16 of 20 signees join Virginia Tech football team

Virginia Tech’s football team yesterday welcomed 16 of the 20 incoming freshmen who signed letters of intent in February. They will start classes today for the second session of summer school and participate in a weight-lifting and conditioning regimen before preseason practices begins Aug. 6.

Also joining the Hokies was wide receiver D.J. Coles from Goochland High. He originally signed with the 2008 class but spent last season at Fork Union Military Academy.

Tech could get another receiver, too, because the coaches plan to have wide receiver Zach Luckett rejoin the team this season as a walk-on, said director of football operations John Ballein. Luckett, who was suspended indefinitely before last season, will work out this summer to prepare for what would be his redshirt junior year.

The four freshmen who did not arrive yesterday are offensive tackle Kory Gough, tight end Tyrell Edwards, defensive tackle DeAntre Rhodes (Varina) and free safety Theron Norman (Hermitage).

Gough will enroll in January. Tech’s coaches expect the other three to enroll in January at the earliest, Ballein said, but they have not yet decided which recruits, if any, will attend prep school.

Luckett was projected to start last season but was suspended after he was arrested for driving under the influence and with a suspended license. It was the second DUI charge for Luckett, who turned 21 on Dec. 8. He was sentenced to five days in jail.

But Tech’s other indefinitely suspended receiver, Ike Whitaker, will not return for his final season of eligibility, Ballein said. Whitaker, who came to Tech as a highly regarded quarterback, was suspended in October for unspecified violations of team policy. (Whitaker said he missed team meetings.)

The day after he was suspended, he was arrested for misdemeanor public intoxication and swearing. He paid $116 in fines and court costs. In 2006, he was suspended for two weeks of spring practice after being arrested for public swearing and intoxication, destruction of property and underage possession of alcohol.

In April, he was arrested again and charged with two felonies: unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and destruction of property worth more than $1,000. He is scheduled to appear Aug. 20 in Montgomery County General District Court in Blacksburg.