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Sam Jessee

I'm a born and raised Hokie. My first game in Lane Stadium was in September of 1997 when Tech stomped Big East rival Syracuse 31-3. 

I was born and raised in Richmond, VA, where I developed a passion for local cooking, scenic nature, and everything Orange and Maroon. I graduated from Tech with a degree in Finance in 2019 and received my Master's in Data Analytics in 2021. I'm a certified analytics nerd with a passion for data visualization and modeling, which fuels much of my work.

I joined the Sons team in 2020, and now act as the Website Content Manager overseeing all online content and mentoring our talented tea of writers. I also co-host the Two Deep podcast with Pete B.

I currently work in Virginia Beach, VA, as a data and financial analyst for LifeNet Health, a biotech and organ transplant non-profit.

graduation '19, BS - Finance // '21, MS - Data Analytics
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Football

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 7

The boys are starting to heat up, and we have a MAJOR slate in front of us!

By Robert Irby | October 11, 2024
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Football

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 6

The boys are O-T-T-T-O-G-O win some bets this weekend!

By Robert Irby | October 03, 2024
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Football

Lock$ of Saturday Week Five

The guys try to bounce back from a horrendous week by picking the Georgia vs Alabama game, and much more.

By Robert Irby | September 26, 2024
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Virginia Tech

A Guide to Metallica: Songs You Should Know Before May 7th, 2025 (Not Named Enter Sandman)

The non-Metallica fan’s guide to one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

By Brett Smith | September 21, 2024
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Football

Lock$ of Saturday Week Four

The guys look to bounce back from a rough week with some solid bets, including the much-anticipated Tennessee-Oklahoma matchup. Plus, is Nebraska back?

By Robert Irby | September 19, 2024
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Football

Lock$ of Saturday Week 3

The guys make their picks for marquee college football spreads like Missouri vs. BC, Kansas State vs. Arizona and Wisconsin vs. Alabama

By Robert Irby | September 12, 2024
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Football

Lock$ of Saturday: Week Two

Week Two of college football is here, and the fellas share their best bets. Is the Nico Iamaleava hype for real?

By Robert Irby | September 05, 2024
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Football

Lock$ of Saturday: Week One

The guys make their best picks for the week one college football slate, including Miami vs. Florida, Clemson vs. Georgia, Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M and more!

By Robert Irby | August 29, 2024
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Football

Lock$ of Saturday Futures & Week 0

With college football week 0 on the horizon, the guys pick their best bet for the weekend action plus more futures!

By Robert Irby | August 21, 2024
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Football

Lock$ of Saturday: Preseason Win Totals

The Lock$ are back with their best college football bets for the 2024 season!

By Robert Irby | August 14, 2024
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Football

2024 College Football Program Power Rankings

Ranking all 134 FBS programs based on their ability to compete for a national title in 2024.

By Sam Jessee | July 27, 2024
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Basketball

Gonzaga High School C Christian Gurdak Commits to Virginia Tech

4-star big man, Christian Gurdak, has committed to play for Mike Young and the Hokies.

By Sam Jessee | July 02, 2024
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Sports

Top 20 Tuesdays: Under the Radar Games in 2024

The 20 games you need to be on the lookout for in 2024.

By Sam Jessee | June 27, 2024
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Football

Top 20 Tuesdays: Teams to Watch in 2024

The top 20 CFB teams to watch in 2024. These are the programs that will be talked about, for better or worse, more than anyone else. If these teams are playing, you need to watch.

By Sam Jessee | June 11, 2024
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Baseball

Baseball Report Week 11: Hokies Pick Up Massive Win at UNC, but Continue to Struggle

The Hokies continue to falter, but another clutch win keeps them alive for postseason play.

By Emma Ann Lay | May 03, 2024
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Baseball

Baseball Report Week 9: Hokies Coming Back Down to Earth, Looking for Bounce Back

After a stellar ACC start, the Hokies are looking to climb out of a two-week funk.

