Top Ocean Lakes Prospects Plan Spring Game Visit to Help Build Relationship with Zohn Burden

The Dolphins' trio of Eric Crosby, Tre Hubbard and Khalan Laborn are all planning second looks at Tech after an unusual March visit.

Hubbard (left) and Crosby (right) enjoyed their time on campus in March so much that they're planning a return visit this weekend. [@ekm2781]

When Ocean Lakes HS head coach Chris Scott got invited to speak at a Virginia Tech coaching clinic last month, he sensed an opportunity.

The Virginia Beach school's coach knew he'd be spending March 27-28 in Blacksburg to share his secrets about how exactly he just coached his team to the 6A state title last year, but he saw no reason to go alone.

Instead, he invited some of his players to join him on trip, giving rising senior DE Tre Hubbard and rising juniors RB Khalan Laborn and DT Eric Crosby a chance to see Tech's campus for the first time.

"We were just trying to get a two for one deal where we were trying to get a coaching clinic in and pick some of the coaches' brains up there, with myself and Coach (Jon) Hoggard, our offensive line coach, getting a chance to do that and us get better while letting these guys who are possible recruits for Virginia Tech get exposure to the campus and see what kind of great things were going on there," Scott said. "It was kind of a great deal, both for us and our players because they didn't have a lot of recruits around."

Indeed, Scott's bunch got to experience a very different atmosphere than the average recruit might get to see at a Junior Day event or on a trip to watch a spring practice.

"It's hard to get everything in in just three or four hours and then you're back on the road and out of there," Scott said. "But getting a chance to see the everyday life of a student-athlete there in a good day and a half, two days, was a really good experience for them and somewhat different than your normal unofficial college visit."

The Ocean Lakes group was the staff's prime focus during their time on campus, and they noticed the difference.

"I just really liked how we all stuck together," Crosby said. "Each guy would ask a question and get the answer they wanted right away, and it was good because the others were all thinking the same thing. It wasn't a whole bunch of recruits, it was just the Ocean Lakes crew."

For Crosby, the visit was particularly eye-opening after approaching the trip to Southwest Virginia with low expectations.

"I didn't think I'd like it, just it being in the mountains, in the woods and all," Crosby said. "But the atmosphere was great, the people were really laid back. It proved me wrong."

Laborn was similarly impressed by his first hard look at the school.

"It really made me feel at home, and it is actually near my home," Laborn said. "They've got what I want to major in, sports medicine and physical therapy. They just have everything I need."

The group also got to spend some quality time with other players with Virginia Beach roots, like J.C. Coleman and Bucky Hodges.

"They said they loved it there and were glad they made the choice to go," Crosby said. "They think it's a good fit for them, and hopefully for me too."

The visit was such a success that the "Ocean Lakes crew" is already planning another visit to Blacksburg, this time for Tech's spring game. All three players are hoping to get their second look at the school within a few weeks to really start to develop solid opinions on the Hokies.

"I've never been to a big college game before, so I want to see them play in person," Hubbard said. "It won't just be on TV anymore, so I want to see how they act on the field and all, just watch the defensive ends and linebackers at the next level, see what's different."

While the Hokies have long paid plenty of attention to prospects at Ocean Lakes, most recently signing 2015 safety Jahque Alleyne from the program, new wide receivers coach Zohn Burden has emerged as a major catalyst in prompting the trio to return to Tech so quickly.

"We just get along really well, and that's one thing I always look for at a school," Laborn said.

The trio is also plenty familiar with Burden, with each one running into him during his time at Old Dominion. Crosby has an especially personal relationship with Burden after he became the first college coach of many to extend him a scholarship offer.

"He just talks all the time about how they don't want guys to commit and de-commit, but have us be part of a family," Crosby said.

But Burden's relationship with the players isn't the only factor at play in building ties with the Ocean Lakes group.

"Zohn and I come from playing in the same district here in Virginia Beach, him over at Salem (HS) and obviously me over at Ocean Lakes," Scott said. "There's been that sense of relationship all the way going through from playing days to coaching days at ODU, so it's really neat to see a good friend of yours enter the coaching profession, as challenging as it is, and just have the success that he's had so far."

While Scott notes that Burden is about three years his junior, he still says the two formed a bond given their shared experiences. Once Scott went off to play college ball at Towson, and later Hampden-Sydney, he quickly heard about Burden's abilities back home.

"All of a sudden the guy that was running around in middle school is playing well in high school, it was that type of stuff. Just being around in the same backyard area," Scott said.

Once Burden took his own jump to the college ranks at VMI before eventually joining Scott in the coaching ranks at Fork Union Military Academy, and later ODU, the pair's friendship was sealed.

"Some of us, we were all trying to be players one day and make it at the college level, and seeing him go on to do that and watching both of us work in the profession of college coaching, it's just interesting how our ties have woven a little tighter over the years," Scott said.

Those ties have resulted in the pair staying in constant contact throughout the year as Scott tries to facilitate his players' futures.

"We probably talk anywhere from weekly to every two weeks or so, just touching in," Scott said. "That relationship's always been constant. It's traveled it's way from kind of starting and establishing in Virginia Beach, and it's made it's way up to Blacksburg, and I think that's really neat. It does offer a sense of genuine communication all the way around and maybe even a sense of, a guy that you've been familiar with even before he got into the coaching profession. I think that that's probably a thing that's a little different with he and I than it is with other coaches at other schools."

The pair's unique connection is part of the reason Burden was ahead of the curve when it came to recruiting Crosby. These days, the 2017 DT has offers from schools like Florida State, Ohio State and Clemson to consider, but Burden recognized his potential quickly, convincing Tech to offer him as well.

