This is a very interesting read on how Virginia has made significant inroads into what was long a recruiting bedrock for the Virginia Tech program, the Virginia Beach area.
It’s also the latest example of how important offseason training programs and 7-on-7 spring football have become during the recruiting process, in some cases supplanting high school coaches as the main contact between top college programs and recruits.
All five prospects, along with many of the Cavaliers’ top recruits from recent seasons, grew up together in Virginia Beach (Kamara starred at Bishop Sullivan) and either trained in the offseason with the 757 Sports Academy or played 7-on-7 football with the Virginia Thoroughbreds, organizations that have joined together in recent years to become a controversial force in talent-rich Hampton Roads.
Such programs remain largely unregulated by the NCAA, and some in the recruiting industry question whether, in addition to helping recruits, they are also creating pipelines to certain schools for their own gain.
I’m shocked, shocked that could happen. And Frank Beamer ain’t happy about it.
Tech coach Frank Beamer wrote about the situation in his recent autobiography, “Let Me Be Frank,” comparing the trend to AAU basketball without referencing either program by name.
“We are seeing certain mentors tied to different colleges. They are getting involved in recruiting and may direct a kid, or group of kids, to a certain college. Our coaches tell me they have been seeing quite a bit of this in the Virginia Beach area,” he wrote, a statement that only worsened the animosity between the Virginia Beach contingent and the Hokies.
Five’ll get you ten the Hokies eventually wake up and try to fix things by hiring somebody from that 7-on-7 program. Support staff, for the win…
Get The Picture 
Interesting situation…are there outfits like that in Georgia?
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HS coaches in Georgia seem to still be in charge of 7 on 7 but some are going overboard with long out-of-state trips for tournaments every weekend. When the linemen are thrown in for regular games they go 3-7, 4-6, etc. 7 on 7 in Georgia is becoming ripe for this type of exploitation.
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Why would Beamer not? We want McGarrity to expand the support staff, and he damn well better do it with people that help the program, recruiting or otherwise.
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This is likely a dumb question, but : Could the NCAA cut off the influence of these outside groups, like the 7 on 7 and AAU, by requiring all contact with a recruit to go directly to the recruit, his family and/or high school coach and, in addition, banning contact with those outside coaches and organizations?
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I would guess the list of the things the NCAA COULD do something about, but don’t or won’t is nearly as long as the list of things the NCAA actually works on.
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That;s how soccer and lacrosse players have been recruited for years. HS was rec league compared to club teams. And how are HS coaches less college biased than club coaches?
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Travel baseball is this way as well. I, personally, haven’t seen blatant favoritism toward one school over another, but the travel programs certainly provide an outlet for kids to be recruited. High school baseball is a joke in comparison.
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