Virginia Tech is getting a rare burst of high school recruiting momentum this weekend, with two official visitors and one unofficial visitor in Blacksburg as Mike Young and his staff try to build toward the future.
That alone makes this trip notable. The Hokies have spent the last couple of seasons navigating a recruiting landscape shaped by NIL, the transfer portal and the NCAA’s new 5-in-5 rule, all of which have pushed veteran talent to the front of the line and made high school recruiting harder to prioritize.
Virginia Tech did not sign a high school recruit in the main period last season, choosing to wait until the recruits had already graduated before taking its first freshman. This time around, though, the focus looks different.
The headliner among the visitors is Joshua Tyson, a 2027 guard who has long been on Virginia Tech’s radar. Tyson, originally from Ohio and now playing his senior season at La Lumiere School in Indiana, has a deep connection with the Hokies through associate head coach Chester Frazier, who was the first Power 5 coach to offer him a scholarship. That relationship has held firm through Tyson’s moves, and Virginia Tech is still very much in the mix for a lead guard with real upside.
Tyson is listed at 6-foot-1 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, and that length shows up on the defensive end. He’s a quick, disruptive on-ball defender who also uses that speed to pressure the rim.
What stands out most is the control he plays with, which is rare for a high school point guard. At the Adidas 3SSB tournament in May, Tyson averaged 14.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.4 steals across eight games.
He has also climbed into the Top 50 of the 2027 class, now sitting at No. 42 overall.
This weekend marks Tyson’s third official visit. He has already been to Xavier and Ohio State, and he has trips lined up later this fall to Cincinnati and Michigan State.
Virginia Tech’s second official visitor is Tyran Frazier, a 6-foot-10 center from St. Louis whose ranking dipped a bit in the latest update but whose ceiling remains obvious.
Frazier brings athleticism and a feel for playing around the basket on both ends, especially when it comes to anticipation. He still needs to add strength, but that is not seen as a major issue once he gets into a college program.
Like Tyson, Frazier gives the Hokies a prospect whose defense is ahead of his offense right now. He has some perimeter shooting ability, but that part of his game needs to become more consistent if it is going to matter at the college level.
Right now, Virginia Tech and Missouri appear to be the top two teams for Frazier. Missouri is the hometown program and has already had unofficial visits from him, but the Hokies have made a serious push and turned this into a real battle.
If Frazier does not make a decision after this visit, he is scheduled to go to Missouri on September 19. If the Tigers still do not close it there, he has a visit to West Virginia set for September 26, though the Mountaineers are considered a long shot entering those trips.
Frazier is ranked No. 59 in the 2027 class by 247Sports and No. 52 in the 247Sports Composite.
The third visitor this weekend is Greensboro Day School combo guard Micah Gunter, who is making an unofficial visit from North Carolina. Gunter is part of the 2028 class, but he has already made a name for himself after a strong summer. At the EBYL E16 Circuit, he put up 19.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game, showing that his age is not slowing him down.
At 6-foot-3, Gunter is already viewed as one of the top players in North Carolina regardless of class. For Virginia Tech, getting him on campus this early is a meaningful step as the staff tries to get out in front of his recruitment. His best current skill is his vision, but his offensive game projects well overall and still has room to grow over the next two years.
247Sports ranks Gunter as the No. 64 prospect in the 2028 class, while the composite has him at No. 50. Both rankings place him second in North Carolina.
Virginia Tech was also set to host another official visitor, but that trip has been pushed back to next weekend. Akol Nyok, another center prospect, will now visit Blacksburg for the Old Dominion game. After hosting Tre Keith last month, the Hokies have plenty of talent coming through and are hoping that attention starts turning into commitments soon for their 2027 class.
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VMI brings a triple-option offense under first-year coach Ashley Ingram, a style that can chew up tempo and force discipline even when the records do not suggest much danger. Virginia Tech is also entering the week with Ethan Grunkemeyer, the Penn State transfer, settled in as the starting quarterback and team captain, which gives the Hokies a clearer direction on offense. The bigger issue now is whether they can avoid letting a lesser opponent turn the game into something uncomfortable, the kind of trap that lingers far beyond the final score. [Read more 🡒]
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The defense matched that tone from the start, collapsing VMIs offense with relentless backfield pressure and the kind of disruption that usually changes a game before halftime. Virginia Tech also got a boost from its quarterback depth, with Bryce Baker adding a touchdown pass in relief as the scoring kept coming. For Franklin, the first game on the sideline offered a clear glimpse of the identity hell want in Blacksburg, even if the larger question is how much of this opening burst can carry once the schedule turns serious. [Read more 🡒]