Nash Central (Rocky Mount, N.C.) defensive end announced via Twitter this evening that he will attend Virginia Tech. The 6’4″, 225-pound senior chose Tech over Vanderbilt and Virginia.
Glad to announce that I'll be taking my talents to Virginia Tech!! #GoHokies pic.twitter.com/NpVFTxYtKk
— Houshun Gaines (@HZGduoUno) December 21, 2014
Gaines, who is rated a 3-star recruit by all four national recruiting outlets (247Sports, Rivals, ESPN and Scout), earned an invite to the 2014 North Carolina/South Carolina Shrine Bowl. The prestigious all-star event took place today, with South Carolina winning 21-12.
In October, Gaines announced a commitment to the University of Florida only to find out the Gators had not extended an official scholarship offer. Virginia Tech came through with a solid offer on April 5 of this year, which the Tar Heel state standout called “shocking and amazing,” and the Hokies, led by defensive line coach Charley Wiles, stayed in consistent contact throughout the process.
Gaines said the following about Tech back in April: “I’ve always followed Virginia Tech because it has always been known as a good defensive team. I started to like Kyle Fuller, so I watched games to see how he would play. His younger brother Kendall plays as well. That drew me closer to VT. Also, a guy from Rocky Mount, Stephan Virgil, went there. That drew my eyes there as well.”
TSL will have more on this recruiting development as soon as possible, but initial attempts to reach Gaines have been unsuccessful.
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Jeez, his dad is HUGE! forebodes well
No kidding. Houshun looked small in that picture.
Inmo, VT got a steal. add 15 lbs an he will show that motor is for real.
Very nice video. Looks like he goes full speed toward the ball every play.
I can hear it now … “It’s 3rd and 14, and the Hokie D will be bringin’ the Hous this time!”
First video I’ve seen of him, he’s pretty disruptive on defense, nice get!
versatile too!
I’m on board with this guy!
Given our need for DEs in this class and the misses on Sweat, Dalton & Taylor, this is a very important commitment for VT. I would be surprised if he turns out to be a contributor as a true freshman. But he definitely has the frame to add 15-20 pounds and as his film shows, he plays with a very high motor, which is something that Charley Wiles demands.
Personally, I think that Tremaine Edmunds is also going to quickly grow out of being a LB and into being a DE once he arrives at VT. So if we could somehow manage to add one more quality DE prospect in this year’s class, I’d feel good about our depth at DT going forward.
Let’s see how the masses backtrack in regards to Gaines. Regardless, welcome to the Hokie nation!