Jason O. Watson-USA Today Sports
The Virginia Tech Hokies were set to bring in the best recruiting class of defensive backs in school history. However, due to academic issues, one of those players, Holland Fisher, will be enrolling at Fork Union Military Academy instead of in Blacksburg.
Frank Beamer and his staff have had great success winning with players that weren’t rated particularly high by most recruiting services, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want four and five star talent. Fisher was one of two defensive backs ranked in the Top 100 by Rivals.com that signed with the Hokies. The other five star cornerback Kendall Fuller, was the No. 9 overall prospect in the country for 2013, and is still set to join Virginia Tech for the upcoming season. He’s the second highest ranked player to sign with Beamer and the Hokies in the last 12 years.
Unfortunately, he won’t be joined by Fisher, the four star safety. At least not this fall.
Virginia Tech received a verbal commitment from Fisher almost a full year before he could sign his letter of intent, and had to hold off Alabama to land the services of the talented safety.
At 6-foot-2 203 pounds, Fisher was thought to be a little undersized to play linebacker in the ACC, so a switch to safety was forthcoming. He plays with great speed, explosiveness and does a great job of getting downhill against the run game. He has 4.6 speed, plenty fast enough to play in the back end at the collegiate level. He was expected to be a great weapon for defensive coordinator Bud Foster, a renowned defensive mind.
He still might end up in Blacksburg, but there will be work to do on both ends.
It’s a big loss for a Virginia Tech team that did so well recruiting defensive backs last year.
B.L. is an ACC Football writer for Rant Sports and can be followed on Twitter @coachlip.
