Hokies go to Maryland for TE

Virginia Tech grabbed their third commitment from Maryland when they picked up a verbal from tight end Andre Smith. The Germantown (Md.) Seneca Valley prospect chose the Hokies over offers from Virginia, Marshall, Kansas, Akron, Kent and Miami (Ohio).

"First of all I fell in love with the campus and the coaching staff," he said. "All the coaches are really down-to-earth and they didn't try to baby me. I particularly liked coach Ball because he was really involved and made sure I was ok. He's also a religious guy and very friendly. As for the school, I just like the facilities, classrooms and staff that I've met there."

The 6-foot-4, 234-pounder with 4.7-second speed finally decided on his commitment yesterday.

"I kind of had my decision set for a while, but I wanted to check out the other coaches and surroundings. All the other campuses didn't compare to Tech," he said. "I feel really relieved and it's a big weight off my shoulders. Now I have nothing else to focus on, I just have to take care of football and my academics."

The No. 22 player in Maryland hopes to add more to the Hokies arsenal when he gets to Blacksburg.

"I think I can bring some speed to the line and receiving wise," he said. "I hope to bring it up a little more and a better reputation for tight ends there. They don't seem to get too huge up there."

Smith plans to attend multiple Virginia Tech games this season.

"The coaches definitely want me to come up and interact with the players," he said. "When I watch them this year, I'm going to observe a lot of what they do with the tight ends. I also want to see how much they receive the ball."

The ninth commitment for the Hokies was named honorable mention all-metro after accounting for 70 tackles, four sacks and one interception. He added eight receptions, 200 yards receiving and three touchdowns on offense.