Matthew Outten, a four-star Class of 2025 commit, flipped his commitment from Virginia Tech to Penn State on Monday.
What was expected to be an enjoyable weekend for the Virginia Tech football team has turned into a nightmare. After their overtime loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday in Nashville—a team projected to finish last in the SEC—the situation worsened for head coach Brent Pry on Monday with disappointing news regarding the Class of 2025 recruits.
Just 48 hours after the Hokies’ 34-27 defeat to the Commodores, four-star recruit Matthew Outten, who was part of the Class of 2025, decided to switch his commitment from Virginia Tech to Penn State. While it’s unclear if Saturday’s loss directly influenced his decision, it certainly adds to the weekend’s troubles.
We home lets do it!!! @PennStateFball @coachjfranklin @coachmhagans #weare pic.twitter.com/BgzUfRTIOE
— Matthew outten (@Matthewoutten6) September 2, 2024
Outten, who had committed to Virginia Tech on July 1, was a key recruit for Pry and Fontel Mines this summer. Ranked 139th in his class by 247Sports and as the 6th best player in Virginia, Outten will now be joining Penn State—where Pry previously served as defensive coordinator under James Franklin.
This is a significant blow to Virginia Tech’s recruiting efforts as they were assembling a strong class. Currently, the Hokies still have commitments from Micah Matthews, Jayden Anderson, and Shamaruis Peterkin, with Matthews and Peterkin being four-star recruits and Anderson a three-star.
With Outten’s decommitment, Virginia Tech now has 16 commits in their class. The impact on in-state recruiting is also notable, as Outten’s new commitment to a Big Ten school is a setback for the Hokies.
