Josh Buchanan reports that former Virginia Tech running back Branden Ore could find a college home as soon as Thursday. He plans to meet with officials from Division II West Liberty State Thursday to discuss the possibility of a transfer after being dismissed from Virginia Tech.
According to NCAA rules FBS players with one year of eligibility remaining can not transfer to the FCS. Due to the rule Ore has to enroll at a division 2 school.
Ore’s reason behind transferring to West Liberty is due mainly in fact that his cousin, Darren Banks, is an All-American cornerback there.
Ore, a rising redshirt-senior from Chesapeake, Va., played in all 14 games last season, starting 13. He led the Hokies in rushing with 992 yards and was second on the team in scoring with 10 touchdowns for 60 total points. In 2006, Ore rushed for 1,137 yards and 16 TDs on the way to First-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors. He played in 12 games in 2005 and ran for 647 yards and six touchdowns on 5.9 yards per carry as a freshman and he redshirted in ’04.
Banks, a rising redshirt senior, is a former Marshall transfer who had 40 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 13 interceptions, 6 pass breakups, and a forced fumble in 2007. He earned 1st team All-America honors by D2football.com. He finished his sophomore season with 10 interceptions 7 pass breakups on his way to 1st team All-WVIAC honors. He enters 2008 with 28 career interceptions as a 2-time 1st team All-WVIAC selection and 2007 1st team All-American.
Ore and Banks are potential top 150 draft picks as both would be ranked one and three, respectively, in Josh Buchanan’s preseason small school rankings for the 2009 NFL Draft.
