Elite Five Star EDGE Set to Visit Virginia Tech For The First Time Next Thursday

Spring practice is winding down for Virginia Tech and the Hokies have not only been on the field practicing, but they have been hosting a number of recruits for not only this year's recruiting class, but for future recruiting classes as well. One of the biggest visitors that the Hokies are going to get on campus this month is 2027 five-star edge Recarder Kitchen. Kitchen (6'6 230 LBS) is going to be on campus for the first time next Thursday and also has a host of other visits lined up. Kitchen is supposed to be at Notre Dame today, Michigan tomorrow, Penn State on Monday, Rutgers on Wednesday, Virginia Tech on Thursday, and then Tennessee next Saturday. The Hokies have not offered Kitchen yet, but that could happen next Thursday.

JUST IN: Elite 2027 four-star DE Recarder Kitchen will be out on the road visiting schools soon. https://t.co/aJ0vshLRfS pic.twitter.com/8XcrpkDEAA
— Greg Smith (@GregSmithRivals) April 2, 2025

Next Thursday will be a big opportunity for the Hokies to make an impression on the talented 2027 player from Muskegon, MI. Of course, the 2027 class is not the main focus in recruiting right now, but building relationships is crucial and can be a huge step in the right direction. The best thing the Hokies can do if they want to be a contender for a big-time prospect like this? Win games on the field and head coach Brent Pry is going to be under pressure to do that this season.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Kitchen is the No. 6 prospect in the country for the 2027 class, the No. 3 edge player in the country, and the No. 1 player in the state of Michigan. He currently holds offers from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Michigan, Michigan State, Pitt, Texas A&M, and USC. You can anticipate that list is going to grow.

When it comes to the 2026 class, Virginia Tech recently got good news for one of their top targets, four-star quarter Jett Thomalla.

Thomalla announced his top five schools, and the Hokies are one of the five finalists for the talented QB from Omaha, NE. The other finalists were Iowa State, Arizona, Duke, and Missouri. Thomalla recently received a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction to land with Iowa State, so the Cyclones might be the favorites in this recruitment.

According to 247Sports, Thomalla is a four-star prospect, the No. 231 player in the country, the No. 16 QB in the country, and the No. 1 player in the state of Nebraska. He would be a huge addition to the QB room if the Hokies can pull the surprise and beat out the other four schools for him.

The Hokies are already off to a strong start in the 2026 class and have the commitment of four-star wide receiver Carnell Warren, who committed to Virginia Tech during the Under Armour All-American Bowl.

Warren officially committed to the Hokies over Duke, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech. Warren becomes the first commitment for Virginia Tech in the 2026 recruiting class and will be a nice building block for Brent Pry and this staff. The Hokies have done a nice job at recruiting the wide receiver position as of late and Warren becomes the latest talented pass catcher to commit to Virginia Tech.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Warren is a four-star prospect, the No. 301 player in the country, the No. 48 wide receiver, and the No. 7 player in the state of South Carolina.

Here is the scouting report on Warren courtesy of 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins, who compares Warren to former Miami and current Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Horton:

"Hulking wide receiver with plus athleticism that can make contested catches and play through traffic. Followed up breakout sophomore campaign with a productive junior year, totaling 14 touchdowns in 11 games. One of the scores was featured on the NFL Network. Thrives in 50-50 situations as his superior bounce and impressive body control allow him to play above the opponent's shoulder pads. However, shouldn't be viewed as just a red zone specialist as he has flashed the ability to make dynamic lateral cuts and pick up chunks of yardage on screens and quick in-breaking routes. Must keep progressing and honing his craft, but should be viewed as a potential difference-maker on Saturdays that can win on the perimeter with his 6-foot-4 size and ball skills."

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