PORTSMOUTH, VA (WTKR)- Matthew Outten has seen others from Hampton Roads go on and play college football at Virginia Tech. Now he'll get to do the same.
The I.C. Norcom wide receiver verbally committed to the Hokies Monday afternoon during a ceremony at his Portsmouth home. He picked Virginia Tech over Penn State, Maryland and Syracuse.
"The environment, the family there," Outten said of what set the program apart. "The coaches, they bring you in, treat you as a family. It's a good school, a great program. It just felt like home."
Outten, a rising senior for the Greyhounds, is ranked as a four-star recruit by 247 Sports as well as the No. 6 athlete in the commonwealth for the Class of 2025. He'll stay in-state and be part of Brent Pry's goal of winning back the top recruits in the 757.
"Its not too far of a drive for my family, anybody that wants to come watch me play," he noted. "Being in-state, it's home so I love to be here."
Football has become Outten's passion during the course of his childhood and leading up to the end of his high school career. Now the sport is taking him to heights some only dream of and he takes some time to recognize that.
"Just being where I'm from, for real, everybody [doesn't] get this opportunity, so I'm blessed for sure," he said.
Before he heads off the Blacksburg, Outten has some unfinished business to take care of at I.C. Norcom. He and the Greyhounds are coming off a 4-6 campaign in 2023 and look to build on that during the upcoming season.
"Definitely just locked in on football," he said of having the decision behind him. "I've been waiting to get this over with so I can just focus on my season and we can go win the state."
Outten and the Greyhounds open their season August 29 at Grafton.
