Virginia Tech Football Offers 3-Star Defensive Back Tyrell Raby

Raby, who is the cousin of 4-star WR commit Latrell Neville, is gaining serious interest from the Hokies

Virginia Tech has officially extended a scholarship offer to 3-star defensive back Tyrell Raby, out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he announced on his Twitter page.

Raby is the top-rated cornerback in the state of Louisiana, the 49th-ranked corner in the country, and the 641st-ranked overall recruit, according to 247 Sports.

The timing of the offer for the Madison Prep Academy star comes on the heels of Virginia Tech 4-star quarterback Dematrius Davis decommitting and rumors swirling about Raby's cousin, 4-star wide receiver Latrell Neville, potentially following suit.

"Virginia Tech is my 20th offer," Raby told Sports Illustrated.

"They first reached out a couple weeks ago, and Ryan Smith has been my primary recruiter. They knew Trell (Latrell Neville) and I are related, but they said they had watched my film and wanted to start the conversation," Raby said.

While the Hokies are certainly interested in Raby for many reasons, one has to believe a primary reason is to convince Neville into holding his commitment to the Hokies. Neville committed to the Hokies back on April 5th without ever visiting Blacksburg, in large part because of his relationship with Davis.

Now, with Davis out of the fold for the time being, the Hokies are looking to do everything they can to keep Neville, who is currently the top-rated recruit in the 2021 class for Virginia Tech. 

A big part of that could be the continued push for Raby, another talented player who happens to be related to Virginia Tech's newly-minted top recruit. Even with this clearly at the forefront of the minds of the Virginia Tech coaching staff, it's clear they haven't been recruiting Raby just because he's Neville's cousin, and the conversations between the two parties reflect that.

"Coach Smith and the other staff members who have reached out have been pitching the family environment, the passionate fan base, and the fact that Tech puts DBs in the league," Raby said.

"I'm looking for a school where I can play early, has the major I'm looking to study (business management), and somewhere I can have fun playing football. I just want a good college experience and a good degree once I'm done."

I asked Raby if a visit to Blacksburg was in the cards once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

"Yes sir, when things open back up I'll be taking a visit. It hasn't been scheduled yet but I've already discussed it with the coaching staff."

It's clear that Virginia Tech's new offer in Raby will be a long-term play for the Hokies, and potentially key to holding the recruiting class together. 

If Raby ends up committing to Virginia Tech down the line and keeps Neville in the fold, Raby could be seen as one of the most important prospects in the 2021 recruiting class for the Hokies.