March \ April 2016 Recruiting Thread

Discuss and share any Virginia Tech related recruiting topics from March and April 2016 [0][2] that don't warrant their own thread [1]. Please do some digging to share original content (e.g. embed the original tweet, not a link to another post/website with said tweet), add context / relevant information and respect the Community Guidelines.

[0] If someone would like to make this thread from month-to-month, let me know, I am apt to forget.
[1] New offers, commitments, decommitments, etc... deserve their own thread. Please read the brief best-practice tips at the top of the recruiting forum.
[2] I'm 23 days late posting this thread, so it'll cover both March and April. In other news, would someone please volunteer to do this each month.

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RB Ricky Slade, 247Sports' current No. 1 player in VA for the 2018 cycle, will be on campus today.

Slade will be a huge target, especially with Laborn as likely (or more likely) to go elsewhere than he is to come here. Would love to land another stud back.

Sure picked one hell of a day to come out! Blacksburg is at its finest today

Taylor, looking desperately throws it deep..HAS A MAN OPEN DANNY COALE WITH A CATCH ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FIVE!!!!....hes still open

"Exit light..."

Saw a bolt relaying the same info on 247, but never saw a follow up post anywhere except for one detailing his visit to Knoxville.

GIVE IT TO ME ROSCOE!

Don't believe that they made it.

2017 WR Hezekiah Grimsley visited Virginia Tech yesterday.

If he doesn't make it to the pros, I'm thinking with a name like that he would be a natural hunting werewolves & other such spawn of hell.

Amish vampire hunter

I can Volunteer to get this going every month.. will make it enjoyable

Thinking its between NC State and VT.. he visited ND recently and news broke out shortly after that it was a very "regular" trip.

Not to be confused with "regular trips to Charlotte".

___

-What we do is, if we need that extra push, you know what we do? -Put it up to fully dipped? -Fully dipped. Exactly. It's dork magic.

Hes ours. Sign sealed delivered. Gonna be a good one too

Wet stuff on the red stuff.

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@CraigThompsonVT

"Welcome to the Terror Dome." -- Corey Moore

Florida skill position player with multiple P5 offers? Yeah, I'll take him.

LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOY HENNNNNNNLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY

"When I was growing up, Virginia Tech was a school that was kicking ass and taking names, and it's time we get back to that" - James Franklin

Dammit Leeroy......

How the hell did no one notice this?!?!?

Wet stuff on the red stuff.

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Not to be confused with

Unranked...for now Kalil Pimpleton out of Muskegon High School in Michigan has been given an offer

Plays QB for HS but have to imagine this is a WR offer. Kid has hands and can absolutely fly.

HUDL TAPE

Kid is electric with the ball, great offer IMO!

Wow that kid is really quick.

D.J. Matthews List - 4* WR out of Trinity Christian

Gonna be hard to get him out of Florida. Maybe seeing Fuente's offense in action this season will change his mind.

Dmb quote on his twitter. Quick somebody tell him we can introduce him to Dave.

"Look at this, this is spectacular. These people are losing their minds"

Never seen an ordered list before on twitter, that's interesting

Has to make you feel good as a fan to see VT in there with likes of those other schools

It does feel good, but we do have 28 wins against the other schools listed there.

"For those who have passed, for those to come, reach for excellence."

In just a few short years our entire freshman class will be made up entirely of kids born this millennium. That makes me feel kinda old...and I'm not even old...yet

Onward and upward

I'll feel old when kids no longer know who Michael Vick is.

or Ron Mexico either.

"Give me a fuΒ’king beer", Anonymous Genius

4-star 757 WR Tahj Capehart is on campus.

#teamturkeyemoji

Wet stuff on the red stuff.

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What are our chances here?

Well, historically the turkey emoji shows a strong level of interest. If it was the chicken, I'd feel pretty uncomfortable. I think we're riding a good wave here.

Outspoken team cake advocate. Hates terrapins. Resident Macho Man Gif Poster. Distant cousin to Dork Magic. Frequently misspells words.

