After not starting on the junior varsity level in either his freshman or sophomore seasons, James Gayle hoped things would change upon reaching the varsity level last season as a junior. Things did not start off well for Gayle, who was initially slotted as a safety, but things changed quickly once the Bethel (Hampton, VA) standout moved to defensive end.

The 6-3, 215-pound prospect’s junior season performance prompted scholarship offers from Purdue and Syracuse, among others, and this past summer he earned an offer from Virginia Tech after an impressive performance at Tech’s second senior camp. Gayle, who has since committed to Virginia Tech, continued his improvement this season.

“I think things went well this year,” said Gayle, who helped the Bruins to an 8-4 overall record and an appearance in the Division 6, Eastern Region semifinals. “I almost reached my goal for sacks. I think I had 13 or 14. I had more than last year. I had to deal with a lot of double teaming, but I still did my thing.”

A terrific athlete for his size, Gayle posted a 4.59-second time in the 40-yard dash at Virginia Tech’s summer camp. He saw action at defensive end as well as linebacker this season, but he will play with his hand on the ground in Bud Foster’s defense.

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