Virginia Tech Makes Final Three for 2021 3-Star Defensive End Mattheus Carroll
The Virginia Tech Hokies have picked up a commitment in each of the past two weeks when 3-star WR Jaylen Jones and 3-star ATH Jalen Stroman both picked the Hokies on back-to-back Fridays. The duo represented the first two in-state commitments of the 2021 class for Tech.
With two consecutive weeks of landing commitments to the 2021 class, could Tech be on the verge of landing another?
Mattheus Carroll, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound defensive end from the Gilman School in Baltimore, announced his top three schools on Monday and the Hokies made the cut.
Our destination is approaching... 👀 (FINAL THREE) #humblebeast pic.twitter.com/AVAG8ZRVm6
— Mattheus “Stretch” Carroll ☥ (@mc4mvp) May 25, 2020
Carroll visited Blacksburg in early March for a junior day prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The coaching staff, specifically defensive line coach Bill Teerlinck, have since prioritized Carroll for the 2021 class.
@HokiesFB Got me right with these!🦃 #HardSmartTough #Hokies #27Straight pic.twitter.com/D0obzqwj5i
— Mattheus “Stretch” Carroll ☥ (@mc4mvp) March 6, 2020
While many fans have monitored the status of Texas defensive end Landyn Watson or Virginia’s own Naquon Brown, Carroll is the one Hokie fans should watch.
In an ideal world, the Hokies land all three. However, the coaches have certainly made Carroll one of the top priorities in this class as Carroll told Brian Dohn of 247Sports last week.
“The vision I get from them is they are really pushing to compete for national championships,” Carroll said. “They want me to come in and be a leader of their ’21 class and get other guys to come in and talk their ears off. They have a few at defensive end for the class of ’20, and they want to create a really good competition where we can all really get better and go from good to great.”
Carroll has outstanding length. He can easily add 25-30 pounds and not lose any athleticism. He is a prospect who would likely see some of his rankings rise if teams could host players in the spring and summer.
Maryland is considered the slight favorite here, but don’t rule the Hokies out. Carroll would be a big get for this staff.
Bryan Manning has covered college football, college basketball, the NFL and MLB for numerous outlets since 2011. Bryan has written about Virginia Tech athletics for Bleacher Report and SB Nation. Bryan also contributes at Redskins Report on the SI Network and LSU Wire on the USA TODAY SMG network.