4-Star QB Prospect DeJuan Ellis Commits to Virginia Tech

DeJuan Ellis, an explosive athlete with experience at quarterback, announced Thursday he's planning to play college football at Virginia Tech after all. 

Ellis is a 4-star recruit who rates as the No. 232 overall prospect in the 2018 recruiting class, according to the Scout.com rankings. He's also listed as the No. 18 quarterback and the top player at the sport's most important position coming out of Maryland.

It's questionable whether the McDonogh School standout ends up at QB in college, though.

Ellis originally committed to Virginia Tech in August 2016. After enjoying success on the camp circuit, highlighted by terrific results in the athletic testing, he decided to reassess the entire situation, including his future position, in early May.

He announced the decision with a post on social media.

"I am officially decommitting from Virginia Tech as a quarterback," he wrote. "I am reopening my recruitment as an athlete. I appreciate all the love from VT coaches and fans. Virginia Tech is still one of my top schools."

His change of heart came just over a week after Ricky LaBlue of Tech Sideline highlighted his strong showing at the Washington, D.C., regional of The Opening:

His willingness to change positions combined with his athleticism made him a more intriguing prospect than if he wanted to limit himself to quarterback. That said, his experience leading an offense is still a plus and gives him rare versatility heading to college.

In the end, Ellis opted to stick with the Hokies. He's a work in progress. The decision to create more flexibility for himself by removing the quarterback tag helped generate interest and will probably turn out best for his long-term outlook, but it could take a while before he finds his niche.

His initial impact, assuming the decision isn't made to make him a full-time quarterback again, will likely come on special teams. He's got the tools to provide value in that area for the Hokies while continuing his development.