Khalan Laborn will announce his verbal commit at The Opening on Saturday. According to Ryan Bartow, the Bishop Sullivan 4-star running back will decide between Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Auburn seemingly recently dropped out of the picture.
Just spoke w/ Bishop Sullivan Catholic RB Khalan Laborn - No. 1 player in Va. in '17 class. Likes FSU, #Hokies & Auburn, but still very open— Norm Wood (@normwood) July 5, 2016
Forums:
DISCLAIMER: Forum topics may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.
Comments
Us vs FSU in a recruiting battle? I know how this movie ends
Me too!
So help me...if he picks Tennessee...
...at least he didn't pick Tennessee. Somehow I don't feel better...
Set to announce on Saturday, but still "very open".
OK. I got some hope. I'm also slightly insane, apparently.
If you haven't clicked the link and watched the video, take a look. That was his sophomore year in HS when he played for Cox, and it is absolutely amazing. I used to go to lots of games when I lived in Virginia Beach because I knew I could see future NFL guys playing in HS. Laborn is one of them. He would make a Mike Vick type difference for us right now.
I feel you on that brother.
I hope the entire offensive staff, including Fu, are making a huge push this week leading up to his decision, if he is truly still "very open." He would be a great fit in this offense. Can they convince him of that? Recent results and trends don't look good.
More exciting recruiting news. Where are the damn Tums?
He gone
So when's his decommit date?
If he commits to VT? September 23rd.
Dad and I sat directly behind him at the spring game and he really seemed to be enjoying it. He seemed to be paying attention to the field more than the other recruits sitting beside him. He was really nice to kids behind him, too. I made sure to have a loud conversation with my friend about how great the crowd was. I was totally embarrassed, but dad had a conversation with him at the end and told him we needed him and asked about the crystal ball and Khalan said you can't go by that and laughed and thanked us for our compliments. I'm still pessimistic, but it did look good that day.
"Florida State, Auburn, Florida, and Virginia Tech are really trying to get me," Laborn said. "I haven't been talking to them a ton lately, even before the dead period started. I know where I want to go. I just want to go somewhere where it's warm all the time."
Emphasis is my own.
https://n.rivals.com/news/rivals100-rb-khalan-laborn-ready-to-commit
Quick we need to point him in the direction of the Beamer Barn and then begin preparations for Lane Barn immediately.
One of these things is not like the other...
one of these things just doesn't belong. /cries
So not FSU either then. /s
This kinda made my cry inside
October-April are great down here, but damn if May-September doesn't get it's licks in. Everyday this week it's been 90+ and high humidity when I leave for work. If I was a football player, this would be the last place I'd want to be for summer workouts before the season. I'd want a nice, new, air conditioned practice facility in a place with a temperate climate. If only that was an option for Khalen.
He's trolling us, man...he means the fan-base is warm all the time...amiright??!!
That about wraps it up, then. Oh well.
Quick, someone take him tubing on the New River so he forgets about the winter!!
I don't really have a lot of hope for this one, but 247 also mentioned this quote...
http://virginiatech.247sports.com/Bolt/Laborn-discusses-upcoming-decisio...
He's talking about us right?? Right???
He's going to Wichita State. Did not see that coming.
Weren't they actually thinking about getting a football program started again? Did/will anything ever come of that?
That, or we lose another to Iowa State. Ugh.
Putting that with he wants warm all the time, my guess is Auburn. It would be a shocker pick and the weather is always warm in Alabama.
That's what I'm thinking as well.
Unless the entire south freezes over and I-85 looks like a Mad Max sequel. I mean that hasn't happened in the last 3 years.
I'll get the weather control device warmed up
does he know how hot the Hokie house is all year long??? He will!!!
His coach has a history of sending his top recruits to big name (out of state) schools. I don't think he has a favorite but seems happy to show that his kids go (aka his programs sends kids) to FSU, Miami, ND, Michigan, Arizona, etc. in addition to the instate programs.
It may be more important this year, now that he can actually recruit kids to Bishop.
I thought Laborn was in North Carolina now? I want to say Shelby... or where am I getting that from?
He followed Chris Scott from ocean lakes to his new job at bishop Sullivan in va beach.
Hmm I don't know where I got Shelby from. Some reason I thought I remembered hearing he was moving there. Thanks and +1.
