Clayton now will arrive in August

Joseph "Ju-Ju" Clayton received a call last Monday from Jim Cavanaugh, who recruited him to Virginia Tech. Cavanaugh told Clayton that Tech's coaches wanted him to come to school in August, rather than January, as originally planned.

"It caught me by surprise," said Clayton, a quarterback from Hermitage High School. "If I had known I was going in August, I would have done more stuff to get me prepared to go in August."

Clayton, whom Tech's coaches plan to redshirt, is working out regularly and thinks it won't take him long to get in shape. He plans on running more to expedite the process. Clayton expected to spend this fall working, helping Hermitage's football team and training at Velocity Sports Performance.

He is scheduled to arrive Aug. 3, the day before practice begins. Defensive tackle Antoine Hopkins also will arrive next month, because he is finishing a class. Tech currently has 21 of its freshmen on campus. They came last week. When Clayton and Hopkins show up, the class will number 23 or 24, depending on whether defensive end Leon Mackey is admitted.

Tech was able to change Clayton's arrival date in part because in May it withdrew Peter Rose's scholarship after the multipurpose player was charged with selling marijuana. The Hokies' coaches want Clayton to learn their system as soon as possible. When senior Sean Glennon's career ends after this season, Tech's only scholarship quarterbacks will be sophomore Tyrod Taylor, Clayton and fellow freshman Marcus Davis.

Clayton is one of 31 recruits who signed with Tech in February, though the class shrank to 30 after Rose's release. The NCAA caps incoming classes at 25. Tech got under that number because wide receiver D.J. Coles (Goochland) and running back Tony Gregory will attend prep school, linebacker Derrick McCoy will go to junior college and three players will enroll in January: tight end Eric Martin, multipurpose player Ben Barber and receiver Kendrick Pressley.

As for Mackey, one of Tech's top recruits, he has to complete some high school coursework before he is admitted. Mackey, 6-4 and 275 pounds, spent his final year of high school at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham. Tech's coaches have high hopes for Mackey and are now waiting to find out when they'll get him.

"He's worth waiting on," Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said.

Hokies will try Painter on defense

Offensive tackle Vinston Painter is another of Tech's highly regarded recruits. At 6-5 and 300 pounds, he appears ready to contribute immediately. During Tech's camp Saturday for high school players, one kid approached Painter and mistakenly assumed he'd already spent a year in the Hokies' program.

Painter is so anxious to play that he recently approached Foster about trying defensive tackle. "We'll probably give him a shot there," Foster said. Count Foster among those impressed with Painter's build. "He's pretty, isn't he?" Foster said.

Tech lost both tackles, Carlton Powell and Barry Booker, from last season. The leading candidates to take over the spots are sophomore John Graves (Meadowbrook) and junior Cordarrow Thompson.

This and that

Senior left guard Nick Marshman, who has struggled with his weight throughout his career, is down to 340 pounds, right where his coaches want him. He was listed at 357 last season. He thinks he can get into the 330s during preseason practice. . . . Cavanaugh, Tech's recruiting coordinator, said the Hokies probably would be able to accept 11 to 14 commitments for the Class of 2009. They already have seven. . . . Two notable absences from Tech's camp Saturday: David Wilson and Logan Thomas. They are considered among the best multipurpose players in the country, and Tech is in the running for both. Wilson, from George Washington High in Danville, visited Tech earlier last week. Thomas, from Brookville High in Lynchburg, attended Tech's first camp, in June. -- Darryl Slater