Virginia Tech Recruiting: Is Kendall Fuller a Lock for the Hokies?

Virginia Tech’s 2012 spring game has yet to be played, but that doesn’t mean it is too early to look at possible recruits for 2013. One player in particular has piqued the interest of Hokies fans everywhere; the first is that he is a five-star recruit and the second is that his name is more than somewhat familiar.

The rising high school senior’s name is Kendall Fuller. He is a five star cornerback from Olney, Maryland. He is the younger brother of former Hokie defensive back Vincent, senior wide receiver Corey and Bud Foster’s newest defensive star Kyle. The question on fans’ minds is if Kendall coming to Blacksburg is a sure thing?

The answer is not necessarily. Frank Beamer and Bud Foster would definitely love to sign the youngest Fuller, but the mind of an 18 year old can be hard to read.

Great coaching can lead to sustained success in college football but the way to win a national championship is to pair great coaching with elite talent. Virginia Tech recruits well (especially in the state of Virginia) but five-star talents don’t come through Blacksburg very often. The last five-star recruit to sign with the Hokies was Tyrod Taylor (in 2007) and everyone knows how that turned out.

Virginia Tech’s coaching staff has always been able to bring out the best in the players they have, and bringing in Kendall Fuller would be a major accomplishment. Bud Foster and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray have been able to turn three and four star recruits into All Americans; can you imagine what they would do with a talent like Kendall?

The Hokies’ biggest asset in this upcoming recruiting battle is family ties. It is something that has appeared multiple times during Beamer’s tenure. The Adibi brothers (Nathaniel and Xavier), the Hopkins brothers (Antoine and Derrick), the Fuller family or Bruce Smith and his son Alston all have enjoyed their time in Blacksburg.

It is doubtful that Corey and Kyle Fuller would have gone to Virginia Tech if Vincent hadn’t enjoyed it. So at this point the Hokies should probably be considered the favorites to land Kendall. This doesn’t mean that a recruiting battle won’t take place for him.

Kendall is currently considering schools like Florida State, Florida, Notre Dame, Maryland, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Miami. But, his family ties to Virginia Tech would make his signing anywhere else a major coup for that particular school.

It is impossible at this moment to say for sure that Kendall will come to Blacksburg, but recent history is pointing in that direction.