Dylan Rivers, a four-star 2017 linebacker out of Stephens City, Va., announced on Sunday that he had flipped his verbal commitment from Penn State to Virginia Tech.

Four-star linebacker Dylan Rivers flips his commitment to Virginia Tech. He was one of Penn State’s top commits for the Class of 2017. https://t.co/pIY9RsYKSt

— Onward State (@OnwardState) January 22, 2017

Rivers was the second prospect to commit to James Franklin and his staff for this cycle back in November, 2015 before the Michigan game. He joins fellow four-star linebacker Nathan Proctor, another top Nittany Lion target, as a future Hokie with just over a week before National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Penn State’s 2017 recruiting class is currently No. 14 in the nation, according to 247Sports, with four early enrollees already on campus and 14 more commits waiting to put pen to paper. Incoming freshman linebacker Brelin Faison-Walden is one of those four scheduled to go through spring ball, while Brailyn Franklin will arrive this summer.

Though losing Rivers — one of America’s top linebacker recruits — certainly hurts, the extra spot will give Franklin some flexibility with only two or three scholarships available. Chances are pretty high that Brent Pry will go after another linebacker before this cycle is finished.

About the Author

Ethan Kasales

Ethan’s a senior journalism major who grew up in Lemont, a few minutes from campus. When he’s not covering Penn State sports, you can usually find him golfing or teaching snowboarding at Tussey Mountain. Feel free to email him at ethan@onwardstate.com.

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