Greenback's Derrell Bailey commits to Virginia Tech over Virginia, LSU

Aaron Torres
Knoxville

A year ago, Derrell Bailey was just a high school football player with no scholarship offers and no star rating or ranking on the 247Sports Composite. 

A year later, after driving back from an unofficial visit to Virginia Tech, he committed to the Hokies. Bailey, who received 33 Division I scholarship offers over the offseason, said he liked the small-town feel of Blacksburg, Virginia.

"It was (a) small town like Greenback and everything was right there," Bailey, a defensive end and the No. 34 recruit in Tennessee, according to 247Sports, said in a text message. "I just loved it. The coaches were different, the school was unique. I felt like I can focus on school and football with no distractions. I can separate myself." 

Bailey, a three-star recruit, said he chose Virginia Tech over Virginia and LSU. He narrowed his 33 offers to 12 in June, and his final 12 included Oklahoma, Oregon, Florida and Georgia Tech. Tennessee has not made an offer.

Bailey, who's 6-foot-6, 255 pounds, recorded 69 solo tackles, nine tackles for loss and seven sacks last season and was named the Region 2-A Defensive Player of the Year. In his career at Greenback, Bailey has recorded 155.5 tackles, 35 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. 

Bailey will play defensive end, he said.