Ohio State Game Convinces Dozens of High-Profile Recruits to Trek to Blacksburg

If the Hokies can make lightning strike twice and beat Ohio State on Labor Day, the team's season would be completely transformed once more.

But an equally large factor to consider in the matter is putting on a show for the dozens of recruits in attendance.

After intensive efforts reaching out to Tech recruits and verbal commitments, The Key Play has been able to confirm that more than 30 prospects will be on hand to watch the Hokies against the Buckeyes Monday night. The bulk of the program's 2016 recruiting class should be in attendance; their names are denoted with an asterisk below.

Of the 2016 class, 12 of the team's 16 commits will be on hand to do a little recruiting and soak in the scene in Blacksburg.

Even with their minds already made up about Tech, they uniformly expressed a desire to return for the big game anyway.

"I can't miss this one," CB Myles Wolfolk said.

There are even some recruits expected on campus who have already made pledges to other schools. The Hokies have been courting DE JaQuan Bailey for months now, and he's planning a return for the game despite his Florida commitment.

LB Jaquan Yulee will also be on hand for the game for his second visit to Tech in the last three months, accompanied by his Indian River HS teammates Devon Hunter and Tavante Beckett, giving the Hokies another shot to convince him to spurn his Alabama pledge.

However, a certain other top prospect already committed elsewhere says he won't be on hand for the big game, or any other Hokies contest for that matter.

"I'm done with visits," said WR Tino Ellis, a Maryland commit out of DeMatha Catholic HS in Hyattsville, Md.

But Tech's coaching staff has managed to secure plenty of other big visitors for the game.

The Hokies have long been trying to get DE Zack Gilbert back on campus.

He's cancelled a series of trips to Tech since attending a Junior Day in February, most recently scrapping a planned trip to Blacksburg for the team's big cookout in late July, but he says he'll definitely make it for this game and "that will be my last unofficial visit." Gilbert will also be joined by a pair of his South Mecklenburg HS teammates, DE Jake Lawler and CB Jacobe Clemente.

Like Gilbert, 2017 C Stefan Touani and 2018 WR Daniel George were also weighing a trip to Tech for the cookout/camp weekend, before ultimately changing those plans. Now both will be on hand for the game, even planning on "getting there early that day" to explore Blacksburg, according to Touani.

The pair won't be the only younger players on campus for the big day. The Hokies have managed to get a handful of sophomores to head to the game — including George, LB Teradja Mitchell and RB Ricky Slade — and a bevy of juniors as well.

For LB Dylan Rivers, this visit will be far from his first trip to Tech (he estimates it will be his fifth, in fact) but he is hoping it'll be his most memorable.

He notes that "everybody talks about the atmosphere" at Tech games, and he wants to see Lane Stadium live up to that billing after he was left disappointed last year.

"I went to Penn State and the atmosphere was insane, so I just want to see that from Virginia Tech also," Rivers said "I went to the Boston College game, it was raining and snowing, it wasn't very fun, but this time it will be warm, hopefully it won't be raining or anything like that."

CB Madison Cone was at that game as well, and even if he remembers it a little differently, he's still hoping to be blown away on Labor Day.

"When I went, I was very impressed with the fan support and everybody behind them, but when I was talking to (DBs coach Torrian Gray) after the game, he said the game I came to was really nothing, that I really hadn't seen anything yet," Cone said. "I thought it was a pretty good turnout, so I might be a little in over my head for this Ohio State game, but we'll see how this all goes."

Unlike Rivers and Cone, QB Shon Mitchell has never been to a Tech game. He's been on campus twice before, most recently for the cookout and camp in July, and he says his initial impressions have him "in love with everything Virginia Tech has to offer."

But he still wants to see a game in Lane to confirm that belief.

"I definitely want to see the love from the Virginia Tech fanbase, I've actually never been for a game, so I just want to see what the Virginia Tech fanbase is all about, their support system and how they act and it's definitely going to be a big game," Mitchell said. "I want to see some of the coaching styles, my position coach how he coaches, the other assistant coaches, and just get a little bit more of a feel for Virginia Tech."

For all the prominent 2017ers expected on campus, an important contingent from one Virginia Beach high school will be giving the game a miss. The Ocean Lakes group of DT Eric Crosby, RB Khalan Laborn, WR Tahj Capehart and LB Tre Hubbard was planning on making it for the game, but now those are on hold "because it will be a school night," Crosby says.

However, it's not all bad news for the Hokies. Another Tech trip is still in the offing for the group down the line and Crosby notes that "maybe some more" players from the school will end up joining them.

"We are finding a new game to go see right now," Crosby said.