Where is Virginia Tech with its next defensive backs coach? What are some possibilities? And the Hokies surprised many with the commitment of Rivals250 DE Tyjuan Garbutt. What does the addition mean? Plus, VT basketball is still having its ups and downs. What does it mean to get Chris Clarke back and how will the Hokies finish?

Publisher Jason Stamm, senior writer Doug Bowman and former Hokies DT Derrick 'Skip' Hopkins are back on this week's podcast to talk about all that and more on episode No. 46 of our FREE podcast!
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Guys, I spoke earlier with Ocean Lakes (Va.) 2017 four-star running back Khalan Laborn, ranked No. 29 in the Rivals100 and the top-ranked player in Virginia. He was at VT Saturday for junior day.

Laborn has now visited a few times. To give you an idea on his interest, he visited for the UNC game, which was after Frank Beamer's retirement and before Justin Fuente was even announced. Also important to note that he told me his family has a house in Shelby, NC, just west of Charlotte, so that would actually be closer to VT than where he is now in Virginia Beach.

On this most recent visit, Laborn said his mom went with him and he got to see Beamer, meet the new coaches and talk more with assistant coach Zohn Burden. That might be the biggest thing VT has going for it. Laborn told me, "Now that he’s the running backs coach, that makes Tech a school I would go to even more." The other thing going for the Hokies is Jahque Alleyne, whom Laborn knows from Ocean Lakes and who signed with VT last year. Laborn said they hung out a bit on his visit. Laborn stayed only briefly for the beginning of the Hokies' basketball game against Clemson, but said he had a great time.

Louisville, Maryland and Syracuse are the most recent to offer Laborn, but the school really rising here is Tennessee. Laborn had told me before that VT and Florida State were the two standing out most. He now said that's the same, but he doesn't have a 'top' list. But he plans to visit Tennessee March 19 for junior day with his teammate, Rivals250 DT Eric Crosby and also plans to visit Florida State's junior day at the end of this month. Those are the two to watch most. Crosby also visited for VT's junior day and I posted an INsider on him last night.

Laborn plans to make a commitment on June 1, his birthday. I'm not sure there's a clear leader right now, but VT, FSU and Tennessee are clearly standing out from the rest, so the visits he takes will be crucial.

what ever happened to the Indiana school where Evans came from. We pulled 2 players from there and never seemed to recruit there again. Can't think of the name of the school but they seemed to always have talent. Why did we go away from continuing tapping into that school.

Also, what are our other schools we have recently had success with?

With the new staff it appears we are expanding states. What other states are getting in good with

I cannot believe there isn't any post on here about Gray possibly leaving for Florida.

Goes to show how dead this board has become. If it wasn't for Hoos19 and a couple UNC folks, the board would probably fall off the internet.

Do we have any shot with him be nice to have him and settle in a few years in the middle!

See he's not returning to Texas.
Any news on him with VT?

Just read an article about a sexual assault case involving Tennessee football players. These kids have it all and just throw it away. The scary part is how the so called adults in charge reacted and acted.
http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/2/10/10956756/tennessee-football-lawsuit

Any shot from him haven't heard anything on him. Heard he is choosing soon.

Louisville has banned themselves from post season this year. Apparently situation is gonna get worse. It makes ACC look bad for inviting this rogue school into conference. Any school that hires Pinto and Petino as coaches should not be invited to anything, except an NCAA hearing.

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Guys, I spoke earlier with Dematha (Md.) four-star OL Marcus Minor, who visited Saturday for VT's junior day. That was his first time back in Blacksburg since he attended the Hokies' June camp last year. Minor now has 13 offers, after Pittsburgh, Miami and Syracuse offered.

First off, Minor said he's decided he wants to major in journalism. As far as his VT visit, Minor said he liked seeing all the reconstruction of the offices in Merryman. He walked and toured parts of campus and the indoor facility and talked with assistant coach Vance Vice. Minor told me, "I feel like they’re gonna change the program, keep the thing going with the 20-plus bowl games."

Minor said he also likes the graduation rate the Hokies have had. He also liked talking with coach Justin Fuente and strength coach Ben Hilgart as well.

On Sunday, Minor visited Virginia. That was his first visit there and this wasn't for a junior day, so Minor felt like he got more attention, especially with coach Bronco Mendenhall and OL coach Garett Tujague. And it sounds like it was enough of a positive visit that the Hoos will stay in the mix here, with education being a big reason why. Minor said he also likes how Mendenhall turned around BYU and could do the same at UVA.

Minor said he has no plans to narrow his list or even commit. He also visited North Carolina the previous weekend and plans to see Wake Forest Feb. 20, West Virginia March 13 and during his spring break, he's headed to Miami for vacation and to also see the school and take a visit.

A little too early here to get a good read, but I expect VT to be on any preliminary list he comes with. Full story coming.

Since we're about five hours from kick-off and I'm sure we've all heard/read/watched more about the Super Bowl than most, who do you think wins the big game?

