Two Virginians in initial 2023 Rivals100

The Rivals100 for the Class of 2023 is here, and two players from the Commonwealth make the top-100 cut.

Fredericksburg (Va.) Riverbend tight end Mathias Barnwell and Ashburn (Va.) Broad Run offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier represent Virginia among the best of the best nationally. A Hokies team that's working hard to rehabilitate its reputation on the recruiting trail has offers on the table for both of them.

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Barnwell made an early commitment to Penn State, but has since pulled back from that pledge to examine his options. He has plenty of them, with more than a dozen scholarship offers on the table. He picked the Nittany Lions over fellow finalists Tennessee and Virginia Tech, and all three remain under consideration, along with many options that he had at the time or has since added.

However, the Hokies have worked extremely hard to insert themselves right into the thick of his recruitment, and there's a feeling that hard work is paying off in the form of winning him over. There's still plenty of time to go, but a VT team that keeps up the current level of heat on Barnwell will be there until the end.

Birchmeier's recruitment is a slightly tougher one for the Hokies - ironically, because he didn't make an early commitment to Penn State, the Nittany Lions remain standing strong in his process. He is in the most contact with PSU, and even took a self-guided tour of campus last Summer.

Should Birchmeier ultimately choose to stay in-state, it's Virginia that he mentions as the school contacting him more consistently than VT. Indeed, the Hoos and Nittany Lions have at times been the only two schools remaining in consistent contact with him. There's plenty of time for the Hokies to change that if they so desire.

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