Can Virginia Tech Land Three-Star Offensive Tackle Jermiel Atkins Tomorrow When He Commits?
One of Virginia Tech's offensive tackle targets is set to make his commitment on the Fourth of July and is considering Virginia Tech in his final three schools.
Thank you to all the coaches and schools who recruited me in this process, it is appreciated and I am forever grateful..... COMMITTING JULY 4th #Top3 @FBCoachWolf @vincemarrow @Callybrian @Crook_VT @CoachCamFB4 @Kivy9292 @TMRamFootball @CoachTreWB @BuiltbyCRF pic.twitter.com/8A2335N03c
— Jermiel Atkins (@JermielAtkins) June 4, 2024
Jermiel Atkins has narrowed his list down to three schools, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Kentucky Wildcats, and the Virginia Tech Hokies.
According to 247Sports, Atkins is the 47th ranked offensive tackle in the country, and the 19th best player in Ohio. Jermiel took his official visit on June 7th, and is the only 2025 tackle in this cycle to take an official visit.
Virginia Tech had started this cycle's recruiting class pretty quiet, but has ramped up quickly in recent memory. Just recently, Virginia Tech picked up their first player ranked nationally by 247Sports. That player was ATH Matthew Outten, the 5th ranked athlete in the nation, and the 6th ranked player overall in the state of Virginia. This was a big get for Tech and propelled themselves into the top 10 ACC recruiting classes.
This number seems low, but it seems like the Hokies have been focused on quality over quantity. According to 247Sports Team Rankings, The Virginia Tech recruiting class is sixth in the ACC in average rating of their commitments, which is currently at 87.09. If Atkins were to commit to Tech, he would raise this number, since his 247Sports Player Rating is currently an 88.
Here's a scouting report on Atkins, courtesy of Mike Farrell of Mike Farrell Sports:
"Very good height and size. He has solid athletic ability with good play strength, solid balance, explosiveness, and foot speed, with adequate foot quickness and lateral agility. Solid footwork out of his stance and has good hand placement in his blocks with the ability to refit them after his initial punch. He shows good leg drive with good strength to push defenders out of his gap and shows very good processing to know when to get off double teams to block the second level. Shows the ability to lead block in the open field when pulling with solid speed and good angles to second-level defenders. Solid pass pro set points with adequate foot quickness. Good initial punch and refit of hands and can keep defenders out of his chest. Very good processing of when to pass off rushers to pick up outside rush with good strength to push defensive linemen inside. Will need to develop his initial quickness out of his stance, and he plays with high leverage and will need to work on his lateral quickness to succeed at the next level. Overall, he possesses the physical size and skills desired for an OT along with very good processing, but he will be a developmental OT who will need to fine tune his technique and athleticism to become a starter."
Atkins could be a very solid addition to this 2025 recruiting class, and brings a very high ceiling to whichever school he decides to attend.
RJ SCHAFER