By Sam Jessee | April 17, 2024
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Football

2024 Spring Game: What to Watch For

The top players and position battles to watch for in Saturday's Spring Game.

By Brett Holmes | April 09, 2024
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Basketball

Kenny Brooks Departs Blacksburg for Kentucky

Kenny Brooks has accepted the head coaching position at Kentucky.

By Sam Jessee | March 26, 2024
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Baseball

Baseball Report Week 5: Hokie History in Louisville

Virginia Tech grabbed its first series win in Louisville since 1995.

By Sam Jessee | March 20, 2024
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Sports

Softball Report Week 5: Hokies Continue ACC Dominance

The Top 25 Hokies got a great series sweep on the road in Louisville to move to 6-0 in the ACC.

By Sam Jessee | March 14, 2024
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Baseball

Baseball Report Week 4: Hokies Continue to Hammer

A 3-0 start to ACC play was highlighted by dominant starting pitching and elite offense.

By Sam Jessee | March 14, 2024
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Baseball

Baseball Report Week 3: Hokies Stay Hot at Home

The Hokies win another series, but have plenty to work on heading into ACC play.

By Sam Jessee | March 05, 2024
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Sports

Softball Report Week 3: Hokies Ascend in Athens

Pitchers dazzled and hitters swung for the fences as the Hokies went down to Athens for the Georgia Classic, where they won 4/5 games by a combined 37-12 score.

By Sam Jessee | February 27, 2024
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Sports

Softball Report Week 2: Hokies Gain Valuable Experience in the Desert

The #21 Hokies faced an uptick in competition in Arizona, prepping them for a weekend showdown with Georgia.

By Sam Jessee | February 20, 2024
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Baseball

2024 Baseball Season Preview

There's a program being built in Blacksburg, but can an elite offense carry the Hokies back to an NCAA Regional?

By Sam Jessee | February 14, 2024
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Sports

2024 Softball Preview & Tiger Invitational Roundup

The Hokies have high expectations and started off strong with an undefeated weekend in Auburn.

By Sam Jessee | February 14, 2024
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Basketball

Hokies Reign Supreme in Raleigh, Beat #3 Wolfpack 72-61

The Hokies got their biggest win of the season with a balanced performance in one of the most hostile environments in the sport.

By Sam Jessee | February 09, 2024
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Basketball

Hokies Stifle the Catamounts in Cassell

The Hokies were dominant on defense, beating the Catamounts 73-51 to remain perfect at home.

By Sam Jessee | December 17, 2023
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Basketball

Hokies Weather the Storm, Upset The Cyclones

The Hokies held tough against a solid Iowa State team to make the Finals of the ESPN Events Invitational vs FAU

By Sam Jessee | November 24, 2023
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Basketball

2023-24 Men's Basketball Preview

A comprehensive preview of year five under head coach Mike Young.

By Sam Jessee | November 02, 2023
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Football

Power Ranking the Virginia Tech Program

Creating a Program Power Ranking for the 2023 season and beyond, and where it puts the Hokies

By Sam Jessee | August 19, 2023
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Football

2022 Position Previews: Quarterback

Our preview of the QB position group for 2022

By Sam Jessee | August 17, 2022
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Sports

Top 20 Tuesdays: NCAA Dynasty Mode

We look ahead to the release of NCAA 23 next July with our favorite schools to start a Dynasty Mode with

By Sam Jessee | June 28, 2022
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Virginia Tech

Top 20 Tuesdays: Tailgate Foods

We kick off our summer series with the Top 20 Tailgate Foods!

By Sam Jessee | June 21, 2022
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Baseball

Hokies Baseball Rising to National Prominence

For the first time in school history, the Hokies have a top 5 baseball team.

By Sam Jessee | May 03, 2022
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Football

5 Big Post-Spring Questions

A dive into the five biggest questions we're left with after spring football.