You may be thinking of Devon Hunter. I think that's the one that moved anyways. I could be wrong.
he did move down to nc with his dad for a while and it was talked about him going to school in nc. i think he may have actually finished his junior year in nc and believe he is playing at bishop sullivan for his sr year now.
He played at Ocean Lakes last year
understood, but you know football season ends before the school year?
so, after reading that train wreck of an exchange on the other thread, I've got to ask. Do you go back and edit your posts to make you sound like more of a dick or does it just flow naturally on your first try?
Doesn't it show if you edit your posts here?
Being realistic and trying to stay more facts-based come naturally. It was reported after the season that laborn was moving with his dad in nc, finishing the year there and possibly playing his sr season in NC. That's when all the UNC talk was running rampant. The guy I responded to insinuated I didn't know he played at OL when I clearly said he may have "finished" his year in NC.
edit: ,,l,, (guess not)
Yeah, typically I throw in the "EDIT:" tag to make sure people can see a progression. Otherwise replies look out of place when they make sense in reference to the original post, but not the edited post .
From what I heard, once he decided to transfer to Bishop Sullivan he saw no reason to stay at Ocean Lakes for another semester. I believe he went to Shelby in the spring to be with his dad, but will still be at Bishop Sullivan senior year.
My guess is USC-west. A shocker, it's always warm, etc.
That's what she said! Yeah, I got nothing. My apologies.
I do question what he means by a shocker, almost everyone believes it will be FSU. I hope he is not trolling.
I took his comment that the shock would be the timing of his announcement, not his college choice. He mentioned that he doesn't know when he will be announcing on Saturday, just that it will be a shock. So maybe he'll walk by a camera and shout "I'm a HOKIE"
he eliminated unc supposedly and is down to vt, aub and fsu. i'm calling he has those 3 hats and still pulls out the UNC hat as his shocker.
Anybody look to see who he's following in the past few days? Usually a leading indicator...
I'm on the case!
He retweeted Tre Hubbard. +1
Retweeted @NCAAFNation247 predicting him to FSU (also predicted Hunter and Capehart to VT)
Retweeted a Cam highlights.
Bunch of Hokie retweets, a few of Auburn.
Retweeted a comment about his commitment being a shocker "only if he picks Auburn or VT."
I'd put it at:
If we get Capehart, Laborn, and Hunter (along with others of course) I would consider this class a huge success. It's a long shot, but still possible. If this happens I could even see Garbutt recommitting.
Wow. Laborn knows how to use his social media. Nicely done.
Wait...Cam, Cam or Kam? This is important.
Cam Newton.
I'm moving up to Roanoke tomorrow, so if he does pick us, I won't know for several hours. That sounds about right.
I didn't know Roanoke was so disconnected from breaking news. /s
Yeah, and there's always the ever present possibility of sitting still on I-81 for a couple of hours behind a truck wreck, giving you time to check in on the announcement. no/s
*sigh* bastard got me anyways.
Ah recruiting...
via GIPHY
Lamborghini? Mercy...
Damn, I wonder how much his signing bonus was..
Theres no way on earth thats actually his car. No way FSU could that blatantly pay him right?
Committed to FSU
How the hell is that legal!?! Who needs 100 dollar handshakes when you can just hand them a freaking Lamborghini...
For anyone who would like a more detailed view of the absurdity to which college football has devolved, look no further.
Certainly reinforces just about every F$U stereotype there is.
But why not?
The NCAA has no bite.
Until the 'ruling body' for collegiate athletics shows any significance, it's all about who can push the envelope the farthest.
Now I see how it works ! That video was pretty stark reality wakeup call. Like Shoog, I can't believe NCAA can permit this and still be taken seriously.
It's simple - no one takes the NCAA seriously. Problem solved.
did anybody else read this in Shaggy's voice?....or was it just me?
Wait...which shaggy?
"Zoinks! Like Scoob, I can't believe...."
Not going to lie, after your comment, I imagined the other one saying it...
I'm ashamed to say that I don't even know who the other one is....
I'm kind of ashamed that I do....
this will make it that much sweeter when we flip him right? right? going to go cry now
I give up. I'm literally done. This has gone from disappointing, to BS, to straight absurd. I bet Jimbo himself pulled the car up. Welcome to the 21st century of college football recruiting. Too much money involved in the sport, might as well be pro now.
Yea, this is just so much BS. This kid is about himself. And Bleacher Report is part of the problem, they suck.
As far as Hokie Nation is concerned:
via GIPHY
via GIPHY
No sour grapes, but I found this a bit tacky.
