Hokies land top target Rivals100 DB Devon Hunter
Virginia Tech’s most important goal in this recruiting class was landing a commitment from Rivals100 defensive back Devon Hunter. Justin Fuente and his coaching staff achieved that goal on Friday when the Chesapeake (Va.) Indian River star announced his commitment to the Hokies.
IN HIS OWN WORDS…
“The Hokies showed me their top interest,” Hunter said. “They supported me through this whole process. I enjoyed the campus, the coaching staff, the players, and everything at the school. I really enjoyed being around everybody and meeting all the new people. I feel like I’m really comfortable at the school.
“Each coach there has been recruiting me,” he said. “They’ve been telling me I can come in and compete for a spot and that’s mainly the reason why I chose them.
“Coach Fuente, coach Zohn, coach Bud Foster, and coach Scott have all been recruiting me,” said Hunter. “I’m really close with Deshawn McClease, Tavente Beckett, Trevon Hill, Phillip Patterson, Bucky Hodges, Isaiah Ford, Cam Phillips and all those guys. They’ve really been on my side the whole time. I've trained with some of them and I’ve seen their success and the impact they’ve made on the school. Me being around them and hearing their opinion on the school has helped me a lot in this process.
“It’s been pretty special getting to talk to Kam Chancellor,” he said. “I built a bond and a relationship with him. It wasn’t just about football. It was about life too. I’ve even been able to talk to DeAngelo Hall too. Those two guys have had an impact on me and helped me understand why they chose Virginia Tech.
“With the new coaching staff coming in, their recruitment of me didn’t take a step back,” he said. “If anything they’ve been recruiting me harder than before. They have a cornerbacks coach and a safeties coach. I’ve built a great relationship with coach Scott, the safeties coach. He’s helped me through a lot of different things, showed me where I would fit in best on defense, where he sees me playing, and where I fit into the depth chart.”
RIVALS’ REACTION
Hunter is the crown jewel of Virginia Tech’s recruiting class and it would have been a huge upset if he had chosen Florida. He talked about the relationships and how important they were but what seemed to really solidify Virginia Tech as the leader in his recruitment was when he visited Blacksburg in the summer and the coaching staff let him unveil the jerseys for the game against Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Hokies need Hunter’s help in the secondary and landing this commitment shows that Virginia Tech still has a very strong foothold in the Tidewater region of Virginia and it could be getting stronger as the team improves.
