Rashaud Pernell no longer Blacksburg-bound

Before most of its members even set foot on campus, Virginia Tech's Class of 2022 has its first attrition: Rashaud Pernell will not be a Hokie.

The 6-3, 250-pounder was a three-star ranked No. 34 prospect in the Commonwealth during the cycle. He announced a re-opening of his recruitment on Twitter.

Since he signed a National Letter of Intent with the Hokies, he will have to be granted a release from it in order to be eligible to play at any other school. It is expected that the coaching staff will not stand in the way of granting him that release.

Pernell picked Virginia Tech over Boston College, Coastal Carolina, Minnesota, and Wake Forest. A lifelong Hokie fan, the bigger question as to whether he'd end up in Orange and Maroon revolved around how serious the coaching staff was about him, rather than what his preference was. When he got the green light in early July, he didn't hesitate, and stayed steadfast with Virginia Tech even through a coaching change.

However, through the on- and off-field questions that led VT to initially slow-play him, it appears the combination came to a head in the time between his signing and enrollment at Virginia Tech. With a full release from his LOI, landing at another institution - likely the FCS level at this stage - seems to be the endgame.

Chat about this story and all things Hokies and Hokie recruiting on our premium message board, The Gobbler!