Preview: Defensive improvements a must for Patriot HS
Virginia Tech invests in the future with an early offer to Gaberiel Fuster
by Jamaar Hawkins, recruit757
At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds Gaberiel Fuster is an impressive athlete for the Bishop Sullivan Crusaders. Even scarier for Hampton Roads offensive coordinators is Fuster has yet to make his high school appearance, but that didn’t stop Virginia Tech from being the first school to offer the rising freshman. According to Fuster’s father, Bishop Sullivan head coach Chris Scott informed him of the Virginia Tech offer following a May workout at the school. Hokies assistant coach Zohn Burden was in attendance at the workout and decided to pull the trigger shortly thereafter.
“I felt blessed to get the offer from them,” said Gaberiel. “I’ve been working hard and after getting the offer it made me work even harder. When my coach, Chris Scott, called me and told me Zohn Burden would be offering me. He had just left Bishop Sullivan that day we were working out. I was just thankful.
Fuster popped up on the national radar as eighth grader, splitting time between the 757 Colts AYF program and Deep Creek Middle School, where he helped lead the program to its first city championship in recent years. The move to Bishop Sullivan has already paid dividends for Fuster who became the latest Crusader incoming freshman to earn an offer from the Virginia Tech coaching staff this summer. Sophomore defensive back Tank Land has already committed to the Hokies and senior wide receiver Tahj Capehart could be joining him this weekend when he announces his college decision.
“Virginia Tech has definitely been one of my favorite schools since I was little. {Defensive coordinator} Bud Foster actually saw me at one of the camps and said he liked the way I play and to keep working,” noted Fuster, who is also receiving interest from James Madison. “Virginia Tech is a great program, always a Top 25 program so I’m just blessed to get the offer. I think I would fit in at linebacker there. I think I could fit into that type of coaching and the linebackers they have there.”
There’s plenty of excitement within the Bishop Sullivan program entering the 2016 season. A high-profile matchup with IMG Academy awaits the Fuster and the Crusaders on Friday, November 9th. IMG features the nation’s number 1 ranked linebacker, Dylan Moses, who had previously committed to LSU before reopening his recruitment recently.
“Oh, I can’t wait to play them. I’m very excited for IMG. I’ve always heard they have a good program, so I’m very excited. Playing against better competition will only make you better. I think it will definitely make me better, seeing how other schools play and the way other linebackers move,” the class of noted.
Whether at defensive end or the linebacker position where he is transitioning as a freshman, Fuster is eager to make an impact on the field, but patient and understands the talent ahead of him in the program. Fuster is able to watch talented upperclassmen like five-star junior linebacker Teradja Mitchell, who is also used to dealing with notoriety as a younger player, earning Freshman MaxPreps All-American honors two seasons ago.
“With Teradja being in front of me, I’ll just watch. I’ll see what he does, what I need to work on. Since people compare him to me, the way he moves and the way I move I just try to do the same thing he’s doing. I realize in high school I have to go full-speed every play now,” Fuster added, who is also an accomplished wrestler, having finished sixth nationally in his weight class this past year.
– Jamaar Hawkins
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