Virginia Tech 2025 target Jermiel Atkins announces college decision

Virginia Tech offensive lineman Jermiel Atkins decided today that he will not attend Virginia Tech.

However, according to On3’s recruiting prediction machine, it appears Kentucky has lost the race. On3’s RPM gave Atkins a 96.1 percent chance of committing to the Wildcats, beating out Virginia Tech’s 1.4 percent chance in second place. Atkins spoke highly of Kentucky during the recruiting campaign, with 247Sports calling him out, “What’s not to like about them? They’re a powerhouse school. They’re a great running team downhill and a great passing team when you have to pass,” so it’s easy to say he’s fallen in love with the Wildcats.

Atkins had narrowed his list to three schools before committing. After official visits to Kentucky and Virginia Tech, those schools were natural finalists. To the surprise of some, Minnesota was the third team on his list of finalists.

Jermiel Atkins is a three-star player who attends Trotwood-Madison High School in Dayton, Ohio.

At 6’4″, 247Sports ranks him as the 47th-best offensive tackle in the 2025 recruiting class and the 19th-best player in Ohio. He holds other offers from Arizona State, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Marshall, Toledo, Tulsa, West Virginia and Western Kentucky.

Prior to Jermiel’s commitment, 247Sports’ Josh Edwards submitted Crystal Ball for Atkins to land in UK.

Atkins is an extremely exciting three-star recruit who would have been a great addition to the Hokies’ 2025 recruiting class out of Virginia Tech. Atkins fits what head coach Brent Pry and offensive line coach Ron Crook have been trying to build on the offensive line. Based on size alone, being 6-foot-8 and over 270 pounds will definitely get you some looks. There are still a ton of prospects that the Virginia Tech coaching staff can try to bring to campus.

Virginia Tech has already done a good job recruiting offensive linemen, picking up two three-stars in the process: 6-foot-7.5 interior lineman Carter Stallard and 275-pound interior lineman Nathaniel Wright.

Despite only recruiting 14 players, Virginia Tech currently ranks 43rd overall in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports.