Virginia Tech Football: Top 5 Impact Freshmen for 2011

Virginia Tech closed out with a rather underwhelming 2011 recruiting class that was ranked No. 33 overall by Rivals.com.

They did not garner any five-star commitments, but rather a solid group of four-star and three-star prospects who will look to make an impact immediately for the Hokies.

2011 will bring a lot of fresh faces for the Hokies because of departures by players like Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Williams, among others.

Consequently, the freshman class will have an excellent opportunity to earn valuable playing time and help push the Hokies to another ACC Championship.

Here are my five freshmen I believe will make a big impact for the Hokies during the 2011 season.

1. DT Kris Harley

Perhaps the Hokies top signee in 2011 was defensive tackle Kris Harley.

Harley, a stud two-sport athlete in both football and track and field, will be able to come right into Blacksburg and fight for a prominent role in the defensive line rotation.

The Hokies are deep at defensive line, but Harley is a special talent who would be tough to keep off the field for too long.

Harley shined in his junior season, registering 91 tackles and five sacks along with 19 tackles for loss.

A weakness that Harley could struggle with is his size. At 6'2", 260 lbs., Harley is quite undersized for a nose tackle and could be overpowered by a bigger offensive lineman.

But Harley compensates his lack of size with the intensity and effort he displays on the field.

Scott Kennedy, a recruiting analyst at Scout.com, believes Harley will be a force because of his aggressiveness and awareness at the line.

Virginia Tech fans will be hoping that Harley's intensity and quickness at high school will translate smoothly into the college game.

2. DB Kyshoen Jarrett

Until December, cornerback prospect Kyshoen Jarrett was committed to Pittsburgh.  But then Jarrett switched from the Panthers to Virginia Tech and was one of the top cornerbacks for the Hokies in the 2011 recruiting class.

Jarrett is an athletic player who has the vertical capabilities and playmaking ability to cause problems for the opposing quarterback on a consistent basis.

He shined in high school on both offense and defense. Besides the four interceptions and 43 tackles he had as a cornerback, he also had 856 total yards on offense and five touchdowns in his junior season.

Although the Hokies have a reliable cornerback in Jayron Hosley, Jarrett will have the opportunity to find playing time in his freshman season with the departure of Davon Morgan.

If Jarrett can become a more consistent tackler in the secondary, he will shine in the Hokie secondary throughout the next few seasons.

3. WR Rob Lockhart

Rob Lockhart was the Hokies top wide receiver commit in 2011 as three-star, according to Rivals.com.

Even though Virginia Tech has a lot of talent at wide receiver returning for the 2011 season, Lockhart could still be a valuable slot receiver.

Lockhart runs a 4.5 40-yard dash and developed a reputation for making very athletic catches. Arguably his best catch was an outstretched reception over the defensive back that secured his second touchdown in the Palm Beach County All-Star Game.

Lockhart shines at the line of scrimmage where he gets an explosive first step, often times giving him the necessary separation between him and the defender.

He excels at using his size and athletic ability to shield the defensive back when battling for possession of the football.

Look for Lockhart to shine as a third or fourth option receiver for the Hokies in 2011.

4. TE Christian Reeves

Christian Reeves will be an excellent tight-end for the Virginia Tech Hokies throughout the course of his career.

He possess good size and is a great receiver at the tight end position.  Not only does Reeves have excellent hands, but he also is able to get off the line at a quick pace, especially for his position.

The departure of Andre Smith will benefit Reeves and his ability to see early playing time.

I believe Reeves will establish himself has a legitimate target for Logan Thomas, and the two could very easily set up a great connection throughout the season.

As Reeves progresses during his career, he'll be able to bulk up and add size which will benefit him even more in the blocking area.

If Reeves can develop reliable blocking skills, it will be hard for him to stay on the sidelines for too long in his freshman year.

5. DB Ronny Vandyke

At 6'3", Ronny Vandyke projects to be a safety rather than a cornerback in college.

Vandyke is an explosive athlete who also played wide receiver in high school, which helped him to develop his catching ability.

His speed allows him to cover a great deal of the football field in a short amount of time.  

Therefore, he'll be able to make a lot of plays for the Hokies deep in the secondary.

Although he struggles some in zone coverage, his speed and aggressiveness give him great ability in man-to-man coverage.  

He can stick with almost any wide receiver, so it will be tough to be him when he is out on the field.

Once Vandyke gets in the weight program, he could put on another 15-20 pounds.  If he can gain weight up to around 220 pounds, Vandyke would be even more of a force to be reckoned with.

He'll put up a great effort for the Hokies in his freshman season and make a real case for himself to receive even more playing time in the years following 2011.