Six new freshmen football players have enrolled at Virginia Tech for the
spring semester. Three of the players originally signed letters of intent with
the Hokies in February of 2009 and either grayshirted or attended prep school.
The other three players are commitments for the recruiting class of 2010 who
either graduated high school early or left prep school after one semester to
enroll at VT.
Here are the three 2009 signees who have enrolled:
S
Theron Norman (6-3, 190, Hermitage HS, Richmond, VA) – Norman failed to
qualify academically coming out of high school, so he attended Hargrave Military
Academy. Norman achieved qualifying test scores while at Hargrave, where he
played free safety and strong safety this fall.
OL
Kory Gough (6-5, 265, Liberty High School Bealeton, VA) – Gough “grayshirted,”
meaning he delayed enrollment to Virginia Tech not due to academic or
qualification issues, but simply to mature, work out, and prepare for his
college football career. This is a common tactic for players that are not
projected to contribute immediately and can use the extra time before enrolling
to their advantage. Gough wrestled in high school and is a promising OL
prospect.
DE
Duan Perez-Means (6-3, 227, Hermitage HS, Richmond, VA) – Perez-Means
injured his shoulder during the VHSCA All-Star Game in Hampton this summer,
prompting him to delay enrollment from the summer of 2009 to January. He
actually came to Tech briefly last summer before deciding to return home and
grayshirt. Perez-Means used the fall to recover from his injury.
Here are the three 2010 commitments who have enrolled:
QB
Ricardo Young (6-1, 170, H.D. Woodson HS, Washington, D.C.,) – Young
committed to the Hokies in May of 2009. He made an official recruiting visit to
New Mexico in early December, but stayed true to the Hokies and graduated high
school early, giving him a chance to go through spring practice.
LB
Chase Williams (6-3, 240, Loudoun County HS, Leesburg, VA) – Williams is
the son of New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator and former Buffalo Bills
head coach Gregg Williams. Chase committed to Virginia Tech in late July of 2009
and graduated high school early. Williams is a natural linebacker, but could
also get a look at defensive end.
OL
Laurence Gibson (6-6, 300, Buena HS, Sierra Vista, AZ) – The Hokies beat
out Auburn, Clemson and Boston College in a whirlwind recruitment that started
this fall and ended with Gibson’s commitment to VT on December 16th, just a
month ago. Gibson started playing football as a high school junior and didn’t
get much recruiting interest out of high school, so he enrolled at Hargrave to
raise his profile. It worked. Gibson is rated the #2 prep school prospect in the
country by Rivals, and he is a big “get” for the Hokies.
As January enrollees, all six players can be slotted with the 2009 class, the
2010 class, or a combination, depending upon how the numbers work out for
Virginia Tech.
For more information, see the hokiesports.com
press release.
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