From ESPN's "Four must-get recruits for the ACC":

Khalan Laborn, RB (Virginia Beach, Virginia/Ocean Lakes)

ESPN Junior 300: 75

Keeping the best of the best at home has been a difficult task for Virginia Tech and Virginia in recent years. The Hokies are sitting in a good spot for the versatile back, and Justin Fuente and staff need to win this recruitment since the Hokies have desperately needed difference-makers at the position. Virginia Tech's competition is coming from Florida State, the team that has pulled the likes of Josh Sweat, Levonta Taylor and Derrick Nnadi out of the "757" area of Virginia Beach with Taylor and Nnadi having attended Ocean Lakes. Laborn is an almost sure bet to stay in the ACC, so that is a win for the conference, but this recruitment is key for Virginia Tech, especially in Fuente's first year.

Fucking FSU

After years of terribly inconsistent production and wasting the talent of many backs (they went many seasons without a 1000 yard rusher), Dalvin Cook has drastically changed the way people look at Florida State in regards to recruiting backs. It's easy to see why big time backs are intrigued, in addition to the name brand, historical, and recent success of FSU.

While they didn't have 1000 yard rushers I think all but 1 of their starting running backs since 2000 have played in the NFL. That's a hell of a recruiting pitch

It's hard to pass up all that free seafood and free scooters

John C Mckendree

Yea I saw this list the other day and I was surprised they listed Laborn instead of Hunter. Hunter is ranked a little higher and it seems like we have a little bit better of a chance with him. However I would be elated to land either one of them.

Using /s is for cowards.

His name just sounds like someone who would tear our heart out.

You must have a very delusional view of hookers.

2026 Season Challenge: TBD
Previous Challenges: Star Wars (2019), Marvel (2020), Batman (2021), Wrasslin' (2022)

But there was this girl who worked the Penis Strasse in Mannheim back in '71...

Reel men fish on Wednesdays

Difference makers at running back? You mean like Travon McMillan

Taylor, looking desperately throws it deep..HAS A MAN OPEN DANNY COALE WITH A CATCH ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FIVE!!!!....hes still open

Buckle UP- 4* WR from Ocean Lakes Tahj Capehart just got an offer from Bama..

Dear Coach Saban,

"Exit light..."

looking into it Bama has offered 27 WR's ranked 4* and higher.. a ton of them are uncommitted so it seems like they're just throwing out a bait net and seeing who they can snatch up.

There's your recruiting line: "Alabama wants to collect you, we want to feature and develop you."

"Exit light..."

How many 4* and up WR's are there? 27 has to be a pretty significant chunk of them.

Then again this is why I don't get excited in the least when VT offers somebody. When almost everybody with a pulse is offering almost everybody with a pulse is it really noteworthy?

According to 247
5 5* WR's.
43 4* WR's

so yes Bama has offers out to about 1/2 of those kids..

An aggressive recruiter would have a field day dissecting those numbers for a recruit and his parents.

Oh, and what's this? We just happen to have an aggressive recruiter as our head coach.

"I liked you guys a lot better when everybody told you you were terrible." -Justin Fuente

The true analysis is going to be the number of roster spots. Floating offers to half the field is 'aggressive' but how many roster spots does Bama have at that position for that class. That's a little harder to estimate (especially with the way Bama SEC works their scholarship numbers)

I told him I’d crawl on my hands and knees to be the DL coach at Virginia Tech. Now, all of a sudden, I’m sitting in this chair and I told him I’d still crawl on my hands and knees to work here. I just want to be here.
JC Price

You also know there is no way all those offers are commitable. It isn't mathematically possible. A good recruiter will drive the point home that we are giving our word, you sign with us, we will take care of you. If you commit to Bama and then one of the other 27 offers gets onboard that for whatever reason that staff things is a little sexier, good luck.

"I liked you guys a lot better when everybody told you you were terrible." -Justin Fuente

walk on

His 247 page has some Hudl tape but that's about it...

Dominic Benson 247 Page

Using /s is for cowards.

Yea I checked that and any other non paywall site I could and didn't find a lot.

Wet stuff on the red stuff.

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Highlights:

Click here.

He's got some height, got a burst, but his YAC's look very impressive.

Guerry is indicating a TE prospect is in the house. Anybody know who it is?

"Exit light..."

Are you sure it isn't 2018 TE Zack Kuntz? That's who I'm hoping it is.

No one of those free 247 bolts mentioned that it was DD.

Using /s is for cowards.

Hey I'll take him too! Has anything happened with Kuntz's recruitment? According to his Twitter we were his first D1 offer last summer and now he's the #1 TE in the 2018 class.

How exactly do you pronounce that last name?

