Hokies team to beat for DT

Defensive tackle Daryl Robertson has named his top five and has even put them in numerical order. Which teams are at the top of the list for the 6-foot-3, 300-pound prospect?

"My top five are Virginia Tech number one, Maryland number two, Wake at three, Colorado at four and Virginia at five," he said. "After that it would probably be North Carolina and North Carolina State."

Robertson currently holds offers from Virginia Tech, Virginia, Maryland and Wake Forest. A few weeks back the prospect attended Virginia's elite recruiting day.

"It was an honor to be up there with some of the great talent," he said. "It was fun and there were only about 15 players there. The defensive line coach was impressive and he seemed to know a whole lot. They have really nice facilities and the entire staff was nice. Virginia has a good academic program; it's one of the top ones in the nation. The football program is always high in the ACC so I would be able to get recognized."

What does the prospect think about the other schools in his top five?

"I like that Virginia Tech is close to home and some of my family goes there so it would be like I'm at home. They have good academics too and their football program is doing really good right now," he said. "When I went to Maryland, I felt like I was at home. You can get anywhere in five minutes and that's just like where I'm from. It isn't that big of a college which means I can get to know everybody real quick so that's a plus. Although they are kind of far from where I live and I want my family to be able to watch me play.

"I've got family in North Carolina and as long as my mom and dad can get there it would be ok to go to Wake Forest. They have good academics and compete in the ACC. They are also somewhere I know I can go in and play right away. Colorado would get me out of Virginia, but I don't know too much about them. The coach was telling me he loved my film and they are just waiting for my transcript. I think I'm going to take a visit there sometime."

This summer Robertson will be attending camps at Virginia Tech, Virginia and North Carolina.

The Bedford (Va.) Liberty prospect is preparing to make a decision about his commitment sometime around Signing Day.

Despite earning all-region honors on offense and defense, Robertson is looking to improve his game even more next season.

"I've got to work on my speed and quickness, I also want to get my footwork down," he said. "I think that'll make me much more explosive and usually offensive lineman are either big and slow or small and fast. If I get my speed up, I can blow straight past them or power through them with my size."

Robertson recorded 75 tackles as a junior last year.