of Virginia Tech Hokies At Thursday's Under Armor National Game, they announced that they have secured the contract of 2026 three-star wide receiver Carnell Warren.
Warren, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound receiver from Bluffton, South Carolina, chose the Hokies over three other schools in the ACC. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, duke blue devils and wake forest demon deacons.
Warren, who received 13 scholarship offers from schools across the country, narrowed it down to several schools in the ACC as part of his final list before finally committing to the Hokies on Thursday.
Warren will be the first player to participate. Virginia Tech's 2026 recruiting class, cited the hometown factor during several visits as a big reason for their early decision.
At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, Warren has the unique speed to match the skill set to be a deep threat with his size, while also having an excellent release package and ability to play at the receiver position. He also has suitable and healthy hands.
Warren has been on campus numerous times over the past year, including this fall for the Virginia Tech-Clemson game, where the Hokies were the clear favorites to recruit him. That was the case all the way up to Thursday's decision, with head coach Brent Pry's staff making wideouts a priority.
Now, while the Hokies made an early acquisition of the three-star receiver, Warren could be in position to garner national attention as he develops while still in his senior year, and there are many interesting schools in the state to keep an eye on. There is. good.
Clemson and South Carolina are notable for being two schools that have been successful in retaining talented players in the state at high retention rates, so there may be some focus on that next year, but other programs This could also increase interest in larger athletes. Same goes for wideouts.
The Hokies are a top-40 recruiting class in 2024, landing four-star Shamarius Peterkin and three-star Jaden Anderson at the receiver position. Both wideouts were undersized and weighed less than 175 pounds, so Warren provides the Hokies with a different style of receiver between the two recruiting classes.
Warren was one of the juniors invited to participate in the Under Armor All-American Game, giving him the chance to compete against some of the best talent in the country. He looks to continue honing his game as a senior, which could create more buzz for the three-star receiver down the road.
But for now, he's committed to the Hokies, giving Virginia Tech the first spot in the 2026 class.