I won't be making a pic, but I think the big factor in this game is the Broncos defense and if they're able to secure takeaways. If they can give Manning a short field, that will give them an excellent chance to win (or if the defense scores TDs of their own).

Both teams had to be very good to even get to this point, so hopefully this one is a bit closer than the last time Denver was in the Super Bowl.

Poll is above.

Guys, I'm having to switch up tomorrow a bit. I have an early afternoon meeting I can't get out of, so I'll be holding this week's chat at 3 pm ET tomorrow. There's still tons to talk about, with plenty of news still coming in from VT's junior day last weekend and the search for Torrian Gray's replacement as DBs coach. Come take advantage of and get the very most out of your subscriptions and come chat with us!As always, if you can't make it, you can post on The Gobbler, email me or catch the replay.

Chat link: http://bit.ly/1RtpzWg

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Guys, I spoke earlier with 2017 Cox (Va.) four-star DE Jordan Williams. He visited Virginia Tech on Saturday for junior day, his second visit to Blacksburg.

Williams also visited VT last July for camp. Right off the bat, what stood out about him is he's a very well spoken kid. He has 15 offers, including one today from USC. Williams talked a little about that offer and said that he grew up as a Reggie Bush fan, but doesn't know a lot about USC overall.

With the VT visit, Williams called it "a great visit" and said they toured campus, the indoor facilities and talked to coaches. Williams wants to major in sports management. He said he's enjoyed talking to assistant coach Zohn Burden, his recruiter, but what stood out most about the visit was talking to defensive coordinator Bud Foster. Williams said they'd never talked before, but said he liked Foster because "he's had a hell of a defense."

Overall, Williams told me, "I see Virginia Tech as a definite possibility and on my list." He said he was most impressed by the academic side. Also, Williams said he liked that Burden stayed on staff, as well as Foster and assistant coach Charley Wiles.

This was Williams' second junior day of the year. He also went to Clemson Jan. 30 and plans to visit North Carolina Feb. 17, Wake Forest on Feb. 20, Pittsburgh Feb. 28 and Tennessee March 5. Williams said he hopes to visit Penn state and Virginia, but doesn't have visits planned there.

It's still relatively early here. He said he could decide in August, but if he doesn't know by then, he won't announce until after the season. I think VT is in good shape, but the Hokies have to stay on him.

VT landed one of the best DE's in the country today and a top 6 recruit from the state of VA. This guy Garbutt looks like the real deal.

In addition to a scholarship offer from Tech, he also has offers from Virginia, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Penn State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, N.C. State, East Carolina, Marshall, Kentucky, Iowa State, Kansas, Maryland, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Appalachian State, according to Rivals.com.



Here is his Junior HL tape.


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I think the key to this game is to stay out of foul trouble, attack the rim and try to get their bigs in foul trouble early, and hold down perrantes, and keep his points under 14.

Go Hokies!!

The women may have come down to earth a bit since ACC play, but any time any VT team can give an ass wuppin' to the 'Hoos, it's a happy event. The ladies beat the Cavs by 20 Sunday. Thanks, ladies!

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Guys, I can't understate how important the commitment of Riverbend (Va.) four-star dfeensive end Tyjuan Garbutt is. He's a national recruit, at No. 190 in the Rivals250 and one of the top players in Virginia for the 2017 class, at No. 6 in the state.

Garbutt said he chose VT over North Carolina and Pittsburgh, but also considered Ole Miss. He told me most notably "I’m done with my recruiting." To illustrate that point, he said he had junior days planned over the next few weeks with Pittsburgh, UNC and others but has now cancelled all of them.

He told me he decided to commit yesterday for a number of reasons. Among them are that he's gotten to know members of the staff, including the GAs and every time he goes, he said he always gets greeted and feels like he's at home. Garbutt also said he likes how every players since 2010 has graduated except for one, so he feels like he'll have a good education.

Defensive coordinator Bud Foster had a big reason to do with this one. Bud has been the primary recruiter for well over a year now. Him staying made a bit impact on Garbutt's decision, though he said he also really enjoyed talking with Justin Fuente yesterday.

As far as guys he'll be working on, Garbutt specifically mentioned guys in his area, like Rivals250 DE Yetur Matos and guys in the Tidewater area. For the latter, Garbutt did not mention specific names.

I'll have a full story on Garbutt tomorrow.

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Guys, before the Super Bowl got started, I spoke with Lake Marion (SC) four-star safety Davondre 'Tank' Robinson. He visited VT yesterday for junior day and was promptly offered before he left. One of those cases where the Hokies staff wanted to see Robinson's interest before offering. He's ranked No. 46 in the 2017 Rivals100 and No. 1 in South Carolina.

This was Robinson's first time in Blacksburg. He told me that he "really enjoyed" his visit and he liked how the coaches talked about turning the program around. Robinson didn't stay for the basketball game yesterday, but said he toured campus and met with the coaches.

The coach recruiting Robinson primarily is special teams coordinator James Shibest. Robinson called Shibest "a real nice guy" and said Shibest told him he liked his film and how he plays.