Im sure a lot of us/Hokie Nation wouldn't care/complain about how recruiting has gone down hill/say the NCAA needs to fix things/etc. if that lambo had a big fat VT and/or Hokie face on it.
I actually think a good portion of people on here would be critical about it. Happy, but critical. IMO it shows how ridiculous recruiting has gotten. It's not enough that grown men and women obsess over what a 16/17/18 year old kid is going to do, but now we've taken it to an absolute absurd level. I don't really even blame Laborn. If I was in his shoes and was approached about doing it I would've said hell yea. Where are all the adults in all this? Where are the adults at BR saying, maybe this is a bad idea?
myself, I am not critical about it at all as long no school paid for the rental/car and didn't break any NCAA violations. a big IF of course. We just have to assume all is fair unless something comes of it.
It may be a little ridiculous but sooner or later, people have to accept change with this process. I am all for what he and others are doing. Have fun with it, but have fun doing it the right way. They aren't the ones putting the cameras in front of them. ESPN thrives off this because football (college or pro) reigns supreme is the US. They are teenagers and just living in the moment. If some recruit wants to jump out of a plane and land on the college logo where he is committing to in front of ESPN cameras, then so be it, if he picks VT, then hell yea.
I think we are actually saying the same thing with regard to the role of the recruit in all this. My issue is on the other side. At some point there has to be a limit. At some point the adults in this (ESPN, BR, etc) have to start acting like adults and re-evaluate their role in enabling all this.
Yea I hear what you are saying. I would only say they are only doing it because they know it attracts viewers and increased ratings because as the years have past and social media has been a huge growing competent of recruiting/recruits, fan are more in tuned to this kind of stuff, maybe not all but there is always an increase in it. At the end of the day, those increase ratings and viewersESPN, BR, etc. is all they are worried about, and thats why I said maybe we should start embracing it because imo, I don't see it changing at all.
It bums me out to say this, but I agree with you. My hope is that it will stop, but there are no signs of that happening any time soon.
FSU is trying to get the Miami swag going on but they are Tallahassee, not Miami
but really? kid shoulda had some Miami girls hangin on, drove it fast, music engine blaring
he was just having a little fun... wish he had done it with a VT logo... but mebbe next guy
seems like JF is getting some kids who will create match up problems in space... no doubt that will create holes up front... we'll get our stable/share of RBs again....
start winning more football games and the lambos, I mean recruits will come!
I'll say. For several years now
How is this "shocking"?
I mean look at the comments on this thread. I'd classify what he did as shocking. Everyone seems to be shocked in a negative way, but it's still shocking.
I guess I mean, how is picking FSU shocking? That was the one everyone wanted him to pick.
Someone clarified his comments to mean that he was implying that the way he was going to announce would be shocking, not necessarily who he chose.
So it looks like Bleacher Report paid for the car and decals so they could get the exclusive.
Oh yeah? Well who needs a Lambo when you've got a Beam- oh wait that doesn't work any more.
Khalan to Georgia confirmed?
New moniker: Who needs a Lambo when you've got Fu.
Darn, just doesn't seem to have the same ring to it.
How is the Bleacher Report providing the benefit to the kid on behalf of FSU any better than FSU providing it?
Removed
Really? I can tell you that least two other recruits have made comments about the negative comments directed at Laborn from Hokie Nation. Not what you want recruits reading.
Insert shameless plug for NOT TWEETING AT RECRUITS
Also, I can definitely sympathize with anyone reacting negatively about this, and it has precisely squat to do with me being a Hokie and him choosing Florida State. If he had had VT stickers on it instead, I'd have still thought he was a huge tool. Also, double fuck bleacher report.
Just asking for your opinion on this....
what do you think of Joe's caption on Tyjuan Garbutt decommitting
"commitment is my commitment, and I committed to Blacksburg, the Hokies and Virginia Tech."?He says we are his leader/still in contention but if I were him and I read that, I wouldn't think much of Hokie Nation, more mocking him than anything..... again, just asking for your opinion.
I see a large difference than calling a recruit a name versus crossing out a line of text.
Yeah, I think lining through the text is pretty mild.
IMO, his actions completely contradicted the statement he made specifically about himself. Regardless of your age or situation, you can't be surprised when people are put off by that.
I agree, but I wasn't really trying to compare the two. I just think having it public like that can't really help ones cause to potentially get him back
Mr. Fireman I respect you as a fan and a person. Your comments are always spot on in my book.
