely within the realm of possibility.
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Gobaira is a somebody Penn State wanted badly before he committed to Notre Dame and Pry knows him well. With the Notre Dame coaching situation in flux, expect Pry to mount a big push to get Gobaira to flip.
How this turns out could have a lot to do with who ends up being the next head coach at Notre Dame but Pry and his staff will make sure they're in position to be the beneficiary if things don't play out in South Bend like Gobaira hopes.