Virginia Tech's Ore Expected to Land at WLSC
Running back Branden Ore, recently dismissed by Virginia Tech, could find a home at West Liberty State College as early as today.
Ore, a rising senior, started 13 games for the Hokies last season and led the team in rushing with 992 yards and scored 10 touchdowns, but was recently dismissed by longtime head coach Frank Beamer for unspecified reasons.
NCAA rules say players from Football Bowl Subdivision schools who have only one season of eligibility remaining cannot transfer to other Football Bowl Subdivision schools or Football Championship Subdivision (A or I-AA schools), meaning Branden Ore had few options but to continue his career with a Division II school.
Why West Liberty?
Ore is the cousin of Hilltoppers defensive back Darren Banks, a first-team All-America selection by D2football.com.
Banks has 28 career interceptions and is reportedly drawing NFL looks.
Nothing official has been signed and West Liberty football coach Roger Waialae couldn’t comment on the situation, but multiple sources have indicated Ore is planning to be a member of the Hilltoppers’ backfield next season, splitting carries with Eddie Hills and others.
Either way, it appears scouts will have two reasons to attend West Liberty games this fall.
According to NFL Draft Bible.com, Ore and Banks are both potential top 150 draft picks and will likely be ranked in the top five among small school prospects for the 2009 NFL Draft.
Ore, who had the option of entering the supplemental draft but chose not to, rushed for 1,137 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore at Virginia Tech when he was an all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. In 2005, he ran for 647 yards on 109 carries (5.9 per carry).
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