Dan River's Coleman previews his upcoming college decision
Dan River High School standout TyLyric Coleman is set to announce his college commitment on July 30 and has a host of in-state schools that have piqued his interest. CavsCorner checked in with the 6-foot-3, 175-pound athlete to see where he is in the process.
Coleman has a handful of offers but has zeroed in on five in-state schools that have offered or shown heavy interest.
Here’s what he had to say about each school:
“JMU [James Madison University] was the first to take a chance on me, a skinny kid from a small high school with about 400 people,” Coleman explained. “They show tons of love and are great with relationship building.
“William & Mary is showing heavy interest and are very on top of things when it comes to recruiting,” he also told CavsCorner. “They keep in touch, build relationships, and emphasize family.”
The University of Richmond, meanwhile, connected with Coleman due its small school atmosphere.
“It is not a big university,” he said. “Class sizes are small and they have some great academic programs. They have a great coaching staff that is willing and interested in getting to know their players.”
Dan River, of course, is no stranger to Virginia Tech’s program, as the Hokies have landed a number of recruits from there over the years. That includes the famed Edmund brothers, who went from Ringgold to Blacksburg and then onto the NFL.
Where do the Hokies stand for Coleman?
“With my high school being the home of Terrell, Tremaine, and Trey Edmunds, I feel they paved the way,” Coleman said. “Tech’s fan base is strong, and their energy is insane as well.”
Coleman picked up his offer from UVa in May and then camped with the Wahoos in June. Did UVa impress the Wildcat standout?
“They [UVa] emphasize family!,” he said. “If you are a UVa recruit, they make it known that they want to build relationships to not only focus on football but focus on bettering you as a man and bettering you academically.”
Coleman had an opportunity to show his skillset to Tony Elliott and his staff when he camped in Charlottesville. The experience stood out to him as it seemed to hit home.
“It wasn’t like the traditional prospect camp with a lot of testing,” Coleman explained. “It was more of a learning camp where the coaches actually taught and coached you.”
Coleman mentioned that he interacted with wide receivers coach Marques Hagans, defensive backs coach Curome Cox, offensive line coach Garett Tujague in addition to Elliott.
Coleman had an opportunity to interact with him where he was able to lay out his vision of the UVa program moving forward.
“[Coach Elliott] is big on building,” Coleman said. “He wants to mold his players to become not only NFL caliber players, but also to become great men. He wants them to have a future outside of football all while giving his players a chance to make it to the league.”
UVa has made it a priority to keep in-state talent at home and there has been a real effort by the new staff to recruit the Commonwealth, where strides have been made in 2023.
Asked about the impact of staying at home and playing his college ball in Virginia and what it would mean to the Dan River community, Coleman was adamant.
“It would mean a lot!,” he said. “There are not many people from here that get an opportunity to play Division I football, so I want to pave the way for the youth,” Coleman said.
Going into his senior season, Coleman wants to become a more complete football player. Blessed with top end speed and elite ball skills, he said he wants to improve his physicality.
“This season I will be working on filling out my frame,” he said. “I want to add muscle, so I can become a more physical player.”
Coleman is planning to commit on Saturday, July 30 shortly after the Wildcats begin summer practices.
