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21
the NFL, Phillips assumed much of the load, while the staff
tried to develop younger players such as Sean Savoy, Hezekiah
Grimsley and Eric Kumah.
But now Phillips departs, which necessitated the need to
add more speed and talent at the receiver spots. In fact, speed
and talent were the themes at many positions.
“I just feel like we got a little bit faster last year, and this year,
we took a large step forward,” Fuente said. “You start talking
about the guys who have put up the track times, and then you
watch them play live and see the explosiveness. Some of them
are offensive guys, and some of them are defensive guys. It is
very difficult or impossible to teach somebody to run fast, but
we feel like we can teach them a whole lot of other things.”
The four offensive linemen—Walker Culver from Soddy-
Daisy, Tennessee; Christian Darrisaw from Upper Marlboro,
Maryland; John Harris from Hoschton, Georgia; and Luke
Tenuta from Crozet, Virginia—comprise the front of the
future. Tailback Caleb Steward from Jacksonville, Florida and
tight end James Mitchell from Big Stone Gap, Virginia added
to the skill haul. Mitchell was the state’s Class 2A Offensive
Player of the Year.
On defense, the Hokies desperately needed defensive backs,
as cornerbacks Greg Stroman and Brandon Facyson graduate,
and the program lacks depth behind them. Thus, the coaches
brought in six defensive backs, and they all bring height and
length—much in the same mold as Stroman, Facyson and
Adonis Alexander.
The signees include 6-1 DJ Crossen from Greensboro,
North Carolina; 6-0 Chamarri Conner of Jacksonville, Florida;
6-1 Jermaine Waller from Washington, D.C.; 5-10 Nadir
Thompson from Elm City, North Carolina; 6-0 Nasir Peoples
from Abington, Pennsylvania; and Jeremy Webb, a 6-3,
period
no problem
for
TECH
football staff
Continued on page 22
2017-18
FOOTBALL RECRUITING
NAME
POS. HT.
WT.
HOMETOWN HIGH SCHOOL
RECRUITED BY
Eli Adams
DL 5-11 236 Rock Hill, SC
South Pointe
James Shibest
Keshon Artis
LB 5-11 227 Chesapeake, VA Oscar Smith
Zohn Burden
Cole Beck
Ath.
6-0 185 Blacksburg, VA
Blacksburg
Brad Cornelsen
Armani Chatman Ath.
6-0 173 Virginia Beach, VA Bishop Sullivan
Zohn Burden
Charmarri Conner DB 6-0 195 Jacksonville, FL Trinity Christian
Charley Wiles
DJ Crossen
DB 6-1 186 Greensboro, NC Dudley
Charley Wiles
Walker Culver
OL 6-5 275 Soddy-Daisy, TN Baylor School
Brad Cornelsen
Christian Darrisaw OL 6-5 290 Upper Marlboro, MD Riverdale Baptist School/Fork Union Holmon Wiggins
DeJuan Ellis
QB 5-11 180 Accokeek, MD
McDonugh School
Galen Scott
John Harris
OL 6-4 278 Hoschton, GA
Mill Creek
Vance Vice
Joe Kane
DL 6-2 280 Wake Forest, NC Heritage
Charley Wiles
James Mitchell
TE 6-4 227 Big Stone Gap, VA Union
Charley Wiles
Quincy Patterson QB 6-4 229 Chicago, IL
Solorio Academy
Brad Cornelsen
Nasir Peoples
DB 6-0 178 Abington, PA
Archbishop Wood
Brian Mitchell
Oscar Shadley
LS 6-0 230 Naples, FL
Golden Gate
James Shibest
Darryle Simmons WR 6-3 200 Philadelphia, PA St. Joe’s Prep
Brian Mitchell
Kaleb Smith
WR 6-2 180 Bumpass, VA
Louisa
Galen Scott
Caleb Steward RB 5-11 203 Jacksonville, FL Ed White
Charley Wiles
Luke Tenuta
OL 6-7 275 Crozet, VA
Western Albemarle
Vance Vice
Nadir Thompson DB 5-10 170 Elm City, NC
Southern Nash
Charley Wiles
Alan Tisdale
LB 6-3 208 Greensboro, NC Page
Charley Wiles
Tré Turner
WR 6-2 177 Oak Ridge, NC
Northwest Guilford
Charley Wiles
Jermaine Waller DB 6-1 178 Washington, D.C.
The Avalon School
Holmon Wiggins
Jeremy Webb DB 6-3 190 East Mims, FL
ASA College/Adlai Stevenson
Brian Mitchell
Quincy Patterson