The Potential Trickle-Down Effect of DJ Harvey's Commitment to Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech earned the commitment of 2021 4-star California defensive back DJ Harvey on July 4th, sparking recruiting fireworks for the Hokies on Independence Day.
Harvey's commitment to Virginia Tech in and of itself was not a surprise, but his commitment on the 4th of July was not expected. Harvey was initially planning on committing last November, but then later announced that he would not commit until this upcoming September.
Last November, when schools were coming down the initial homestretch of Harvey's recruitment, the Hokies were seen as the team to beat, battling off Oregon and Cal. It was the same case this weekend, when Harvey shocked everyone with his timing but still chose Tech over Oregon and Cal.
Getting Harvey to commit to Tech as a California native is big, but getting him to commit in July rather than September could be every bit as important.
Virginia Tech has three major pieces on its recruiting board on the defensive side of the football that could be deciding their collegiate decisions in the near future, and having a player of Harvey's caliber on board this early could prove to be pretty important to the future of the Hokies defense.
4-Star Pennsylvania DB Donovan McMillon
While Harvey was undoubtedly one of Tech's top secondary prospects for 2021, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania native Donovan McMillon is right there as well. McMillon visited Blacksburg in June during the NCAA dead period, and while he was unable to meet with the coaching staff in person, he FaceTimed with them and got a feel for the campus and football facilities.
The visit to Virginia Tech went well for McMillon, who is high on Virginia Tech, Florida, and Penn State as he nears a decision. The 6'2", 193 lbs., McMillon has received a 4-star rating from 247 Sports' in-house rankings, but much like Harvey, he is rated as a high 3-star prospect per the composite.
McMillion does not have a concrete timeline for his decision, but a commitment before the fall would not be too unexpected, and the Hokies are anticipated to be heavily in the mix down the stretch. The idea of teaming up with Harvey could prove extremely intriguing to McMillon as he ponders his college choice.
4-Star Virginia DT Tyleik Williams
Unity Reed High School (formerly Stonewall Jackson) defensive tackle Tyleik Williams has been receiving significant interest from Virginia Tech this summer as he nears his college commitment decision. Williams, who could join Greg Stroman, Reggie Floyd, and Tim Settle as recent Virginia Tech players to come out of Unity Reed High School, would be a huge coup should he choose the Hokies.
At 6'4", 315 lbs., Williams is an extremely athletic defensive tackle with pro potential and enormous upside. While he shows a strong first step on film and a run-stuffing presence in the middle of the defense, his ability to get up field and rush the passer is notable at the high school level. If he carries that over to college, he could quickly become one of the best defensive linemen in the ACC. There is strong mutual interest between Williams and the Hokies, and Harvey's commitment to solidify the secondary could potentially expedite the timeline of Williams' decision.
4-Star North Carolina LB Jordan Poole
Virginia Tech and NC State are the two teams vying for the pledge of talented North Carolina linebacker Jordan Poole. Poole, who was expected to announce his commitment decision on July 1, elected to push his decision back and take some time to assess where he wants to play college football.
Per 247 Sports, NC State had been the favorite for Poole for quite some time, but Virginia Tech had pushed hard down the stretch of his recruitment to make things interesting.
There is no immediate indication of when Poole will make his college decision, but most expect it to come before the end of July. Given that Virginia Tech had gotten Poole's attention enough to make his recruitment decision difficult, the addition of Harvey over this past weekend likely helped Virginia Tech's chances. Adding talented players in the middle of a recruiting battle usually helps attract top tier talent, and Poole certainly fits that bill as a 4-star recruit.