It sounds like VT is in good early position here, but it's still a bit early. Robinson plans to visit Tennessee for its junior day in March and said he might visit North Carolina and NC State's junior days as well. Robinson said he plans to release a top 10 a week from today, which is his birthday and I expect the Hokies to be firmly in that list.

Guys, I had Brittany cover the Baseball Night in Blacksburg Saturday. She has one more story coming, but here's her story on the event, which featured three pitchers who will definitely factor in this spring:
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Do we have any shot with him? WR from TENN. Rivals show us in his top 2 right now with Tennessee? Any news on him

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Guys, another guy I spoke to before the Super Bowl started, Ocean Lakes (Va.) four-star DT Eric Crosby. He visited the Hokies yesterday for their junior day. Crosby is ranked No. 119 in the Rivals250 and No. 5 in Virginia for the class.

Crosby named VT in a top five last week, along with Alabama, Tennessee, NC State and Clemson. As far as Crosby's visit yesterday, it's important to keep in mind that he stayed in Blacksburg until today. When we talked, he still hadn't gotten home yet. So he actually spent the better part of a second day at VT.

Crosby called his visit "good" and see he liked the new indoor facility and talk to the coaching staff. He called them "cool" but told me twice that he's waiting to see how they interact with players during spring practice. So you can expect Crosby back sometime early in spring practice for VT.

The biggest thing the Hokies have going for them is Crosby's relationship with assistant coach Zohn Burden. I've posted this on here before, I believe, but Crosby reminded me that Burden gave Crosby his first offer, when he was at Old Dominion. Crosby obviously hasn't forgotten that.

I had Crosby break down the rest of his top five, which you'll see in the story. I don't get the sense that he's leaning one way or the other, but I do think Tennessee and VT might be in the best position. Crosby plans to visit Tennessee March 19, Alabama April 6 and said he also wants to go to NC State at some point.

The big thing to keep on mind, though, is that Crosby plans on making his decision April 22. That's the day before his birthday. So plan on Crosby visiting VT for a spring practice early on, which could have a big impact on his decision.

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Guys, as promised, I've been reaching out to recruits and compiling a list of guys coming. This is by no means a complete list and will continue to be updated throughout the coming days, but here's some of the top guys for you to keep an eye on who have confirmed that they plan to attend the Hokies' junior day Saturday. All are 2017 targets unless otherwise noted:

RB Khalan Laborn, Ocean Lakes (Va.), four stars, No. 29 in Rivals100, No. 1 in VA
Safety Davondre Robinson, Lake Marion (SC), four stars, No. 46 in Rivals100, No. 1 in SC
DT Eric Crosby, Ocean Lakes (Va.), four stars, No. 119 in Rivals250, No. 5 in VA
DE Tyjuan Garbutt, Riverbend (Va.), four stars, No. 190 in Rivals250, No. 6 in VA
OL Marcus Minor, Dematha (Md.), four stars, No. 29 OT, No. 8 in MD
DE Jordan Williams, Cox (Va.), four stars, No. 11 SDE, No. 10 in VA
ATH Tahj Capehart, Ocean Lakes (Va.), three stars, No. 32 ATH, No. 12 in VA
LB Rayshard Ashby, LC Bird (Va.), three stars, No. 21 in VA
LB Isaiah Moore, LC Bird (Va.) three stars, No. 23 in VA -- NO OFFER
QB Alex Faniel, Glen Allen (Va.), three stars, No. 26 in VA
WR EJ Jenkins, Chancellor (Va.), two stars -- NO OFFER
Safety Chris Hunt, Bayside (Va.), two stars -- NO OFFER
TE Drake Deluliis, Providence (NC)
WR Austin Connor, Dutch Fork (SC)
LB Teradja Mitchell, Bishop Sullivan (Va.) (2018)
WR Armani Chatman, Bayside (Va.) (2018) -- NO OFFER
DT Akeem Smith, Henrico (Va.) (2018) -- NO OFFER
ATH Devyn Ford, North Stafford (Va.) (2019) -- NO OFFER

Guys, just a few minutes ago, Riverbend (Va.) 2017 four-star DE Tyjuan Garbutt tweeted that he's committed to the Hokies! He's NO. 190 in the 2017 Rivals250.
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I checked it out and to my surprise I saw this.

He became a national coach of the year finalist after choosing Houston to further his career more than it chose him.

The hottest young coach on the planet said he didn't take South Carolina because it is "not one you're going in and it's a national championship." The same with Maryland. Virginia Tech was "the most intriguing" of all, but the school seemed to have its sights set on Memphis' Justin Fuente.

Thoughts? Opinions? It seemed all along Whit was going to hire Justin Fuente. I love the hire. I am a firm believer in Coach Fuente and his vision of where he wants to take VT. But would like to hear others thoughts and opinions on what I posted from the Herman article.

Guys, I posted our story on Buzz Williams, including post game video last night, but here it is if you missed it: https://t.co/i2ynhrxKgr

And here's our court points, with the breakdown on the game, plus post game from the players: https://t.co/iCSQnGeaoR