By Jimmy Robertson
BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech head football coach Justin Fuente was in relatively good spirits Wednesday, as his and his coaching staff signed three prospects to letters-of-intent on a day that served as college football's second National Signing Day.
The second national signing day – the first one occurred in December – was the latest event in what has been an eventful 12 months for the Virginia Tech football program. Just two weeks ago, four players announced their plans to transfer, including quarterbacks Josh Jackson and Hendon Hooker, tight end Chris Cunningham and receiver Eric Kumah. Another player, Deshawn McClease, entered his name into the NCAA's transfer portal, but changed his mind and decided to remain with the program.
Fuente understandably refused to get into specifics of each player's decision at Wednesday's news conference, but noted that Jackson, Cunningham and Kumah all were expected to graduate in May from the school. He also confirmed that he kept Trevon Hill – a defensive end who was dismissed for undisclosed reasons in September – on scholarship to allow Hill the opportunity to graduate in May as well, so that he can be eligible to play at a different school as a graduate transfer.
"They're all individual cases," Fuente said, confirming that he had talked with each player. "That's the key to think about. Some of those guys were graduates. Darius Fullwood [another graduate transfer who notified Tech's staff of his plans during the fall] signed with William & Mary today. I think that's an awesome opportunity that should be celebrated. There is some really, really good with this. Guys that have played little to none have a chance to graduate from Virginia Tech and go play somewhere, and then you have some guys that have been contributors, but don't feel their role was what they wanted it to be or envisioned it to be, and that's for a variety of reasons."
Fuente said he understood the concerns of the Tech fan base. He knows there is a rush to judgment, though he cautioned against that, and he feels optimistic about the state of the program.
"Perception is not always reality," he said. "We have a great group of guys that are working their tail off and want to do well. Nobody was happy with the way the season went last year. There were some high spots. In a lot of ways, there were some things to be really proud of. We all know that it needs to be better.
"We've been working our way through a few obstacles over the last couple of years that I'm hopeful that we're on the downhill slide of getting through those things to continue to push this program forward, and I've never been more optimistic about the future of Virginia Tech football than I am at this moment. We have a group of guys that are dedicated to doing the right thing, to play football and go to school here and represent Virginia Tech in the manner that we're accustomed to."
Fuente and the staff added to that group Wednesday with the signings of quarterback Knox Kadum from Rome, Georgia; defensive lineman Jaden Cunningham from Lithonia, Georgia; and offensive lineman Doug Nester from Huntington, West Virginia. Those three bring the total number in the class to 22, as they join the 19 who signed in mid-December.
Nester, a 6-foot-6, 302-pounder, ranks as one of the top offensive line prospects in the nation. He originally committed to Ohio State, but opened his recruitment after then-Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer's decision to retire. Nester picked Tech over Ohio State and Penn State and comes to Blacksburg ranked as the No. 72 prospect in the nation by ESPN.
"I know he's a good student," Fuente said. "He's diligent. Part of the reason he stayed back [in high school] was to play basketball with his friends this season, which I think is pretty cool. Also, he gets up at 5 a.m. in the morning to get his lift in. He's a big, driven person. He cares about relationships, and he is a hard worker. You combine that with talent. He's got size, athleticism and drive. I think he was raised really well by his parents, and I think he has a chance for something special."
Cunningham, a 6-2, 304-pounder, is a junior college transfer who spent the past two seasons at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas. A first-team All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference selection, he finished this past season with 25 tackles, including five for a loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Kadum, a 6-3, 188-pounder, threw for 1,633 yards and 21 touchdowns this past season – with no interceptions. He also rushed for 619 yards and 11 touchdowns. Over his four-year career, he threw for 7,400 yards, with 76 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Kadum gives the Hokies some insurance for next season, as they enter spring practice with just two scholarship quarterbacks – Ryan Willis and Quincy Patterson. Fuente said he had an inkling that one or two of his quarterbacks would leave after the season and was disappointed at not getting to see all four compete this spring.
"I don't think that's going to happen anywhere," he said. "The times we're living in, it's just not going to happen. I think it's a little pie-in-the-sky [to think otherwise]. Look at what a lot of people are going through at quarterback, and it feeds itself. Just take that position and the transfer market, it just feeds itself. Guys are swapping all over the place. The more that leave creates more demand for those that are leaving, and I don't think it's going to slow down any time in the near future."
Fuente said he and his staff may not be done with recruiting for this class. He and the coaches are looking at a couple of different situations, but he didn't want to specify which positions.
They also continue to evaluate both themselves, their schemes, and their players, as they all get ready for spring practice, which starts March 3
"There are a lot of things that we can all do better in all aspects of our program," he said. "Making some accessibility to our players a little bit easier through our building is one thing that we're looking at. Continuing to build those relationships after recruiting.
"Recruiting gives you a pretty good baseline of your relationship heading forward. It would be wise, regardless of whether a couple of guys transfer or not, to continue to evaluate what you're doing and how you're doing it and what you're asking people to do and what their roles are. We've been in the middle of that for some time now. It's been a little bit of a deal that we've seen headed this way and trying to work to get it rectified."
