Doug Doughty's College Notebook

Virginia and Virginia Tech spent so much time competing with one another that it’s easy to miss their shared accomplishments.

Both schools had football recruiting classes ranked among the nation’s top 25 by multiple services, but that might not be their most impressive feat. Collectively, they virtually shut out the rest of the ACC in the state of Virginia. Going by The Roanoke Times rankings, the highest-rated in-state player to select an out-of-state ACC program was No. 19 Win Homer, an offensive lineman from Christchurch School. Homer selected Boston College and Avery Thompson, a linebacker from Grassfields High School in Chesapeake, signed with Maryland. Thompson was rated 23rd by The Roanoke Times, probably his highest ranking on any list. At the time of his commitment to the Terps on June 28, he had no other reported offers. Homer, whose family is from New England, had offers from Tech and UVa at the time of his May 27 commitment to the Eagles. Only one year earlier, North Carolina had signed three of the top 15 players in Virginia. They were Virginia Beach linebacker Travis Hughes (No. 3), Harrisonburg offensive lineman Landon Turner (No. 6) and Fredericksburg-area defensive back Tim Scott (No. 14). Of all the out-of-state ACC schools, North Carolina probably has had the most success in Virginia, but the Tar Heels had to recruit under the cloud of an NCAA investigation and a likely coaching change. A perception of other ACC programs poaching Virginia talent may have been perpetuated this season by all of the Virginia-bred quarterbacks who had big years in 2011. They included first-team All-ACC quarterback Tajh Boyd from Clemson, ACC pass-efficiency leader Brynn Renner of North Carolina, N.C. State’s Mike Glennon and Florida State’s E.J. Manuel. “Names like that tend to resonate,” Virginia Tech assistant Bryan Stinespring said of the out-of-state migration, “but I think that’s more a case of perception than reality. “E.J. Manuel may have gone to Florida State, but I don’t see [the Seminoles] creating havoc up here.” It should be noted that Virginia Tech and Virginia both had starting quarterbacks from Virginia, fellow Lynchburg-area products Logan Thomas and Michael Rocco. Of course, there were some top in-state players who went out of state, but for Tech and UVa to land seven of the top 10 was virtually unprecedented and the Cavaliers and Hokies landed a total of 30 players off The Roanoke Times Top 50 (31 if you count “sleeper of the year”) Jerome Wright. As recently as 2010, that number was 18, when then-newcomer Mike London signed six players from Virginia. Two years before that, Al Groh signed three Virginians in his next-to-last recruiting class, all of whom left the program.

Lazor looking

Virginia football coach Mike London issued a statement Wednesday in which he confirmed that two-year offensive coordinator Bill Lazor has talked with a National Football League team, believed to be the Tampa Buccaneers, now coached by former Rutgers boss Greg Schiano. “Considering his background in the NFL and the outstanding job he has done as our offensive coordinator, that does not surprise me,” London said. “Opportunities present themselves that I feel are important for our staff to investigate and possibly pursue for their personal development and to allow them to meet their personal goals.”

Plan in place

With Glennon entering his final season at N.C. State, the Wolfpack has established a line of succession that includes Pete Thomas, a former starter at Colorado State, where he won the job as a true freshman and started 21 games over two seasons. Thomas suffered a season-ending surgery late this season and will be able to rehab while sitting out the 2012 season as a transfer. He will have two years of eligibility following that. Among the candidates already on campus is Tyler Brosius, who originally committed to Virginia before switching to North Carolina State during the 2009 UVa coaching turnover.

Local update

Roanoke Catholic senior Sal Russo, a second-team All-Timesland selection in 2011, has become the seventh member of the Marlins year-around program to accept an offer to swim in college. Russo will attend Mars Hill (N.C.) College, current home of 2010 All-Timesland swimmer Trey McGraw from Patrick Henry in Roanoke. McGraw, whose home is in Beckley, W.Va., swam for the Gators’ year-around program in Roanoke.

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