the homestretch, sort of

Forget, for a minute, about the DOOM that approacheth on Sunday. Tomorrow's the day to worry about that, because that's when I write a very emo game preview. Today, recruiting news, because it's that time of year. NLOID really ought to be a national holiday. It's gonna be hard trying to keep up with stuff at work and yet pretend like I'm actually doing something for king and country.

The 2009 and 2010 boards are both updated. Lest you think I'm slacking and getting in a rut, I'm also working on updating the depth chart by class, which will be presented all-new on or shortly after NLOID.

The updates:

- Lanford Collins will be a Hokie, and so he is off the board.

- The coaching staff is making all preps for an offer for WR Bobby Smith. If/when offered, he'll jump, so even though he's technically a Delaware commit, that is basically worth the paper it's not written on. He'll be a Hoo if we offer, much more likely than not.

- For 2010, I added Smith's teammate Marquis Wallace. We haven't offered yet, but we will. Also added LB Justin Maclin, although he could go to any school he wants within a 700-mile radius of his home and therefore will probably never leave the red on this board.

This party's not going to stop on NLOID, though. Morgan Moses is going to drag this thing out for a while, and the coaching staff seems bound and determined to get to 25 no matter how much attrition would be required over the summer to fit them all in, and so is working on a late surprise or two. (In case you're wondering, there is room for four more under the 25-limit.) There will be much to watch for the class of '09 even after Wednesday has come and gone.

Lastly, a piece of good news, because it concerns a most deserving recipient of said good news. The university announced today that Sean Singletary's number will be retired. Not "jersey" - they've done that already, and that's a sort of secondary honor because schools are kind of discouraged from retiring numbers - there's only so many you can hand out in football, and basketball has this weird rule that you can't have a number higher than 5 on the jersey, so those are limited too. But no, the number 44 will be retired in honor of Singletary. It's the right thing to do. Singletary played with all the guts and tenacity of Allen Iverson, only without the "PRACTICE?!?!" This kid was special from his very first year and now he'll be immortalized next to Ralph Sampson and Bryant Stith and the rest of them. He deserves it 110%.