TKP is a high profile forum for VT news and commentary. Recruits, players, and their parents read (or are members of) this site. So it's not just about social media, it's about the entire online presence. I don't call into question Khalan as a person for what he did, nor do I think anyone else should. The actions taken reflect the current state of college football recruiting, which itself is sad.
I down voted for calling the kid a douche.I can't blame young men for taking advantage of opportunities (as long as the opportunities aren't unethical) presented to them in return for busting their butts to get to where they are.VT_Antzo removed his original comment so I'll remove my snarky reply.
would be extremely disappointed if we don't capture a 4* this class
Well that is miserable. I don't know what they have to do to get Hunter, but it is time to do it.
Lol, this almost needs to turn into a thread. The most ludicrously cheap recruit night you can afford in Blacksburg. We will drink some Beast, eat some jalapeno burgers from Hardee's, and likely have burning bowels in the morning. Commit or not, hell of a time guaranteed.
Wow... really? That's pretty tacky.
College football may have just jumped the shark.
I've literally started questioning my fandom for college football. I would say /s, but no.
Another Bleacher Report production...
Edit: should have refreshed.
Is this really a guy who would have been successful at VT? Just asking.
I mean, hell, I could've paid for him to have an all night ride around Blacksburg in the Hooptie with a shit ton of booze, maybe even gotten a few girls to tag along.
Well, he wouldn't make the League by riding the bench at VT, so he'd have to put in some kind of effort to get his talents on the field.
I really hate these comments. Is VT some sanctuary of modesty? If a kid is a good player, he will succeed. But I guess it's a coping mechanism to say he wouldn't.
Well, imagine how salty others are. I bet UNC is about to reinstate real classes.
Wouldn't they have to drop football if they did that?
If bleacher report set this up how will all the other media outlets one up them? Or will they slam them?
It is concerning. If the NCAA weren't spineless, they would immediately look at this as an improper benefit. I don't know anyone else who got to use a luxury car decked out in school gear to announce a college choice. It's one thing for a media outlet (ESPN, 24/7, etc) to provide a forum for a kid to announce a choice, it's quite another for them to be an active participant in it. They're no longer reporting the news, they're making (and possibly influencing) it.
I'm waiting for a top recruit picking between two schools to be asked to place a mascot head on Corso while GameDay is at the game.
Any top recruits picking between Michigan and Ohio State this year?
Pretty sure a Lambo is one of the rare cars these days that aren't automatic...
Anyone else wondering if some of this was going on inside?
And whoever lent the car? Enjoy.
On the contrary to the popular belief, Lambo is one of the few manufacturer which has ditched the manual transmission.
I thought it still had a manual, but with paddle shifters and no clutch. So not really a manual, but like, kind of a manual. Either way, no standard shifter so the joke doesn't work.
That is so sad. This thread is making sad for the future.
Hmmm...I also just noticed (after actually watching the vid) that he wasn't even driving.
The whole production? Stanley is not impressed.
I guess Bleacher Report has at least an ounce of sense. Would you let a 17 year old male drive your Lambo?
PS it's only going to get worse. BR won't get any letter from the NCAA to calm it down a bit. Kids will now sell out to the highest bidder or swag.
NCAA Football is going down a bad path.
Anybody know about what time this announcement will be made ?
Yeah, shouldn't take that long to drive a Lamborghini from Tallahassee to Blacksburg.
Hahaha, I got a good chuckle out of that. Going so fast you can't tell what gaudy stickers are on it.
i would like to think that after the VT coaches saw that video, they realized they prefer a workhorse, blue-collar player vs. a primadonna one. but what do i know...
Nope, they want the best kids available. If they don't have confidence in their coaching ability to shape a young man's work ethic then we need new coaches. The kids don't come in as finished products, but as blank slates.
cough.....Marcus Vick......cough
lol oh the joys of being a Floridian and talking about football. going through the same argument right now on FB with FSU fans. they loveeeee to bring up Marcus Vick like some how it justifies jamies winstons actions and their should be asterisk national championship he got them.
Just remind them that, in contrast to Marcus, Jameis was allowed to leave his school on his own accord, not to mention his exit being celebrated by the school, as opposed to Marcus who was kicked out in disgrace.
Laborn to FSU per Rivals.
Shitty day for recruiting.
