VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It's become a common refrain from Brent Pry during his rebuild of the Virginia Tech Hokies. Hampton Roads is paramount in recruiting. Pry aims to have the 757's best playing in Blacksburg, just like Frank Beamer did during his ACC dominating prime.
There are few better accelerators for that effort than Gerard Johnson. The Cox High School edge rusher is one of the top recruits in the state, and a major target for both Virginia Tech and UVa in the class of 2024. On3.com has Johnson as a 4 star recruit and first in Virginia, while 247sports composite rankings have 6th in the state. The sites also report offers from nearly every major school in Virginia. JMU, ODU, Norfolk State, Liberty, along with his two finalists in the Hokies and Cavaliers.
On July 2nd, Johnson tweeted out a commitment to Virginia Tech, marking the third 4 star recruit in their 2024 class. Perhaps more importantly, it is the first from Hampton Roads, another step in Pry's road back into the region.