GW Danville star chooses VT

BY DREW WILSON
Danville Register & Bee
Published: July 18, 2008

Updated 5:55 p.m.

George Washington High School standout David Wilson has verbally committed to Virginia Tech. The rising senior running back said he informed the Hokies’ coaching staff on Friday morning.

Wilson declined to comment further before his scheduled press conference on Monday at 10 a.m. at GW.

During his junior season, Wilson had 139 carries for 1,557 yards and 17 touchdowns and caught five passes for 86 yards and a touchdown while earning All-Western Valley District first-team and All-Northwest Region first-team honors. Wilson also returned two kicks for touchdowns and had 15 runs of 50 yards or longer last year during GW’s 10-2 season that concluded in the Northwest Region finals.

The 5-foot-11, 192-pound Wilson is ranked as the No. 22 running back in the country, according to Scout.com, which lists him as a 4-star recruit. Rivals.com, which also lists Wilson as a 4-star recruit, ranks him No. 4 in the country at the athlete position.

Wilson received scholarship offers from a number of schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference and Big Ten, but he narrowed his final two choices to Virginia Tech and Auburn.

“It came down to Virginia Tech and Auburn,” GW football coach Dan Newell said. “There was a moment there where we thought it was going to go into September and maybe take a couple of official visits and make a decision. I told him I thought he really needed to get down to Alabama and check them out before the season started.

“As it went along and he got to see some of these other places, everything kind of fell in place. And once he was sure, there wasn’t any reason then to keep dragging this thing out. It was going to be easier on him and easier on everybody if in fact he was sure.”

Wilson is the eighth and most notable 2009 recruit to commit to Virginia Tech

Newell said that Wilson originally narrowed his list down to a handful of schools in June.

“He set up his visits that he wanted to go on,” Newell said. “He had already visited a couple of schools on his top-five list and made a couple of more visits. The only school he didn’t visit on his top-five list was Carolina.”

GW track coach Jackie Harris said Wilson was attracted to Virginia Tech after Hokies coach Frank Beamer noted that he wanted to win championships with players from Virginia.

Three former GW players are on Virginia Tech’s current roster, including starting defensive end Orion Martin, starting whip linebacker Cam Martin and backup running back Kenny Lewis Jr.

Wilson also plans to continue his track career in Blacksburg. Wilson is the reigning national indoor champion and Group AAA state outdoor champion in the triple jump.

“I’m just glad he is happy with what he has chosen,” Newell said.