I don't get the sense that the guy is a prima-donna. I think the idea was probably not his own, but he went along with it in good fun. As others have said in other ways...let's say he showed up on a horse on a treadmill? We all would have been cool with that, I'm sure. He likely would be legendary, day one.
It is hard NOT to be a prima-donna with his skills and all the people in his ear, but listening to him, he seems to be on track, and making good decisions. I'd bet a lot of money that, barring injury, he is 3 and done. So yeah, I think fans and coaches alike would have preferred he picked VT and worried about his potential attitude later.
I keep wondering how good VT could be if we could just get the Tidewater guys that FSU does. It's painful... really painful, but hopefully we can change it soon.
What I heard from a very good FSU buddy (booster) Bleacher Report approached him once they heard he was committing Saturday and instead wanted him to do it bigger and better.
They had 2 ideas and he decided to go with Lambo and FSU logos.. Honestly what 18 yr old kid wouldn't want to do this at the biggest HS Football weekend ever?
Yes its a kick in the balls to VT with and RKO but at the end of the day we will be fine.
Whelp-f*k dammit. Shit, lost another one.
Recruiting rules don't exist anymore. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we will have a chance to compete again. The longer we wait to realize it, the longer we will continue the recent path of mediocrity.
When you're trying to abide by the letter of the law and your opponent is flaunting their unwillingness to obey, is it any surprise when you get your ass kicked on the recruiting trail like we do? And before we say we don't want to play that game, it's probably worth remembering our entire Athletic Department is funded by the success of football.
And for the record, I don't blame the kid, FSU, or BleacherReport for this at all. In the case of Laborn, if this opportunity is presented to me, you bet I would take it. You'd be a fool not to take it. There's no guarantee there is football after college, and knowing this could potentially be the biggest moment of your individual career, take advantage of it while you can. And for FSU, they found a loophole through BR, so they took it. Good on them. You know damn well that BR has this set up so that if the NCAA even thought they would come sniffing, which they won't, this thing was set up to not be able to connect the dots back to the Noles. And even if they could, what could they really do? This is really nothing more than securing a limo for Prom. The kid wasn't driving, it wasn't a permanent gift, it was a one time ride, and made it fun for Laborn. Good on them. Oh, and for BR, they got involved and got their names out there. And they did so in a way that's fun for recruits. As long as they're not funneling money under the table acting as a money launderer for schools, its smart business for them.
But I go back to my original statement. Recruiting has changed, and its getting near time that we adapt to the new landscape. The NCAA isn't going to hit you for recruiting violations, and if they do, they'll only slap you on the wrist and let you go. And really, if you're one of the schools who 'matter' to your conference, the penalty will be even less than that. And hey, when it comes to football, we 'matter' to the ACC. I know the thought of blurring some lines when it comes to recruiting sets some people off, but that's just the age we live in now. If you're not willing to play, then you might as well step out of the game, and I don't think we're in a position where we can allow ourselves to step out of the game in college football.
I don't know why we're losing our shit when a 4* goes to a team that has been in the National Title picture the last few years while we are just scraping over .500. We are going to lose battles. We just had a coaching change. It's tough to draw a kid to "Hey, we're going to be really good if we get you!" compared to "Hey, we're really good and we're gonna stay really good." Back off the ledge Alum, we all love you.
You're missing the entire point I'm trying to make. Nice gif use, though.
No, I know what you are saying, I just don't think that is the root of the problem. You're jumping to the conclusion that all these improper benefits and the pomp and circumstance are swaying 17 year old kids to verbally commit to a school.
I just don't see it that way. Khalan commited to a winning program. What could be more attractive to a 17 year old kid? There can be an argument made that he also wanted to go to a different area. It takes a pretty different type of person who wants to go to the mountains for 4 years without much else there. i know we all love VT, but there is something to be said about the culture there that isn't conducive to alluring recruits. A lot of these recruits want to make a name for themselves, they want to be known. They want to hit the town and feel like superstars. i don't blame them. You don't exactly get that feeling because you know the bouncer at TOTS or the guy at West End gives you extra London Broil. There's a huge down to VT's location. I don't think all these premier schools are cheating that much, hell, look at basketball. They're doing just fine and getting some top talent because Buzz has put something tangible on the table. We went like 8-5, 7-6, and 7-6 the last three years. That's a team on the rocks. I'm not shocked that 4* and 5* talent aren't banging on the door to play.
