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Camp performances made Culpeper's Fells-Danzler a hot prospect

February 7, 2007 12:50 am

Before Terrence Fells-Danzer knew his SAT score, he had already passed the initial exam from college football coaches: the eye test.

The Culpeper High School senior linebacker stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 225 pounds. He played every position except offensive line and place-kicker during his career with the Blue Devils.

He's also a standout track and field performer who has excelled in events ranging from the 100-meter dash to the shot put.

So when Fells-Danzer attended four showcase combines, including two at Virginia and one at Virginia Tech, coaches were impressed. The exposure offered the kind of up-close contact with recruits that game film doesn't.

Both the Hokies and Cavaliers offered Fells-Danzer full scholarships. He chose Virginia in May and will sign a national letter of intent today, National Signing Day.

"To be honest, that [camp exposure] kind of brought him to the forefront more than anything else," Culpeper coach Greg Martz said. "That's the way a lot of recruiting is done today, and it definitely helped him."

In addition to his athleticism, Martz said Fells-Danzer was attractive to colleges because he's a "low-risk" recruit, with excellent academics and good character.

He's the eighth-ranked player in Virginia by Rivals.com, a popular recruiting Web site, which rates him as the No. 7 inside linebacker prospect in the country.

He's the highest rated player from the Fredericksburg area since former Culpeper star Kent Hicks, who enrolled at Virginia Tech in 2004, but recently transferred to Liberty after failing to earn playing time with the Hokies.

Fells-Danzer said he doesn't feel any pressure to live up to his lofty ranking.

He said he wants to join a strong list of successful linebackers under Virginia coach Al Groh that includes former all-ACC performers Ahmad Brooks, Kai Parham and Darryl Blackstock.

"It's a strong possibility I can put myself into that category if I work hard enough," Fells-Danzer said. "But stepping into college, what you did in high school doesn't mean anything. You have to start over from scratch."

Fells-Danzer said he was recently clocked by Culpeper coaches in the 40-yard dash at 4.4 seconds and he has a 33-inch vertical leap. While he and Martz admit there's no substitute for on-field production, those numbers are certainly impressive for a player his size.

The Silver Spring, Md., native and son of a Fairfax County police officer is so athletic and versatile that he was prepared to be the Blue Devils' full-time quarterback before he suffered a broken right hand in preseason practice.

He went on to play the entire season at linebacker, finishing with five sacks and three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. He was named second-team All-Area by The Free Lance-Star.

"He's an unselfish, multifaceted player," Martz said. "He can do a lot of stuff on the football field."

Fells-Danzer was actually a bit less productive than high school teammate Curt Orshoski, a fellow linebacker, who led the team in tackles.

Orshoski, a first-team All-Area performer, is considering becoming a walk-on at Virginia or Virginia Tech or accepting an academic scholarship from an Ivy League school.

Martz considers Orshoski to be "underrated."

He said Orshoski (6-1, 225), who doesn't possess the same type of raw athleticism as Fells-Danzer, may also be hindered because he attended only one camp.

"He definitely had a big impact on the field," Martz said. "It's hard to say [why he's not heavily recruited]. Everybody looks at things differently."

The first camp Fells-Danzer attended was one at Colonial Forge High School in Stafford County two years ago. He said he struggled, running a 4.8 40-yard dash and leaping just 22 inches.

But after he learned exactly what college scouts wanted to see, he took off. He dedicated himself to the weight room, knowing that the bench press was a key measurement.

He also concentrated more on track and field, increasing his speed and strength through the sprints and throwing events, and working on his jumping ability through the high jump.

When he showed up for the Virginia camp for the second consecutive year, the Cavaliers offered a scholarship. Virginia Tech did the same after its spring game last season.

Fells-Danzer waited a month before choosing the Cavaliers.

"I had improved dramatically since the Colonial Forge camp," he said. "I think [colleges] like my speed and coverage ability."

Fells-Danzer's ascension through attending camps isn't rare.

Stafford High School's Torrey Smith earned a scholarship offer from Maryland even after an admittedly disappointing junior season.

Smith broke his right leg playing pick-up basketball before his junior year and played just six games.

However, the 6-foot-2, 176-pound Smith had an impressive sophomore year and was already on the recruiting radar. He said he was told by Maryland recruiters that if he ran the 40 in 4.5 seconds at the Clemson University Nike camp, they would offer him a full scholarship as a wide receiver.

Smith reached the mark, and Maryland held true to its word. He'll sign with the Terrapins today.

"You have to know how to play the game, too," Smith said. "But the combine stuff helps because they need to see how fast you are."

College coaches can't talk about a recruit until he signs a letter of intent.

Virginia coach Al Groh is holding a press conference today at 4:30 p.m. to discuss his latest recruiting haul, which includes Massaponax defensive lineman Anthony Mihota and Fells-Danzer. Both will sign letters at their respective schools earlier in the day.

"He's just scratched the surface of what he can be," Martz said of Fells-Danzer. "I think U.Va. recognized that, too."