Impact Analysis: Tyjuan Garbutt
On Wednesday, Virginia Tech didn't have quite the finish to the 2016 recruiting class that it had hoped. The Hokies missed on seven of nine recruits who had Virginia Tech among their finalists.
That certainly is in the rear-view mirror now. On Saturday, during the Hokies' first junior day of the year, they picked up a huge commitment from 2017 Rivals250 DE Tyjuan Garbutt. That helps with a big positional need and gives Virginia Tech a big stamp nationally and in-state.
But what kind of impact will Garbutt have? We break down how he got to his decision and what the Hokies can expect next.
THE COMMITMENT
Garbutt has long been coveted by Virginia Tech, going back to his sophomore season. And the one who has coveted him most has been defensive coordinator Bud Foster.
Garbutt didn't get his offer from the Hokies, however, until last summer. On June 14, after standing out at arguably Virginia Tech's biggest recruiting camp of the summer, the offer came.
And the Hokies did well to get in as Garbutt's third offer. Pittsburgh was first to offer, less than two weeks before Virginia Tech did, followed by Virginia. They were soon joined by West Virginia, Tennessee, Penn State, Oklahoma and a slew of others.
Garbutt visited the Hokies again for their season-opener against Ohio State. The visit drew rave reviews and plenty of positive vibes from Garbutt.
The best thing that arguably could have happened to Virginia Tech as far as Grabutt is concerned was the return of Foster to the staff. Foster has long had a very strong relationship with the Riverbend staff and that continued.
And on Saturday, as the Hokies' junior day wrapped up, Garbutt made his pledge. At that time, he had 20 total offers.
WHAT IT MEANS TO THE CLASS
As of now, Virginia Tech has 10 seniors for 2016. There's a few open spots not used from the 2016 recruiting class and there's always attrition, but for right now, this will be far less than a full class.
That said, the Hokies have to strike hard for the 2017 class. And having not signed a top-10 player from Virginia in the 2016 class, they need to strike hard in Virginia.
Garbutt absolutely covers both bases. Ranked No. 190 in the Rivals250 and No. 6 in Virginia, he's become one of the most sought-after players in the class already.
There will likely be one more defensive end taken in the class. And there's some big-time guys still on the board, including Rivals250 DE Yetur Matos, from Chancellor (Va.) Dematha (Md.) Rivals100 DE Chase Young and Cox (Va.) four-star defensive end Jordan Williams, who also visited Saturday. But the importance of a talent like Garbutt at this stage can't be understated.
ANALYST REACTION
"Garbutt is an interesting prospect. He's an elite edge-rusher, but he's got good athleticism, so he might be able to be that type of hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker. He's a very opportunistic player, too. You see him running across the field to really make plays, even if it doesn't come to him.
He needs to get a little bit smarter, even with his football IQ, seeing what's in front of him and acting a little bit quicker, but he's got a great frame, he's really athletic and I think there's a ton of potential there for him. It's just really all about how he's gonna develop, his hand techniques as a rusher and if he is going to develop into that hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker that's gonna take some time."
-- Rivals.com mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman
IMPACT ON VIRGINIA TECH
Defensive end is without question an important position to restock on in this class and going forward. Dadi Nicolas' senior season was in 2015 and Ken Ekanem will be a senior this fall.
Yes, the Hokies also missed on a few notable players for 2016, including late on Collins Hill (Ga.) four-star Tomon Fox. They snagged three-star Jimmie Taylor, but they needed much more.
The other big significance is both nationally and in-state. Coach Justin Fuente has stressed both, but particularly the latter.
In the 2016 class, Virginia Tech didn't have one addition from the top 10 in-state or in the Rivals250. The Hokies grabbed a pair of four-star recruits in Jérod Evans and Khalil Ladler, but Garbutt gets them off to a huge start for 2017 and beyond.
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