John C Mckendree

I don't know if the "u" is an "uh" sound or an "oo" sound but either way it'd be a fun name to shout/chant in Lane.

Haven't taken French since HS, but I'd say "DooLEY", maybe "DooLEY-iss".

It's pronounced "Kevin"

Kuntz would be a great get! I've seen many of his games but one thing to caution is that he plays 1A football at Camp Hill HS. They didn't play against much talent until they got to districts and states last year. Here's to hoping that he gets himself tested at camps this year and makes the right call by committing to the good guys.

He'll be tough to snatch from the B1G schools.

*groan*

Onward and upward

Nooooo sir! We gotta keep this one going.
You don't Pussy-foot around with recruits like this

John C Mckendree

I think VPIHokieME looks like he is going to clam up on this pun thread.

if y'all don't stop I'm gonna give each one of you a hatchet wound

Onward and upward

Hatchet womb?

Based on some videos I've seen online, Kuntz insn't scared to get plowed when there are 8 or 9 in the box!! Sounds like a great Tight End to me.

Ahhhh its with a K and Z

I wish I could give any MacGruber gifs 100 legs

Those Kuntz are winners, man.

@historyhokie.bsky.social

It is Deiuliis.

Tech is hosting 5 MI recruits today including a 4* OL prospect from the '18 class

247 Profile Antwan Reed

EDIT: 4* 2018 LB Dax Hollifield is on campus today too. VT and UNC are co-leaders
Dax Hollifield 247

Keep calm, Gobble on

He lists VT and UNC as his top two at this time.

The 18th best All Purpose Back is visiting today

Lamont Atkins 247

He recently decommited from Vanderbilt and will be here for the coaches clinic and is ranked the 21st best player in the state of Virginia

Keep calm, Gobble on

I really hate to post something that I've heard through the grapevine in my small hometown of Shelby, NC, but Hokie target Khalan Laborn (VA Beach/Ocean Lakes HS 4-5 star RB) has family here and it's been getting around that he may be transferring to Shelby High School this coming fall for his senior season. Shelby High is a 2AA school that has won three state championships in a row (2013-2015), and is the school that current Hokie target Dax Hollifield (2018 LB) goes. I'm hyped about the rumor of him going to my alma mater high school, but him moving here would put him closer to Clemson, UNC, etc. This could be total blasphemy, but I just thought this was an interesting story worth noting.

I thought it was already announced he was transferring from Ocean Lakes to Bishop Sullivan (where Chris Scott is coaching now)?

"Give me a fuΒ’king beer", Anonymous Genius

I heard the same thing. From what I've heard we'll soon find out.

Apparently that was the original plan but wouldn't be surprised at all if what you are saying ends up being true.

In Sam Rogers we trust.

From talk on TSL it sounds like you are correct. I wonder how much that impacts our chances of landing him.

"Give me a fuΒ’king beer", Anonymous Genius

Yeaterday I was in Lane taking some graduation pictures with the ladyfriend, and who should walk in but Chuck Cantor, Vice, and I believe Wiggins. I couldn't recognize who the recruits were (we wre up in the stands at that point), but I could hear Chuck. I will say this: if that's how our non-coaching staff recruits, I think we're gonna be just fine.

Graduation pictures with a ladyfriend... right... You dog you!

The graduation pictures may or may not have been an elaborate cover.

Evan Watkins CB'd Devon Hunter to the good guys

EDIT: Devon Hunter is going to the spring game. His ride fell through and won't be at Tech this weekend but, he cancelled his Clemson visit this weekend apparently

Keep calm, Gobble on

Crosby and Hunter committing to us could start some serious momentum on the recruiting trail. me likey

"Give me a fuΒ’king beer", Anonymous Genius

Crosby+Hunter+Williams+Laborn+Capehart.

I'm not greedy.

I think at this point we get Crosby, Hunter, and Capehart. I think that Williams recruitment could drag out a while and nobody really seems to be a favorite right now and I unfortunately think that Laborn is leaning towards FSU at this point. If we can get Laborn back on campus, it's a whole new ball game and if Crosby commits on the 22nd that certainly won't hurt either.

In Sam Rogers we trust.

Williams was the guy who grew up a VT fan, right? If that's the case, and we can show him we have momentum in the right direction....and we've got Burden on him (who is building confidence as a very good recruiter), then I think we win out on Williams in the end.

