Virginia Tech Weekly Recruiting Update: July 4 – July 10

By: Ricky LaBlue |

It was a rough week for Virginia Tech on the recruiting trail. Here’s a recap of what happened this week.

Khalan Laborn commits to Florida State

Laborn rolled up to The Opening, a Nike football camp in in Oregon, in a Lamborghini decked out in Florida State decals and committed to the school a day earlier than he said he would announce.

https://twitter.com/Khalan2012/status/751819412080955392

Laborn’s commitment to the Seminoles was no surprise, but the fashion in which it was done was. Speculation had Laborn heading to Florida State for weeks. Missing out on Laborn means the Hokies will likely intensify their pursuit of Jalen Holston, a 3-star running back from Georgia.  He has named Virginia Tech his leader.

Garbutt decommits, lists Hokies as leader

In one of the more shocking moves this week, 4-star defensive end Tyjuan Garbutt reneged on his commitment to Virginia Tech.

https://twitter.com/tyjuangarbutt4/status/750773814376685568

Garbutt was really the top get so far in the ’17 class for Virginia Tech. Losing him knocks the class down a peg or two. Garbutt has said Virginia Tech is still his leader, but more often than not recruits don’t commit to a school they previously decommitted from.

Garbutt has 19 scholarship offers, and is being pursued by schools such as Pittsburgh, Georgia, Michigan State and North Carolina.

Hokies targets descend on The Opening

Laborn wasn’t the only Virginia Tech target to participate in Nike’s The Opening at their headquarters in Beaverton, Or. In total, seven prospects attended the event who are considering the Hokies.

The two most prominent targets who attended, besides Laborn, were Jordan Williams and Devon Hunter.

Williams, a 4-star defensive end, has listed Virginia Tech in his top four, along with Clemson, Tennessee and Virginia.

Hunter, a 4-star safety from Chesapeake, Va., was one of the top performers at the camp.

The Hokies are widely considered the favorite to land Hunter. Getting him in this class would be a big boost for Virginia Tech in the 757 area, especially after missing out on Laborn. Hunter told 247Sports that Virginia Tech holds a slight lead over Clemson right now, and that he plans on committing sometime before Christmas.

Also on that list is 3-star cornerback Donovan Johnson, who has listed the Hokies in his top four as well. Johnson told Scout.com that four of his five official visits will be to Virginia Tech, Arizona, Penn State and West Virginia.

Caleb Chandler lists Virginia Tech in top six

Chandler, a 3-star offensive lineman from Jefferson, Ga., decommitted from Iowa State last week.

https://twitter.com/calebchandler28/status/750368516050739200

Miami offered Chandler after his decommitment, but Chandler says he looks forward to visiting Virginia Tech.

Hokies offer two basketball prospects

Virginia Tech offered scholarships to Jordan Wright and Kevin Samuel for the Class of 2017.

Wright, a 6-foot-6, 195-pound forward from Fort Lauderdale, Fl., doesn’t have many basketball offers, but does have quite the offer list for football. Wright has 29 offers overall for football, from schools like Miami, Alabama, Michigan State and Oklahoma.

For basketball, Wright has offers from San Francisco, Florida International and Binghamton, along with Virginia Tech.

Samuel, a 6-foot-10 forward/center from Houston, Tx., has offers from Virginia Tech as well as Baylor, Houston, Nebraska, Texas and UCLA.

Alexander-Walker, Marshall make a splash at Under Armour All-America camp

Alexander-Walker, a Virginia Tech commit for the ’17 class, led all players in scoring at Under Armour’s camp, averaging 21.3 points. Naji Marshall, a 4-star guard from Maryland, was third in scoring with 18.7 points per game.

Marshall would be a terrific get for Buzz Williams and the Hokies, to pair alongside Alexander-Walker. Marshall, who has 12 scholarship offers, visited the Hokies in late May and is also considering Xavier and Pittsburgh.

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16 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. Guys, this just shows how far behind we are in recruiting. Fuente has to become the “Closer”. If not I see us as 3 Star U for a long time. BTW, Swinney was a wide receiver coach. Butch Jones was at Cincinnati. It can happen. You have to sell the “Deal” to the kid, his folks, the school etc. A lot of work to do.

  2. On to anotherl topic, did Laborn not participate in the camp since he didn’t show up in the top 30? (or are his numbers not all that great)?

  3. Wonder what Jimbo thinks of this deal. I think it’s way over the top but everything these days is. More about the flash than the game. Would not like to see a VT recruit do what this guy did. Tacky. As for this being a precursor to the guy going to jail… I think not.

  4. O&M 69’s post looks A-OK to me. Certainly don’t sense any “sour grapes” as suggested. Just a legit posting of 69’s thoughts on the situation. Also, LaBlue’s ‘shotgun’ response to 69’s post looks a little LaBlack to me !

  5. To be honest, if Laborn showed up in Blacksburg in a Lamborghine and a Hokie flag, I’d wince. I doubt if such a car has ever been within the town limits of the ‘Burg. It is too flashy, too over the top, and speaks volumes where this kid’s head is at. I hate to be judgmental, and I hope it’s not considered sour grapes on my part, but I can see Laborn on a police blotter in Tallahassee down the road, as if the ‘Noles haven’t had a history with troublesome prima donna players before. I hope I’m wrong, and you can serve me up a helping of some crow if I am, but I smell another case of whistling past the graveyard. This exhibition by Laborn is not what college football is supposed to be about, but unfortunately, it is trending like a race car speeding down the interestate to hell.

    1. Despite the culture at FSU, assuming Laborn is a candidate for jail because he had a flashy commitment is asinine. Outlandish is one thing, being a criminal is another.

      2. Right or wrong, I don’t think O&M’s comment was asinine. I think your response was, however. Nice job at customer relations, Chief.

        2. My choice of words could have certainly be better than that, and for that I apologize. However, with that said, I don’t see how the assumption can be made that Laborn is somehow destined to end up in trouble at FSU. That assumption is more troubling than anything.

      5. Might want to consider, that as an employee of TSL, you probably don’t want to be calling your customers “asinine”.

        1. Agreed. We have discussed it here in the office, and it won’t happen again.

          1. I’m not offended Will. RL was expressing an opinion…..some people need to get over themselves and not take a 2-way conversation so seriously. He didnt call a customer asinine, he used asinine as an adjectiive to describe his outrage.

            The same way some share outrage over Laborn’s personalized reenactment version of the “Decision” ala carte LeBron style.

            Is no different than the same outrage RL expressed at the idea and presumptive association that a kid’s flamboyant highschool committment announcement will most assuredly lead him to a useless life and the back seat of a Police car.

            I understand both comments, both camps and i think they are both valid. It will be an interesting exercise to see which camp was right.

            We might have forgotten what it looks like and feels like to have a 5star recruit who knows hes good. VT has had a few flamboyant players and excessive celebration penalties over the years. Weve had good, bad, and ugly over the years…….Kevin Jones and David Wilson was flamboyantly Good on and off the field if i recall correctly. Those leaders have made us very proud.

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