As a counterpoint to your argument that top kids only want to play for top winning programs, what about Maryland? They are absolutely crushing us in recruiting and have barely had a pulse as far as winning goes lately. Brand new staff just like us who haven't played a game yet, and currently have a top 20 recruiting class.
UMD is less than 30 minutes away from both baltimore and DC, and has some of the best high school football talent in the country playing a stone's throw away from their stadium. the fact they aren't better is actually a testament to how bad their coaches were and how little they care about football vs basketball as a university.
If Proximity mattered, we'd be getting a lot more of the top players in Virginia than we currently do, and wouldn't see them bolting across the country like they have been. Maryland's just been doing a great job of keeping kids interested in their program, and I know a lot of people don't want to hear this, but their wacky uniforms played a big part in resurrecting that interest about a decade ago that the coaches then capitalized on.
proximity matters to some kids, not all obviously. The closest "major" city to blacksburg is roanoke; otherwise it's 3-3.5 hours to richmond, 4 hours to nova, and about 5 hours to hampton roads area. you aren't making a quick trip back to mom and dad's for home cooking on sunday night with those distances, umd can offer that.
I think you hit it on the head right there. They do a much better job engaging recruits and keeping them interested in the football program. Our uniforms need changing as has been discussed (even more so now with putting modern numbers on the 1960s shoulder stripes). Our entire recruiting pitch is based on "stay home, come on down to Tech where it's like family, we can all sit around and have barbecues and pitch some cornhole together." That sounds absolutely fantastic to me, but 16-17 year old kids who have lived in an urban environment at the beach their entire lives are not going to really connect with the rural vibe we are pitching. I just think our message is altogether not resonating with top recruits. Winning plays some part in that, but there's a lot more we could be doing to keep our program looking fresh.
Proximity isn't everything but its a big plus. State boundaries aren't proximity though. All of their highly rated kids are from within less than an hour of UMD. None of our targets are within an hour of VT. Not one. They can make a legitimate push to get kids to "stay home" because it essentially is home. Getting a kid from 5 hours away isn't really home. There's a huge difference between those distances. One is legitimate proximity, the other is arbitrary state lines
Right, but if top recruits only want to play for top football programs, then how are they convincing guys to come to UMD? Those recruits have offers from the who's who of college football, yet they commit to the local school who has had a terrible record lately and a coaching staff who hasn't coached a game yet.
i would argue that in recruiting there isn't any one golden rule/maxim...id say that umd can at least offer being close to home, vt doesn't have that luxury. so both are mediocre (or worse) programs; one let's play in front of your friends/family every weekend, the other doesn't. i haven't looked at umd's commits yet, but id be willing to bet most are in the area.
their 5* DE is at IMG now but I believe he is from MD if you do look. Kid could have gone almost anywhere though.
what about iowa state and Memphis recruiting much better than their predecessors? I think we know who the previous Memphis coach was.
Warning: I get into demographics in this comment. If you cannot maturely discuss demographics please move on or if VTG wants me to delete this post I will move on.
Great point! And it may come down to location and culture. I don't want to get into politics and current events but let's look at the demographics and location at VT. VT lists their Black student population as 950 out of 25,318 undergraduate students. That's 3.74%. The nearest large city to Blacksburg is Roanoke (if you count that). UMCP (University of Maryland College Park) has a Black student population of 4,128 students or roughly 13.2% of their campus. Nearest large city is Washington D.C. followed closely by Baltimore. I don't think distance is playing too much of a factor in decision as a lot of recruits being actively sought after by both schools are in the 4-5 hour car ride anyway.
The reason I bring this up is that it has been shown in college admissions, and yes I am extrapolating to college football recruiting, that culture matters when it comes to recruiting students from minority populations. These students have access to top tier education, some of the best support services in the country, and world class dining but they just may not feel like it's a fit when they can go nearly the entire day without seeing a Black student that isn't an athlete.
When it comes down to it, VT has a very interesting demographic. Not many schools that compete on a national level are as isolated as we are, have the same demographics as we do, and have the same record we do. When we had 10 win seasons being strung together with minimal effort, we got those big recruits. 4* and 5* commits happened then. Think Tyrod, Wilson, The Fullers, and many more. You don't see that when you have 5 or 6 L's on the schedule. The students who play for us sacrifice a fair bit. They want results from their sacrifice.
No rules were broken. He wasn't given the lambo. he wasn't driving it. I bet he got in it at the end of the drive.
This has nothing to do with VT keeping up and more to do with the character of the recruit. Had he picked VT he probably still would want to announce in a lambo. BR offered it to get the scoop and they got it.
