Several players from Woodbridge (Va.) High visited Blacksburg for the Hokies' junior day Saturday, and 2019 defensive end Jalen Howard was among them. The 6-2, 235-pounder made the trip with a number of his teammates, and his father was along for the ride, as well.
It all started earlier in the Winter, when veteran VT defensive coordinator Bud Foster swung through Woodbridge High to extend the invitation.
"I visited with my dad and my coach, and some of my teammates," he explained. "I know they all enjoyed it.
"Coach Foster came to my school and invited me and some of my other teammates to come down to visit for junior day. I went because it seemed like a great opportunity to meet with the coaches and learn more about VT in general."
If Howard's mission was to learn about Virginia Tech on the visit, consider it mission accomplished. He had a chance to see plenty of the academic side of the school, and also managed to continue learning more about the football coaches and their program.
The chance to not only meet face-to-face with Foster, but to start building bonds with head coach Justin Fuente and defensive line coach Charley Wiles, made it a productive trip down to Blacksburg.
"I saw a lot of the campus," Howard explained. "I saw the building for English, Science, and other [academic] programs. I also saw where the players stayed, and where the players have their meetings.
"I talked to Coach Foster, Coach Fuente, and Coach Wiles. We talked about coming up for the spring game, and coming back to go to their camp, too. The best part of the day was just hanging out with my teammates and spending the day with the coaches."
Going forward, camp season should be important for Howard. He's looking to build a name on the recruiting scene, and performing in front of coaches this Summer will be a huge step toward doing just that.