'Playmaker' Keylen Adams picks Virginia Tech

Wide receiver Keylen Adams, one of the commonwealth’s top high school football prospects, has verbally committed to Virginia Tech. Adams, a rising senior at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach, announced his decision Thursday. He had tweeted in May that his five finalists were Virginia Tech, Alabama, Ohio State, South Carolina and Pittsburgh. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Adams is ranked as the No. 4 player in Virginia in the high school graduating class of 2024 by ESPN. “(The Hokies are) getting a natural playmaker with great hands and great route-running ability,” Green Run coach Brandon Williams said Thursday in a phone interview. “An athletic specimen that can jump out of the gym and run past you.” What made Adams pick Virginia Tech over national heavyweights Alabama and Ohio State? “He has a strong family background and Tech, they recruited him as a family member, not as just another player,” Williams said. “(Tech receivers coach) Fontel Mines, he’s done a great job with him (in the recruiting process). It was definitely the family aspect and the family atmosphere that lured him to Virginia Tech.” Adams is rated as the No. 180 rising senior in the nation by ESPN, as well as the No. 20 receiver in the country in that graduating class. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS Feed | Omny Studio He had 55 catches for 1,064 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior last fall. He made the Class 5 all-state first team and helped Green Run reach the Class 5 state semifinals. “As soon as we (saw) him as a freshman, we knew he was an automatic starter. And ever since, he’s been our go-to guy,” Williams said. “(The Hokies) are getting a definite steal.” Adams runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 or 4.6 seconds, Williams said. “He gets the ball in the open field, he’s going to make things happen and run away from people,” Williams said. How ready is Adams to make the jump to ACC football? “To be honest with you, he can go right now,” Adams said. “I’m glad I do have him for one more year.” Adams’ decision means Tech has now landed two of ESPN’s top six rising seniors in Virginia. Receiver Chanz Wiggins of King George High School, who is ranked No. 6 in the state by ESPN, committed to Tech earlier this month. According to Techsideline.com, Adams becomes the first top-five player in the commonwealth to pick the Hokies since Jaden Payoute of L.C. Bird in 2019. This is the first time in six years that Tech has landed a Tidewater native who is among the top five players in Virginia, according to Techsideline.com. The last one was Devon Hunter in 2017, according to Techsideline.com. +1 Adams VTFB gamebug OLD DOMINION AT VIRGINIA TECH Season opener Sept. 2: 8 p.m. TV: ACC