Virgina Tech Hokies News

View our full coverage of National Signing Day at ACC Signing Day Central

Head Coach: Justin Fuente

Total number of commitments: 21

Justin Fuente had limited time to build his first recruiting class at Virginia Tech and spent much of it playing defense, in an effort to retain commitments who had been garnered by the previous regime before Frank Beamer’s retirement. Making matters worse, a winter storm ravaged the East Coast in January, wiping out one of the few weekends that were available for pre-signing-day visits.

As a result, Fuente managed to add just three high school recruits to the class, prior to signing day, and one of them will be spending the fall at Fork Union before enrolling. Fuente did also add a pair of JUCO recruits, a practice that he said he doesn’t plan on making a regular occurrence once he gets his legs under him with the Hokies.

In addition, Fuente added a pair of signing day splashes to help swell the class to 21.

The small class features just two 4-stars and more than twice as many 2-stars.

Fuente’s first class with Virginia Tech is all over the map, reflecting the uncertainty about so many potential sleeper prospects. Ratings for the class range from No. 37 in the nation all the way to No. 51, depending on which recruiting service is cited. Regardless, that’s a fairly big drop from the top-25 classes of Beamer’s heyday.

Given a full recruiting cycle and a year free of speculation and uncertainty about Beamer’s job status, and it’s not unreasonable to expect a big jump in the ranking of next year’s class. Fuente should be able to make the 2016 Signing Day mixed reactions a one-year blip and not a new, lower level for the Hokies’ level of incoming talent.