With Dematrius Davis Off the Table, 4-Star DE Landyn Watson Becomes Top Target for Virginia Tech
When Virginia Tech lost the commitment of 4-star QB Dematrius Davis two weeks ago, it seemed as if all momentum for the #TX2VT movement that was gaining steam on social media, was gone.
In Davis, Virginia Tech had lost their centerpiece of the mini-pipeline being built in Texas, and with it, the Hokies lost the key to their 2021 class as well.
Davis was the reason that high-end 3-star Houston wide receiver Latrell Neville committed to Virginia Tech sight unseen, and with Davis gone, Neville surely wasn't far from decommitting himself.
Until he didn't.
Yes, Neville captured social media with a Tweet emphasizing that he was sticking around for the time being, and Virginia Tech's two defensive ends from the 2020 class, Robert Wooten and Alec Bryant, were seen as key pieces in ensuring that Neville didn't leave the Hokies high-and-dry.
Maybe the #TX2VT movement isn't dead after all.
And with that mindset, the coaching staff now must shift their focus to another top target who still has Virginia Tech high on his list - 4-star defensive end Landyn Watson.
Watson is now the most important target for Virginia Tech on a number of levels. First, he's one of the top defensive ends in the country, and possesses excellent size, speed, and football intelligence that will translate perfectly to the Virginia Tech defense under Justin Hamilton.
Watson is the 46th-ranked prospect in the football-rich state of Texas, and is the 312th-ranked prospect in the country in the 2021 class, per the 247 Sports composite. He would join Wooten and Bryant as the third defensive end out of Texas in the last two classes, and with Neville, would continue the trend of Texas prospects committing to the 2021 class for Virginia Tech.
In addition, Watson's commitment would likely loom large in the decision of 4-star Virginia defensive end Naquan Brown, who has interacted with Watson quite a bit on social media. Brown is seen as one of Virginia Tech's top in-state targets, and would likely warm up to the idea of playing opposite of Watson for years to come.
A big reason why Dematrius Davis elected to commit to Auburn and leave Virginia Tech in the dust was due in large part to the stalled recruiting momentum of the Hokies' 2021 class.
Now with Davis no longer in the picture, Watson has an opportunity to become the centerpiece of the class for Tech, and begin new momentum for Virginia Tech's recruiting hopes for 2021 under Justin Fuente.
The coaching staff has had their fair share of misses over the last year and a half on the recruiting trail. But can they close the deal with Watson and begin to change the conversation?
#TX2VT, and the future of the program, could depend on it.
