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When you follow college football recruiting, you’ll learn quickly that you lose more than you win. It’s almost like being a life long gambling addict. You may win a few hands but you’ll lose thousands of dollars in the process. However, all of that losing makes it so much sweeter when you hit the jackpot. While Teller isn’t a sure-fire five star prospect, he is a player I’m extremely high on. Teller is my number two player in the state this year and he is a consensus four star on all three major recruiting sites. Needless to say, this is a huge pickup for the Hokies. Welcome to HokieNation Wyatt!
Player Breakdown
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 255 lbs.
40: 4.7
Year: 2013
Location: Bealeton, Virginia
High School: Liberty High School
Offers: Virginia Tech, Virginia, Boston College, Clemson, UCONN, Duke, Maryland, Michigan, NC State, UNC, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Recruiting Rankings
Rankings Reliability: High
Over the past year and a half, Teller has attended a few different camps. That plus his insanely impressive junior film allows me to give most of the recruiting services a thumbs up on his ranking. I think he is a solid four star prospect with a ton of upside and that seems to be how all three of the websites above view him as well.
Excitement Level: Very High
Virginia Tech’s top three commitments are on the defensive side of the ball. That’s really no surprise with our track record of placing guys in the NFL on a regular basis. Teller is a tremendous prospect and it’s hard not to be excited about what he’ll bring to this defensive line in a few years. Enjoy this one Hokies.
Highlight Film
Prediction Based on Film Evidence
If there was a reason why I ranked Teller so high in my own in-state rankings, it’s because he has the best highlight film out of anybody in the state this year. Better than Jonathan Allen, better than Holland Fisher, and better than Derrick Green. He’s a force, a wrecking ball, he’s a bird, he’s a plane, he just might be Superman.
However, you do have to take into account the level of competition he’s playing against. Most of the offensive linemen he’s battling in those highlights look smaller than he is. Rarely will that happen at the collegiate level so Teller will need to continue working on his game and honing those skills before he enrolls at Virginia Tech.
What I like most about Teller is his tenacity and aggression. He’s a physical brute that plays the game like he has no regard for human life. Mike Farrell of Rivals.com has compared him to former UVA defensive end Chris Long. I compare him to more of a John Engelberger only if Engelberger was half-man and half-machine.
The only downside I can find to Teller is just where to slot him. Does he have the speed to play defensive end? Coach Wiles likes his ends to rush upfield and wreck havoc in the backfield. Can Teller stay quick enough at 270 or so pounds to do that? If not, can he be the same force at defensive tackle?
Those questions will be answered in time but for now, I’m going to celebrate the Hokies landing three of the top five this year in-state. If this isn’t the best recruiting class we’ve had so far, it’s close to it.
Other Notes
Teller has a few relatives that are attending Virginia Tech currently. I actually didn’t know this until a few days ago. I’m sure they’ve been in his ear to come to Tech.
Teller registered 85 tackles, 27 for loss, and 10 sacks last season as a junior.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Great get for us! This guy is a monster on both sides of the line. With our lack of talent/depth on the O-line, and Teller continuing to put on weight, I see him making the move to tackle once he gets here. Thoughts?
I don’t see that happening unless we get to a point where he’s just not as effective as we want him to be on the defensive line. He’ll start out at defensive end and will likely progress into a pass rushing defensive tackle as he continues to add weight.