Beamer, Hokies excited about multi-threat Trey Edmunds

Trey Edmunds looked comfortable sporting his maroon Virginia Tech hat early Wednesday morning and he was even more relaxed as he finally signed the paperwork that was six months in the making.

The Parade All-American is one of seven four-star recruits that signed Wednesday morning with Virginia Tech, capping off a stellar senior season on the football field.

“This day is really special to me just knowing that I’m going to a school of the caliber of Virginia Tech,” Edmunds said. “It just makes me feel excited and makes me feel all my hard years of life and school meant something and it means something now. I’m excited and looking forward to it.”

Edmunds is the only recruit listed on Virginia Tech’s athletics website at multiple positions (tailback/outside linebacker) of the 26 student-athletes who made it official Wednesday morning. Two other students had already enrolled early in January.

“He’s a special player in this group,” Virginia Tech director of recruiting and high school relations Jim Cavanaugh said of Edmunds. “He’s one of five tailbacks that we got. Trey is one of those kids — he’s a very unique athlete. He could play outside linebacker for us and we want to see if he can play tailback.

“He’s talented enough to do both as he gets settled into his career … could be one of the young men who could play both sides of the ball. He’s that kind of athlete; that kind of explosiveness.”

Cavanaugh, who was on Maryland’s coaching staff when Ferrell Edmunds starred at tight end for the Terrapins, said during a conference call discussing the Hokies’ recruiting class that there could be special packages/situations in place for Edmunds to play both offense and defense.

“[He’s a] tremendous player on both sides of the ball. I think he is explosive,” Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. “We’re really pleased to have him in our program. I think it’s a great, great catch for Virginia Tech.”

Beamer added that Edmunds will likely have to focus on one side of the ball when he arrives, but the program sees the ability of having special packages/schemes that could allow Edmunds to play the other side of the ball at times.

The senior became the first player in school history to be named to the Parade Magazine All-American high school football team as a running back and was the first player from Dan River to be nominated to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl last year as a junior.

The son of Ferrell and Felecia Edmunds was named an All-American by PrepStar and SuperPrep as a linebacker. PrepStar has Edmunds ranked as the No. 17 outside linebacker in the country, while SuperPrep ranked him the No. 6 player in the state of Virginia and No. 23 on its list of 39 All-American linebackers.

Edmunds is the lone Virginia Tech recruit who was an All-American on all three teams.

“For the most part I still have the same mindset of I’ll play whatever,” Trey Edmunds said, reiterating his statement when he verbally committed that he would play wherever the coaching staff wanted him to play.

“Although, I know going into camp I’m going to have to choose one but I guess its going to come in time when I’m going to choose it. Right now, I’m just seeing where my strengths are, I’m reviewing tape and I’m just working and focused. I’m ready to start. … There’s really not a specific position. Tech recruits great, great players and they have great along every position. I guess I’m just going to go in there and work hard and whatever position I feel most comfortable with, that’s the one I’m going to go with.”

Edmunds, who is projected by many recruiting services to play defense for the Hokies, was named first-team defense in the Dogwood District. He racked up 143 tackles, four interceptions and returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Those numbers back up his production from his junior season when he totaled 124 tackles and 8.5 sacks.

“It means the world to us. We definitely do not count it as a given, we count it as a true blessing,” Felecia Edmunds said. “We’d like to thank the Dan River, as well as the Danville, community. We have had a lot of supporters in a positive way. We definitely, truly know that it is blessing from God and we are thankful.”

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound athlete rushed for 2,596 yards and 33 touchdowns on 283 carries, accounting for 61.5 percent of Dan River’s offense. Dan River won two playoff games in a season for the first time in school history, with Edmunds totaling 696 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in the three postseason games.

Edmunds was named the 2011 Danville Register & Bee All-Metro football offensive player of the year and VirginiaPreps.com’s Group A offensive player of the year. He was also named first-team offense in both Region B and the Dogwood District.

“He showed me a lot of maturity when he committed in August and said he wanted to go to Virginia Tech. Then he let his play on the field during the whole season reflect what he decided early on in August,” Ferrell Edmunds said. “You think in August, you set a goal like, ‘OK, I’m going to be the best.’ Then you go out and fulfill your goal by making Parade All-American, you go out and rush for 2,600 yards and you go out and have 143 tackles. You can think things, but to make it happen, it takes a little bit of effort, sweat and determination to make all of that come true.”

Edmunds was also ranked No. 8 on The Roanoke Times’ annual report of the top 100 high school football players in the state.

Part of Edmunds’ athletic appeal to the Hokies is his ability to excel at multiple sports. Edmunds is the reigning 200 meter Group A state champion and finished third last season in the 100 meter dash.

Dan River’s varsity basketball team has advanced to the Group A, Division 2, state tournament in Edmunds first three years as a starter. The Wildcats are the top-ranked Group A team in The Associated Press poll and Edmunds has achieved two milestones this season on the basketball court.

In late December, Edmunds earned MVP honors in the Danville Register & Bee Holiday Shootout after being named to the all-tournament team for the fourth time and he eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in a home victory against Nelson County on Jan. 3.