The Virginia Tech Hokies’ Football 2014 Top 10 Player Countdown: #1 Kendall Fuller

Oct 26, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Kendall Fuller (11) during the game against the Duke Blue Devils at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

The inaugural Virginia Tech football top 10 player countdown has reached its conclusion on the day before the Hokies kick off the 2014 season against William & Mary. Only one player could be the number 1 player and this player could repeat at number 1 next year.

That player is sophomore cornerback Kendall Fuller.

Kendall Fuller is the youngest of the four Fullers that have come through Virginia Tech yet the sophomore cornerback is on his way to being the best Fuller to come through Virginia Tech.

However, Kendall Fuller has the talent to be more than just the best Fuller to come through Blacksburg but one of the best defensive players ever for the Hokies.

Oct 12, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers tight end Manasseh Garner (82) gets tackled from behind by Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Kendall Fuller (11) during the second quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

As a freshman, Fuller became a star as he started 12 of 13 games and had 58 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 6 interceptions, 11 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble in what was an incredible season. Fuller’s impressive stats led to some very impressive recognitions as he was named to the All-ACC Second Team and was also a Freshman All-American. Fuller also was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year.

This summer, Fuller has continued to gained national respect with Phil Steele naming him to his Preseason First Team All-ACC and Second Team All-American. Meanwhile, the ACC media named the sophomore cornerback to the official Preseason All-ACC team while Sports Illustrated named him to their Preseason All-American team. On top of that, ESPN’s countdown of the top 100 college football players had him tied for 37th.

This season, Fuller has the talent to be the best cornerback in college football.

Oct 26, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Kendall Fuller (11) intercepts a pass intended for Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jamison Crowder (3) during the first quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Kendall Fuller is a tough, lockdown cornerback that has great man-to-man cover skills along with being a very talented ball hawker. Opposing wide receiver have a hard time having success against Fuller and many offensive coordinators will look to avoid him. Fuller also is a solid zone coverage player who can use his ball skills to force turnovers.

Fuller is an underrated run defender that is a sound tackler and is able to react quickly to a run play along with having great speed to quickly get to the ball carrier. Also, Fuller is very strong for a cornerback and it is next to impossible for a wide receiver to break a tackle when Fuller is the one tackling him.

Fuller is a complete cornerback that has the skills to have 6 to 8 interceptions this fall along with 60 tackles and 15 to 20 pass deflections. Fuller has the talent to be a top-10 pick in a future NFL Draft and he will continue to be a star in Blacksburg.

Kendall Fuller is going to go down as one of the greatest defensive players in Virginia Tech history and definitely could be the greatest Virginia Tech cornerback of all-time.