Robert Lockhart Commits to Tech

Robert Lockhart rose as quickly as anyone in the recruiting ranks this winter. And on Monday, he ended a late-January recruiting frenzy for his services and picked his college.

Lockhart (6-1, 180, No. 36 on the Big Board) verbally committed to Virginia Tech, choosing the Hokies over Kansas State, Nebraska and Vanderbilt, among others.

“I really got close to Coach (Frank) Beamer,” Lockhart said late Monday night.

The senior receiver, who didn’t play football his junior season so he could focus on basketball, transferred from Boca Raton to West Boca Raton after his sophomore year. He had a breakout senior season at West Boca, catching 34 passes for 686 yards and six touchdowns. He earned Palm Beach Post All-Area First Team honors.

His senior season brought about late interest from several BCS schools, and he visited Kansas State, Virginia Tech and Nebraska all in a span of five days. All those visits took place after Lockhart’s MVP performance in the Palm Beach County-Treasure Coast High School Football All-Star Game, formerly known as the Outback Bowl. He scored two touchdowns in that game and made the play of the game with an outstretched, over-the-defender catch.

Before the season started, Lockhart was considered a better basketball player than football player. He’s still a fantastic hoops player — he’s second in the area in scoring, averaging 21.4 points a game for seventh-ranked West Boca — but football emerged as his best meal ticket to college. Lockhart, who plays wing in hoops, had basketball scholarship offers from Jacksonville and North Florida.