Gunner Givens is a Hokie!
The big fish is in! Local offensive lineman Gunner Givens has pledged to Virginia Tech over Penn State and others.
The 6-6, 275-pounder had offers from practically every program in the country, and included the likes of Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State among his other finalists.
A four-star ranked the No. 206 overall prospect nationally and No. 28 among offensive tackles, Givens is also the No. 6 rising senior in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the highest-ranked in-state player VT has landed since 2019.
While there were periods throughout his recruitment that the Orange and Maroon seemed to fade - particularly with the Hokies' spotty recruitments of some of his teammates at Daleville (Va.) Lord Botetourt - the coaching staff made a strong push this Spring. When Givens took his official visit to Blacksburg in early June, he knew the answer. He took an official visit to Penn State two weekends later, but the Nittany Lions couldn't shake him free.
He visited Virginia Tech more times than any other campus - by a wide margin - and decided that staying close to family and playing within an hour of his home was the move. Although he plays tight end for his high school team's ground-oriented attack, he's projected to bulk into a pure offensive tackle or perhaps even a defensive lineman in college.
• See the Virginia Tech recruiting class and Rivals.com Team Recruiting Rankings with Givens in the fold.
• What will he bring on the field? Find out with a look at Givens's junior highlight reel.
• See what this means for VT from regional analyst Adam Friedman.
• How quickly can he get on the field and what's the ceiling? The impact on VT's class and future.
• Chat about his commitment and all things Hokies and recruiting on our premium message board, The Gobbler.
With Givens's pledge, Virginia Tech now has seven in-state players committed in 2022, all but one of them ranked within the state's top 25 players. That's a new high-water mark since 2017. The Hokies' class is now considered No. 13 in the nation.
Stay tuned for much more to come on Givens's commitment.