Four-Star Wide Receiver Carnell Warren Reopens Recruitment, Decommits from Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech’s 2026 recruiting class has taken another hit, as four-star wide receiver Carnell Warren announced on Thursday that he is decommitting from the Hokies and reopening his recruitment.
Warren, a standout from Bluffton High School in Bluffton, South Carolina, originally pledged to Virginia Tech in January during the Under Armour Next All-American Football Game. However, less than two weeks after an official visit to Blacksburg on May 30, he shared via X (formerly Twitter) that he is exploring other opportunities.
The 6-foot-4, 195-pound wideout is ranked No. 319 nationally, the No. 50 wide receiver, and the No. 7 prospect in South Carolina according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Despite the Hokies’ efforts to solidify their receiving corps—having brought in 12 other wideouts recently, including juniors Ayden Greene and Tucker Holloway, as well as graduate transfer Donovan Greene—Warren has decided to take a step back from his initial decision.
This marks the second major recruiting loss for Virginia Tech in the 2026 cycle. In November, four-star quarterback Peyton Falzone decommitted and later committed to Penn State, who currently boasts the No. 6 recruiting class nationally. With Warren now out of the fold, Virginia Tech’s class has dropped to No. 99 in the national rankings and sits at the bottom of the ACC in terms of recruiting.
Though the Hokies may still pursue Warren, regaining his commitment could be difficult, as he holds offers from 15 other programs and will likely weigh all his options carefully.
247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins praised Warren as a “hulking wide receiver” with excellent athleticism and contested catch ability. Ivins noted that Warren scored 14 touchdowns in 11 games during his junior year, with one of those highlights making it to NFL Network. Warren excels in 50-50 ball situations and has shown potential as more than just a red zone threat, demonstrating agility on screens and short routes. Ivins believes Warren could become a difference-maker at the collegiate level due to his size and ball skills.
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