By Sam Jessee | May 02, 2022
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Football

Spring Football Review: Revisiting Expectations

Revisiting our expectations for spring football 2022

By Sam Jessee | April 25, 2022
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Baseball

Hokies Baseball Gets Back on Winning Track

The Hokies grabbed a series win vs Pitt as well as a local rivalry win vs Radford.

By Sam Jessee | March 24, 2022
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Baseball

Hokies Take Series 2-1 vs Wright State

The Hokies have their best start to a season since 2013 at 9-1.

By Sam Jessee | March 07, 2022
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Baseball

Hokies Baseball 2022 Season Preview

2022 Hokies Baseball Season Preview

By Sam Jessee | February 11, 2022
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Football

What to Expect When You're Expecting

After a total restructuring of the Virginia Tech football program, here's what Hokie fans should be ready for heading into spring 2022.

By Sam Jessee | January 25, 2022
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Basketball

The NCAA NET Rankings Explained

Diving into the new and updated version of the NCAA's primary rankings metric.

By Sam Jessee | December 15, 2021
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Football

A Comprehensive Look at Coaching Candidates

A detailed look at each of the leading candidates for the Virginia Tech football head coaching vacancy

By Sam Jessee | November 26, 2021
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Football

Back to the Drawing Board: Using EPA to Fix the Hokies Offense

Using some of the best metrics in the field of sports analytics, we take a look at the Virginia Tech offense through 4 weeks of unconvincing mediocrity. The way forward is simple. The issue is actually being…

By Sam Jessee | October 01, 2021
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Football

Risk vs Reward: How Running QB's Can Impact Winning

Dual-threat quarterbacks are commonplace in college football now, and at Virginia Tech it's almost a requirement. Analyzing how running quarterbacks can impact teams and how Tech has performed in recent years…

By Sam Jessee | July 22, 2021
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Baseball

Blue Devils Conjure Up a Sweep, Hokies Left in Purgatory

Hokies get swept in Durham, and now postseason play is in real jeopardy.

By Sam Jessee | May 17, 2021
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Sports

Hokies Flounder vs Wahoos, Bounce Back vs Hoyas

Hokies drop series to UVA, look to get things rolling in non-conference play.

By Sam Jessee | May 06, 2021
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Sports

Hokies Right the Ship After Wrecking in Raleigh, Look to the Hoos

Hokies blank the Buccaneers after a rough weekend in Raleigh. Up next, the Wahoos.

By Sam Jessee | April 28, 2021
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Sports

Hokies Stung by Yellow Jackets, Bounce Back Against Keydets

Hokies fall 1-2 over the weekend to Georgia Tech, but come back and beat VMI on Tuesday.

By Sam Jessee | April 22, 2021
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Sports

Hokies Outdrive Demon Deacons, Take Control of Coastal Division

Hokies sweep the Demon Deacons to move to 19-9 on the season and 14-7 in the ACC.

By Sam Jessee | April 12, 2021
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Sports

Comeback Kids: Late Inning Rallies Lift Hokies Over Eagles

Hokies take the series against Boston College with a pair of late inning comebacks.

By Sam Jessee | April 05, 2021
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Sports

Spring Cleaning: Hokies Sweep Panthers in Pittsburgh

Hokies get back on track with a 3-game sweep of the Panthers.

By Sam Jessee | March 29, 2021
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Sports

Sunday Scaries: Hokies Have a Tough Week, Drop Series to Florida State

The Hokies just have one of those weeks, but starting pitching remains dominant.

By Sam Jessee | March 15, 2021
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Sports

Crowd Lifts Hokies to Series Win Over Tar Heels

The Hokies feed off the crowd and win the weekend against UNC.

By Sam Jessee | March 09, 2021
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Sports

Hokies Hammer Highlanders, Get Set to Face Canes in Miami

Hokies dominate in the #SharkeysClassic with a trip to South Beach on the horizon.

