Signing Day look: Early enrollees

National Signing Day is here! Look for coverage of all VT's signings, but first, a glimpse at those already on campus going through workouts prior to spring ball.

The man so obscure he doesn't even have a Rivals profile is an Aussie punter expected to come in and take the reins immediately. ProKick Australia specializes in converting rugby (or Australian Rules Football) players into lethal American Football punters, and also finding them opportunities to attend college in the United States. That's exactly how Bradburn ends up a Hokie.

Bush originally signed with Nebraska out of Norcross, Ga. in the 2014 class, but never saw the field in two years in Lincoln. He spent this Fall at Iowa Western Community College. When Virginia Tech suddenly found itself needing a quarterback after the departure of Jerod Evans for the NFL Draft, they identified a few junior college options and quickly moved on Bush.

Dzansi signed with with Hokes in the 2016 class, but spent a post-grad year prepping at Fork Union. He was a late grab in the previous signing cycle - picking up his offer just days before National Signing Day - but remained steadfast with VT throughout his Fall at prep school.

Farley began to pick up offers in February, and had planned a June decision before opting to pull the trigger ahead of schedule in April. Capable of playing multiple positions in college, the extremely productive high school quarterback will likely get his tryout at wide receiver first.

Hooker had a number of suitors, including some more prestigious (Notre Dame) and some closer to home (NC State) than Virginia Tech. However, his fit with the Justin Fuente offense was what sold him on becoming a Hokie, and he made the easy call in March. A Fall official visit to Oregon gave VT fans some pause - especially when it sounded to go very well - but he remained steadfast.

Keene began to pick up some serious recruiting momentum in the early spring, and although he had planned to take a measured approach to the latter stages of the process, he pulled the trigger for VT after seeing a few of the other top schools in the hunt (particularly Nebraska). His connection to defensive line coach Charley Wiles - a teammate of dad Wes at Murray State - helped VT there. Michigan and others showed interest after his commitment, but he didn't ultimately visit.

Pimpleton is an explosive and exciting athlete from the quarterback position, but questions about college fit led to some schools dragging their feet in recruiting him. Not so for the Hokies, hungry for slot receivers after their switch to the Justin Fuente spread offense. He committed almost immediately to his Hokie offer, and although Michigan State and others tried to get him to reconsider (the home-state Spartans had him work out at their camp this summer), but he remained solid.

Ricardo-Kearney made a commitment to Miami (Fla.) as an underclassman, but decommitted in February of his junior year. Offers from mid-major (Cincinnati, South Florida) and Power-5 (North Carolina, Illinois) programs rolled in, but he didn't take long to commit to the Hokies in late March. He took several visits to campus - and even served as an unofficial recruiter for some Florida prospects - remaining strong in his pledge even as much of his senior year was lost to injury and hurricane season.

The son of Michigan running backs coach (now the Jacksonville Jaguars' incoming coach at the same position) Tyrone Wheatley Sr. didn't have much college attention at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School. That meant a year in prep school to work on his game - which he's only been playing for a couple years despite family history in football - and the Hokies caught wind of him at Fork Union. A little-publicized official visit in December led to an offer and quick commitment.