Just one day after parting ways with head coach Brent Pry, Virginia Tech football has taken another major hit—this time on the recruiting trail.
Thomas Wilder, a composite four-star offensive tackle, has decommitted from the Hokies and reopened his recruitment. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound standout from Virginia Beach had originally pledged to Virginia Tech on July 3.
Wilder’s ties to Virginia Tech run deep, dating back to his middle school years. When he committed this past summer, he emphasized the long-standing bond he had built with the program and his desire to represent his home state.
“You have to show love to the ones that have been there. You can’t bite the hand that feeds you. They’ve been showing love since I was 13, 14. Might as well go there,” Wilder told 247Sports at the time of his pledge. “It means a lot—home-based and going to Virginia Tech. You drive anywhere in Virginia, you’re for sure going to see a Virginia Tech sign on somebody’s car. Growing up, seeing that a lot, seeing what Mike Vick did, Duane Brown did, I want to be the next one of them coming from my hometown.”
Wilder was primarily recruited by offensive line coach Matt Moore and was one of three Green Run High School teammates to commit to the Hokies. The other two—cornerback Zaevion Cleveland and edge rusher Kamren Johnson—have not finalized their decisions and are now signaling that they, too, may be reconsidering their options.
Wilder originally chose Virginia Tech over Penn State and Maryland, two programs that could quickly re-enter the mix for his commitment.
The Hokies now face added pressure on the recruiting trail. Their 2026 class sits at No. 92 nationally with 10 verbal commitments, but several of those pledges may be in flux. Four-star edge rusher Andrew Rogers, for instance, has recently been linked to Tennessee.
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