If anything its an indictment on companies that make a business off of underage kids. They are not boosters and are not affiliated with schools so they are outside of NCAA bylaws.
It's flashy and crass, but looking back I bet Deon Sanders would have done this had it been offered to him and I definitely would LOVE to have had him play for VT.
But more than anything VT needs to win, and ideally win with both style and substance. Fuente needs to focus on that more than anything. He has a good track record of winning over bigger programs with lesser talent, so we should calm our tits and see if he can continue doing just that first before decrying our recruiting woes. Once he does that, and hopefully stays in Blacksburg to keep building, that's when we should be lamenting any recruiting misses.
And yes, I know, other programs are crushing us in recruiting. Winning will solve that. Whatever perception there is of VT football is what it is. Overcoming that, no matter what the reasoning, is all about winning.
I'm not sure what will solve the recruiting problems at VT. But I'm pretty sure he didn't choose FSU just because he got to ride in a Lamborghini.
Come on. He would have looked all kinds of silly committing to VT in a lambo with FSU stickers. Of course that's the reason he picked them!
That would be the most epic troll job ever. Someone would finally unseat KJ at the top spot.
Edit: Link for youngins who weren't following recruiting then or a refreshers for those more mature TKPers...http://a.espncdn.com/highschool/a/000124jones.html
I still get the occasional stress from the locals up here about that. All good natured, of course
never said he did
That's a really good post and full of facts. And it IS hard to swallow a lot of the stuff that is going on, particularly (I think) for older fans that grew up in times where following the rules was literally a part of your soul by the time you hit elementary school.
Times change. And the older you get, the less you think it is for the good.
This part, though:
"I don't think we're in a position where we can allow ourselves to step out of the game in college football."
There is an old saying that may apply: "Sometimes you cut off your nose to spite your face".
When I was young I was a sports fanatic. I lived and breathed DC sports as a fan. But things like free agency, when Carl Banks is a hated rival (Giants) one day, then (lamely) finishing up his career as a Redskin the next...then contract holdouts from draftees (Sean Gilbert)...I got pretty fed up, and gradually realized that I had better things to do.
But I loved college football, and couldn't let it go. It still had a purity to me. Guys were playing for their schools - in my mind anyway. And I love Hokie football like only those of us here everyday would understand. But I can feel the edges fraying, the springs popping though the cushions, of this comfortable old chair. And I can see that, as much as I love the game, and love the Hokies, if things keep going in that direction, I'm going to be gone no matter if it hurts or not. It could be that I am in the vast minority, and it won't matter, and that winning is all that matters. If that is the case, then your post is 100% correct.
Edit: Got foggy on Sean Gilbert. He wasn't a draftee, but he held out a full year, which effed the Skins royally. Right or wrong, the point is, as a fan, I was NOT happy.
I, too, wonder when the college football bubble is going to burst for some. You can definitely say the game has changed and we need to keep up with the times. But I always wonder what new level of ridiculousness is next. The sport has become an absolutely insane arms race. New practice facilities, locker room upgrades, etc etc. I think I read somewhere Clemson even has an indoor laser tag/putt putt course in their facilities? Seriously, come on. You're here to play football, not on vacation. Now one of the big things popping up in discussions about VT is that we need a nice new football players only dorm like FSU has. The pampering and coddling is just getting absolutely absurd.
I love VT football and I agree we need to get on the same level as the competition for top recruits. But personally, I think the circus is getting a little out of hand. I'm not faulting the kid for committing in a Lambo, but it was really, really gaudy. I'm sure a lot of people felt that way. But I guess its just a sign of the times we live in now.
If FSU has a players-only dorm, the NCAA is going to have to come calling. It is expressly prohibited to have accommodations provided only to athletes. They may have swanky dorms, but "regular" students have to live there, too.
It's just like certain dorms at VT. All the athletes happen to live together with a small population of joe shmoes. It's standard practice.
NO WAY, VT IS ABOVE THAT, ONLY F$U AND OTHER CHEATERS WOULD DO THAT!!!!!11!!
/s
http://www.championshall-fsu.com/
Apparently it's an apartment complex built by the university. It seems like it's open for anyone to live there, but it expressly says "football players' residence" in this news release.
http://raisethetorch.fsu.edu/news/fsu-athletics-announces-champions-camp...