I still think we've got a 50/50 shot at Laborn. If we can show him that he is the cornerstone to an improved offense, we can get him in the end. We may even have to recruit him through a FSU commitment because it's results on the field in the fall that will demonstrate to him that we have an offense he wants to play in. (that said, FSU has done a much better job the last five years utilizing their RB's)

Yep, Williams grew up a VT fan. I think that people suspected that he was leaning towards Clemson but when he cut his list to nine he left them out. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he doesn't announce until signing day.

And I agree on Laborn in that even if he commits to FSU, I suspect that the staff will stay on him until signing day. It will be interesting to see how it affects Laborn if FSU gets the other 5 star running back they are targeting. I honestly believe that a strong year from McMillian or the running game in general, it could help with Laborn a ton.

In Sam Rogers we trust.

I watched the Laborn highlights of when he played for Cox the other day and was in awe.
This guy has the goods. His hands are amazing.
Catching passes out of the backfield at VT? Oh yes...I think that can be arranged now, TYVM.

A picture is worth a thousand words. A gif is worth a million.

Capehart is apparently a tough read and Laborn is gonna be a rollercoaster. I would say based on information I've seen Crosby is a 50/50 split and I think we have a good shot at Hunter. Not sure about Capehart and not overly optimistic about Laborn

Keep calm, Gobble on

Does Hunter have a decision date set?

Nothing posted on 247. Someone asked about a spring game commitment. EW said not likely but not impossible

Keep calm, Gobble on

That certainly does not suck.

@CraigThompsonVT

If Virginia Tech could add Jordan Williams to its 2017 recruiting class, the Hokies would be off to one heck of d-line haul.

Zohn looking like Stephen A. Smith there.

Love the shoes Williams is wearing.

Is this the guy who grew up a Hokie fan? I would love to land him, especially if we are moving towards having some bigger ends.

Oh for jeez....

This kid, Nick Brahms, has gone from two scholarship offers to 30 in no time flat. He was invited to the Opening in Oregon. He said he really likes Miami, with this to say:

I really like Miami. It's like a paradise down there. [Offensive Line] Coach [Stacy] Searels is a great man. I feel like I can learn a lot from him. I enjoyed it down there

Oh FFS

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2632277-meet-nick-brahms-the-nations-...

No star to four star.

UPDATE: As of 1:00 pm CT on April 13, Brahms' rating has been adjusted, and he's now a 4-star offensive guard and the No. 189 player overall in the 247Sports composite ratings.

Wet stuff on the red stuff.

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It's basically what happened to Bucky IIRC. Just takes one good camp to (correctly or incorrectly) shoot a kid up the rankings.

Yeah I saw that at the bottom of the article. I was mostly pointing out how much praise he had for Searles.

I'm also hoping we start hearing some basketball recruiting news, signing period started today. Ready to hear some good news!

Dual threat QB. No rating on Rivals. Offers from Wake Forest, Us, and ODU

Have to trust the coaches on this one.

I wouldnt be blown away by his arm or anything, its not terrible, but hes pretty quick in the later part of his highlight vid.

Whoever controls the camera for his video highlights should quit and find something else to do. I understand these aren't the most quality guys filming high school football but this is awful

Wonder why he is listed as an athlete instead of a QB - are we looking at him as a TE or something?

Sometimes we live no particular way but our own

I would guess maybe WR.

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I thought we recruit ATH to the O-line? Is that no longer a thing?

Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

He'll be a QB to start, but I'm thinking he'll spend about as much time there as Travon did.

Guerry and Fuente just tweeted about a new commitment from 1500 miles away. On phone can't embed.

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Has to be Dalton Keene, right?

1,500 miles is past IL.

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Dalton Keene is Littleton, CO on 247. Mileage checks out. 1,502 miles.

My Google fu failed me, he was born in IL. Yep your right it's got to be him.

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Littleton, CO...but that is further

edit: jeez I'm slow; old and slow

Colorado is 1500 miles away from Blacksburg.

It's Dalton Keene.

Be nice....until it's time not to be nice.

Go Hokies

Devon Hunter and Terajda Mitchell will be on campus this weekend for the spring game.

We currently lead for Hunter and Ricky Slade

Keep calm, Gobble on

2 CBs went to tennessee for Jordan Williams in the past 2 hours

Keep calm, Gobble on

as they should... if VT landed crosby I bet we would have got a couple cbs our way.