Virginia Tech Signing Day capsule 2021: DJ Harvey

Virginia Tech's highest-regarded 2021 player is now the highest-regarded 2021 signee: defensive back DJ Harvey out of Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon.

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5.7 three-star. No. 47 cornerback nationally. No. 38 senior in California.

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Harvey's recruitment mostly came out of the blue. Relationships between Premium Sports LA and Hokies grad assistant Beau Davidson saw a large group of players from the Golden State squeeze a last-minute (or first minute - they came literally at midnight when the contact period began in March) stop in Blacksburg as part of a big tour of East Coast schools.

VT offered a ton of players at that time, but the vast majority had only passing interest in Virginia Tech. Harvey was the exception, drawn in by his relationships and the program's history of putting defensive backs into the NFL.

As Harvey trimmed his list, VT made the cut, despite his parents' inability to take a visit. A non-recruiting trip to campus later in the process (a self-guided tour in the age of emergency Dead Periods) got the parents' approval, and on July 4, Harvey pulled the trigger. Making it back again in the Fall sealed the deal even as other programs came calling, and Harvey plans to enroll early.

His athleticism allows him to jump with bigger players, while his natural strength allows him to be a bully at the line of scrimmage. Even with those aspects in play, he still has the physical attributes - turn-and-run flexibility and quick-burst speed - that make shorter players excel at cornerback more frequently than big ones (and why the big ones with those attributes tend to make it to the NFL).

Harvey has good pure quickness, which is obviously important. He can track plays downfield if he doesn't win his battle at the line of scrimmage, and he can chase plays down from across the field, as well. His simple lack of mass means that, while he's a willing hitter, he doesn't yet pack a ton of punch when he lowers the boom. That's the sort of thing that is typical of high school defensive backs, and that he can work on when he arrives at Virginia Tech.

Harvey has planned to forgo a spring senior season to enroll at VT. As a junior, he caught 84 passes for 1425 yards (17.0 per grab) and seven touchdowns. He made 35 tackles defensively.

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