Since I lived for a while in Hillcrest on Tech's campus long ago when it was a dedicated athletic dorm I wanted to know what the NCAA rules are now as I thought they had been eliminated a couple of decades ago. At least 50+% of the residents of such dorms must be non-athletes. I agree with Gus Malzahn in the linked article below that having teammates living together does build some sort of cameraderie and can serve as a means to impress recruits and their families. Having them close to practice locations is also a benefit. I did find it a bit of an insulator from regular student life, especially since a dining hall was on site. I never had to worry about the "concentration camp" chicken served in other dining halls then.
Auburn football team new dorm.
No, I completely get what you're saying, and I don't disagree. I've even been noticing that myself, I've been mentally checking out of college football more and more by the year, which I would have thought unfathomable when I was in college, but times change, you grow up a bit, and other things have taken priority. Such is life.
What I meant by that statement, I really meant literally. From a financial standpoint at Virginia Tech, I don't think we're in a place where we can afford to step away from the college football game. The way we have entrenched fundraising to football and have all athletic funding streams tying directly into the revenue the football team brings, we just can't afford to step back from football, or else we'll see significant hits across the board. I know Whit and the guys now running the Hokie Club are desperately trying to unwind the how much everything ties into football, because its really unhealthy to have a SPOF like that in funding, but we're not there, yet, and probably won't really be there for at least another decade. For the time being, we're kind of stuck where, even if we wanted to take a step back from the sport because of what its becoming, we're really not in a place where we can do so without significantly hurting everyone else.
Oh, no...you made it clear. The bed is made, we are roped in, etc...
But the plan still may come apart. Lose a few fans, and...?
Yep, exactly. We made our bed, now we must sleep in it. It could be an IKEA piece of crap that collapses on itself, but its still the bed we have, and we must do the best we can with the hand we've created.
(thread needs more cliche's)
A top recruit chooses to go to a top program. Someone with a vested interest in getting other high school kids to give them exclusive information/announcing rights spends a bunch of money to make the decision a big production. Would I liked to have had him come here - of course. Is the production why he did not choose us? No. I just don't get why everyone gets so upset that kids who do not grow up hokie fans don't think we are the best place to play football. Do we need these athletes to win a Natty, probably yes. And when we show we can play for one we'll be able to recruit them. Until then they will go the teams they think will compete. Maybe my age is showing in my patience, but I am seeing 4-5 years until we can get top prospects. This year to compete in the division, next to win the division and compete for ACC champ. Next two years in a row to appear in championship and win one to prove it is not a fluke, and we are contenders. We need to get back to being a program the networks want to feature in primetime because of who we are, not who we play. Then recruits will want to play for us. Until then, we will get players who grow up Hokies, really hit it off with our coaches, or are not wanted by the top 5 teams in the country.
What if I told you this Uber cost around $250... that's pocket change to BR and other sites.
Is this a new ESPN 30 for 30? What is I told you a $250 Uber changed the course of the ACC forever? F$U: An Improper Benefit Story.
BR Commitment Week
Well NCAA better get on Michigan, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan State and Notre Dame
Of course that's a thing.
We can't be shocked that a major RB recruit went to FSU after several years of incredible production from their backs. Devonta's recent success in the NFL doesn't hurt either. There really is no better recruiting pitch than winning. I'm not saying we don't have some other issues when it comes to recruiting right now, but we don't have the killer location (for everyone at least, I love the area), and winning lots of games, competing for championships, is a huge draw to a high level competitor in any sport. We have other issues to address, but nothing makes recruiting easier than winning games. Additionally, if things go as planned, we will have an exciting offense to entice recruits, to go along with our winning ways. Even though we were winning games in 2006-2011, we were doing so with a pretty unappealing offense, even when we got the offense rolling in 2010 and parts of 2011. It was outdated and particularly unappealing to pretty much everyone who wasn't a stud rb, but now time will have to tell how appealing the rb position will be under Fuente.
better pitch is getting kids to the NFL. Like you just said they've had a string of getting RBs to the NFL. Alabama is not only winning but putting out 1st/2nd rounders to the league every year as well. The winning and NFL seem to go together though.
The more talent on the team, the more you will get scouted and increase your chances of being noticed. Plus playing against top notch talent is only going to make you that much better.
For once I am in pretty much total agreement with you haha. NFL is always going to be biggest draw, and outside of Miami in the last 10ish years, the schools putting the most talent in the NFL also tend to field teams that win a lot of games.
Had to happen one of these days.