Wise Stays Home For VT
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It wasn't as if Blacksburg (Va.) kicker Carson Wise didn't do his homework on his college options. For the past few years, Wise has taken in plenty of visits and camps, at various levels.
But in the end, Wise found himself back at the place he started.
Tonight, Wise ended his recruitment. He committed to a preferred walk-on position at Virginia Tech. Wise also had financial assisted options from schools like Davidson, William & Mary and Mercer and was still in contact with Cincinnati.
"I'd narrowed it down to a couple of schools, but in the end, they were all really comparable," Wise said. "I had a really tough time deciding. The determining factor that sent it over the top for me was that I do have a chance to play fairly early and not just play, but play at a really high level. When it came to the end, I just felt like having a chance to start at a school like Virginia Tech was definitely something I wanted to take advantage of and make the best of it."
For Wiles, relationships played a big role in his decision. He was initially recruited by offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler, but since last summer, he'd been recruited by assistant coach Charley Wiles, whom he had already known before his recruitment began.
"I think he's a great guy and really easy to talk to," Wise said. "We had known him prior to this whole situation, so I already had a little bit of a relationship with him. I definitely felt really comfortable with him and I could talk to him about any concerns I had. I found that most schools, once you built a relationship with them, most coaches do a good job, but Coach Wiles stood out by his personality and how he handled things."
Now, it will be up to how Wise handles battling for a hotly contested position. The Hokies have already accepted commitments from kickers Michael Santamaria and Joey Slye, to go along with returning Virginia Tech kickers Eric Kristensen, Michael Branthover and Mitchell Ludwig. Wise, though, feels confident with his standing among the group.
"I know there will be one or two guys looking to fill that role," he said. "I know they're bringing in one or two others. I think I can specifically help out, in terms of the field goal position. I guess the way I look at it, with any position, whether a kicker or quarterback, you're gonna have to compete at some time. I'm confident in my abilities and I'm just gonna come in and do as best as I can do. I think I have a good shot at it and that's something I'm gonna work on in the off-season, to make sure I'm in the best position."
And overall, that position turned out to be staying at his hometown school.
"I'm definitely happy with the decision," Wise said. "I'm happy with where I'm at and I'm not really looking for. I kinda waited a while, but I'm glad that it's over."
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