We continue our position-by-position look at Virginia Tech football recruiting for the 2024 and 2025 classes on the interior of the trenches at defensive tackle. You can check out the rest of our stories at the links below.

Linebacker feels like a spot that should consistently be a strength for Virginia Tech in their recruiting class in large part due to their coaching pedigree at the LB spot led by head coach Brent Pry. There’s definitely the potential for Tech to live up to that with the Hokies in contention with lots of big time talents at LB.

So with that said, let’s take a look at what the linebacker recruiting boards look like.

Loaded 2024 Board at Linebacker

With Brent Pry being known as a recruiter and developer of big time linebackers along with DC Chris Marve being known for his LB development, the linebacker position is a spot that feels like it can and should be a recruiting strength for the Hokies. This class has the potential to prove that given some of the big time prospects that the Hokies are fighting for.

Let’s start in Virginia with one of VT’s top overall targets, four-star Kristopher Jones out of Northern Virginia.

Jones is one of the top overall targets for the Hokies in this class with it being critical for Tech to try to get him on campus this month for an official visit. Florida is a trending school in his recruitment having hosted him earlier this spring with Jones making a trip to Gainesville this weekend for an official visit while Penn State has been seen as a contender for a while.

If Tech can find a way to win the recruiting battle for Jones, that would be a massive statement about the recovery of Virginia Tech’s recruiting under Brent Pry.

Salem, VA standout Chris Cole has been one of Virginia Tech’s top defensive targets for a while now with the Hokies being the first Power 5 program to offer him. Since then, Cole’s offer list has blown up with tons of Power 5 programs offering him including Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Miami, Notre Dame, Florida State, Tennessee, USC, Texas A&M, and more.

Cole has four official visits scheduled this month to Penn State, Notre Dame, Georgia, and Miami in that order with this being an uphill fight for the Hokies in some ways. Miami is a team that shouldn’t be underestimate on that list as his uncle played for the Hurricanes. However, Virginia Tech shouldn’t be ruled out as Cole has been on campus often in 2023 for a recruit even with the proximity including what was at least his third trip to campus right at the end of May ahead of his trip to State College. This is a recruitment that also feels like it may go well beyond June at this point.

In the 757, Maury HS standout Fred Johnson recently told me that he has three official visits scheduled including one to Virginia Tech on the fourth weekend of June after trips to Rutgers and East Carolina the prior two weekends. The Hokies do feel like the frontrunner here though South Carolina just offered him and feels like a school to keep an eye on.

Heading outside Virginia, let’s start in the Nation’s Capital with four-star Gabriel Williams who has been persistent in getting to Blacksburg even when he’s had to reschedule at times. Williams is slated to take an official visit to Blacksburg next weekend. This follows his trip to Pittsburgh this weekend with a trip to Nebraska on the fourth weekend of June per On3. Maryland, Penn State, and Duke also feel like schools to keep an eye on with Williams.

Heading south to Charlotte, three-star Jaden Smith is set to take an official visit to Blacksburg next weekend in what will be his third trip to VT in 2023 per On3. He also has an official visit scheduled to Kentucky for the following weekend with both of those schools making his top 7 recently along with Michigan, USC, Utah, Louisville, and Georgia Tech.

Three-star Montay Weedon from Silver Spring, MD recently included Virginia Tech in his top 8 along with Florida State, Tennessee, Texas, Maryland, Ole Miss, Cincinnati, and Indiana. Weedon did visit Virginia Tech this spring though he has two official visits scheduled to Cincinnati the second weekend of June and Texas the third weekend of June per 247 Sports.

Three-star Keyshawn Flowers out of Severn, MD visited Virginia Tech this spring. He also has official visits set for Miami June 9-11 per his Twitter and Notre Dame the third weekend of June one week after his trip to Coral Gables per On3.

I do expect Virginia Tech to keep recruiting three-star LB and Notre Dame commit Bodie Kahoun out of Roanoke’s Patrick Henry HS. Kahoun was scheduled to take an official visit to Blacksburg before a surprise commitment to the Fighting Irish. While he has canceled all his non-South Bend trips and a flip does seem very unlikely at this point, I still expect Tech to keep knocking and seeing if they can open a door in Kahoun’s recruitment.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg on a linebacker board that is loaded with big time talent and June official visits.

In-State Stars Lead the Way Again in 2025

Similar to the 2024 recruiting cycle, the 2025 linebacker target board is headlined by in-state standouts.

Let’s start between Fredericksburg and Charlottesville with four-star Brett Clatterbaugh out of Eastern View HS in Culpeper, VA. Almost every ranking has Clatterbaugh in the top 10 in Virginia for the 2025 class with the Culpeper standout having a loaded offer list that, in addition to VT, includes Ohio State, Clemson, Notre Dame, and more.

He was on campus earlier this year in January before the primary Junior Day visiting at the same time as 2024 four-star QB commit Davi Belfort. Tech’s LB coaching trio of head coach Brent Pry, DC Chris Marve, and nickels/sam LBs Shawn Quinn were with Clatterbaugh a lot during that visit with it seeming to go quite well laying the foundation for VT to be a serious contender.

In Richmond, the Hokies signed former VT DB Loren Johnson’s son Braylon Johnson in the 2023 class and have already offered 2025 LB Brennan Johnson. Loren Johnson’s powerhouse Highland Springs is one of those schools that the Hokies intend to consistent recruit with Loren’s next college-aged son Brennan already emerging as a priority 2025 target.

Three-star Michael Gaul is from an area where Brent Pry is quite familiar with; State College, PA. Gaul visited the Hokies this past spring for the Spring Game and Tech feels like an early frontrunner in his recruitment currently.

Tech recently extended an offer to Florida LB Julian Mendez who is teammates with 2024 four-star QB commit Davi Belfort. His relationship with Belfort has increased his interest in the Hokies with Mendez visiting Blacksburg later in June on the 20th.

North Carolinian ATH De’Angelo Hall (not related to former star VT CB DeAngelo Hall) is an intriguing prospect with a very recognizable name. Hall has the size to play TE or LB though his Twitter suggests that TE is at the forefront for him currently.

Expect this board to evolve more as further camp evaluations happen in June and late July, and recruitments develop further this summer and fall.