By Sam Jessee | February 24, 2021
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Sports

Hokies Black-Out Golden Flashes, Set Sight on Sharkey's Classic

The Hokies dominated Kent State on Sunday and will take on Radford in the Sharkey's Classic on Tuesday.

By Sam Jessee | February 22, 2021
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Playoff Weekend

Our final installment of the 2020 season. Tide vs Tiger part 4? Points points points?

By Sam Jessee | December 30, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Championship Week

It's Championship Weekend! The slate is huge, and some of the spreads are even bigger...

By Sam Jessee | December 16, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 15

Get your bookie ready for Lock$ of Saturday Week 15!

By Sam Jessee | December 09, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 14

New Month. New Picks. Everyone is undefeated in December.

By Sam Jessee | December 02, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 13

We're thankful for football! The crew from the Lock$ of Saturday stuffs their tickets with winners, whips up a side of parlays, and rounds it out with some sweet late night…

By Sam Jessee | November 25, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 12

The Lock$ crew is back in action with one of the most loaded slates of the season.

By Sam Jessee | November 18, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 11

This week, the crew mixes things up a bit and looks at the big picture.

By Sam Jessee | November 11, 2020
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Sports

Rock Bottom pt. 3: The Troubling Trajectory of Fuente's Program

After yet another national embarrassment to the Virginia Tech program, Justin Fuente and his staff are trying to pull the team out of the depths....again.

By Sam Jessee | November 11, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 10

This week we're picking the games that will decide the College Football Playoff.

By Sam Jessee | November 06, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 9

The Lock$ of Saturday crew tries to right the ship.

By Sam Jessee | October 30, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 8

We get another addition to major college football this week as the Mountain West Conference begins their season! Also, the Big Ten is playing.

By Sam Jessee | October 21, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 7

After our first iteration of rivalry week, the Lock$ of Saturday are narrowing in on another key week of storyline filled matchups.

By Sam Jessee | October 15, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 6

The boys from the Lock$ of Saturday are gearing up for the biggest week of the 2020 college football season yet.

By Sam Jessee | October 08, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 5

It's October and the weather is getting colder, but the board is getting oh so hot.

By Sam Jessee | October 01, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 4

As the Hokies finally set the sails, the Lock$ of Saturday crew and rowing the boat strong.

By Sam Jessee | September 25, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 3

The competition ramps up as Week 3 gives us our first big time ACC matchup: The 'Ville vs The U.

By Sam Jessee | September 16, 2020
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Virginia Tech

Facta, non Verba: How the Hokies Are Taking Action for Social Justice and Change

The Hokies football program is taking actions to make a change in their communities.

By Sam Jessee | September 13, 2020
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Sports

Lock$ of Saturday: Week 2

ACC football is finally here!

By Sam Jessee | September 09, 2020
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Sports

2020 ACC Over/Unders

Pack your bags, Hokies. We're going to Vegas!

By Sam Jessee | September 02, 2020
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Sports

Do Stars Matter?

An analytical approach to the biggest question in the college football offseason

By Sam Jessee | August 31, 2020
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Alumni

Top 50 Hokies Spotlight: Mike Burnop

You can't tell the story of Virginia Tech athletics without Mike Burnop, because he's been there through it all.

By Sam Jessee | August 12, 2020
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Alumni

Top 50 Hokie Spotlight: Tyrod Taylor

Tyrod Taylor was one of the most electrifying players in Hokie history, but he's so much more than just a quarterback.

By Sam Jessee | August 05, 2020
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Alumni

Top 50 Hokies Spotlight: Carroll Dale

With deceptive speed and exceptional route running, Carroll Dale made his mark on the game both as a Hokie and as a pro.

By Sam Jessee | July 26, 2020
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Sports

The Case for Spring Football

As college football contingency plans continue to spiral, a spring season is emerging as the most sensible way forward.

By Sam Jessee | July 20, 2020