Crosby, rated a 4-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite ranking, plays all over the field at Ocean Lakes thanks to his elite athleticism. The 6'3", 285-pounder has spent time at defensive tackle, fullback and tight end, among other positions.

"Eric likes to do anything and everything," Scott said. "He'll punt the ball, he's been our punter. He put the ball up as a freshman from the 50 yard line and put it through the uprights. He's just athletic all the way around, a really dynamic athlete."

The Hokies' dalliances with unconventional punters like Danny Coale aside, Tech's staff tells Crosby they see him playing on the defensive line once he gets to college.

"They say they'd put me down in the trenches as a defensive tackle," Crosby said. "But they were talking about some fullback as well."

Scott notes that he doesn't doubt that Crosby could put in some time on offense in the college ranks, but DT is his most likely destination down the line.

"Where his body has taken him, I just think he's going to be a solid 285, 300 pound recruit," Scott said. "And he'll still be able to run, don't get me wrong, but with that said, does that land him on the defensive line as a really athletic 3 technique and/or D-tackle, or can he end up playing fullback?"

Scott says he'll still carry the ball plenty for Ocean Lakes this year, and Crosby says he relishes the chance to "not care about anything and just run," but the head coach sees some major similarities between Crosby and one of his former players wrapping up his career across the state.

"Eli Harold over at UVA, (he was) a receiver-type scatback for us, a guy that got the ball and scored 20 touchdowns, now he's one of the possible top picks in the NFL draft as a defensive end/outside linebacker position," Scott said. "You just kind of see how that athleticism works out because it's special. You don't see that many guys that have that type of size and speed and normally those guys end up going out and playing on the defensive side."

There's similar positional uncertainty surrounding Hubbard. His 6'0", 230-pound frame puts him in the awkward spot between outside linebacker and defensive end, but he has plenty of experience at both positions after an unexpected transition ahead of last season.

"I played linebacker my whole life, I'm used to working off the edge," Hubbard said. "But the coaches told me before the season in the spring that all four of their defensive linemen left and they wanted to play defensive end. I ended up playing really well, I even made all-state."

Hubbard's willingness to so readily make the switch earned Scott's respect.

"It just shows how selfless he is," Scott said. "We had a lot of guys that fit that linebacker mold at that level, but not too many guys that could both play linebacker and put their hand in the dirt because of toughness, because of speed, because of strength and because of that size. So he was able to do that and just excel at it."

But with an influx of defensive lineman joining the program once more, Scott says he sees a move back to linebacker in the cards for Hubbard next season.

"He'll more likely get a chance to be in the middle of the defense and more likely get a chance to play that middle linebacker position this year, and he'll also get a chance to showcase that he has the lateral and downhill speed that colleges are looking for," Scott said.

That's good news for Hubbard, considering what the Hokies seem to think about his potential position.

"They said I probably wouldn't be a defensive end, outside linebacker would probably be the best fit for me," Hubbard said.

Hubbard has yet to earn an offer from any program, but Scott feels that will be changing soon.

"At 6'0", 230 pounds, that's going to give him a chance to be recruited at so many positions and you give colleges a chance to say 'he could play special teams, he could play fullback, he could play running back in short yardage, and he could play defensive end or linebacker,'" Scott said. "That's five different qualities that he has to offer your team when you go down the list. Is he a scholarship-worthy guy? I think you say 'darn right,' he's serviceable in so many different aspects of the game."

Unlike Hubbard, Laborn is hardly hurting for offers. Between programs like Florida State, Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State and Georgia, he has plenty on the table.

So many, in fact, that they're coming in faster than he can keep up with them.

"Tech was one of seven schools that all offered me on the same day," Laborn said. "I just woke up and my mom told me I'd gotten all these calls. I didn't see it coming."

Laborn, who's rated a 5-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite ranking, is among the most highly sought after recruits in the whole state.

He only transferred to Ocean Lakes this offseason, joining the Dolphins from the crosstown Frank W. Cox HS, but Scott says the combination of his 5'11", 193-pound frame and his elite speed should make him a huge part of the team's offense this coming year.

"We'll line him up back there as a traditional running back, and get him downhill, but because of his size and speed, we can also use him on jet sweeps on the edge," Scott said. "I've seen him take a doggone jet sweep to the house in just 7-on-7 in these national tournaments that they're doing."

Laborn notes that he's looking forward to becoming part of the team's passing game as well.

"I think my catching ability is really strong," Laborn said. "I can make somebody miss out there."

Scott agrees that he should quickly become a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.

"Him being able to catch the ball, motion him out in empty sets and get him in a mismatch on a linebacker (is great)," Scott said. "He has great hands and size, just to be able to do that and make people miss or even just run through people in the open field. So he is definitely a tremendous talent, a great talent for us, a great asset."

Yet for all his talent and all the offers he holds, Laborn still says he has no favorites, largely because he "hasn't had a chance to look at many other schools yet."

Ditto for Crosby. He's hoping to take a visit to N.C. State soon, but he too says he's not partial to any program "as of now."

That will make Saturday's visit especially crucial for the Hokies' staff, as they hope to leverage the initial positive impressions they made on the trio of promising prospects into real progress with some of the state's top-ranked athletes.

"(They've) been able to say 'wow, this is a really, really great place that has arguably some of the best defensive coaches in the country' starting with the defensive coordinator," Scott said. "I think that's exciting to Eric, being able to play at that elite level. And for a guy like Khalan, I know he's excited because of how they feature their running backs traditionally at Virginia Tech. And Tre, possibly, would love the opportunity to be a player for Coach (Bud) Foster as a linebacker there. I mean, who wouldn't want to be coached by that guy? I think all of those things kind of grouped together is coming together for a great time in regards to their recruiting."

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