The first five-stars: Kendall Fuller
They are the best of the best. The players that are wanted by every program and destined to make a big impact at the college level and beyond.
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Rivals.com has identified the first five-star prospects for the 2013 class and is unveiling them this week. Ten prospects have been awarded five-stars but are not ranked at this time and we will profile two each day. The next player to receive the five-star spotlight is Olney (Md.) Good Counsel cornerback Kendall Fuller.
Five stars: Kendall Fuller
Kendall Fuller is the latest in the line of football-playing Fullers.
HIGHLIGHT REELS
Kendall Fuller, CB, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel
Attributes: 6-0, 185 pounds, 4.5 40
Scouting report: Fuller is a technician on the defensive side of the ball and explosive on the offensive side. Projecting as a cornerback at the next level, he has good size and is very strong and physical. He's adept at press coverage or can play off and his change of direction is impressive. His closing speed is sneaky as he always finds a way to be around the football and his instincts are off the charts. He comes from a long line of college defensive backs and could be the best of the bunch.
Analyst's take: "Fuller is a terrific athlete but it's his feel for the game that separates him from the rest. He doesn't bite on fakes or double moves and on the odd occurrence that he does, he has the recovery speed to make up for it. And he's a physical player, whether it's tackling in run support or fighting for the football in the air. He could be an outstanding offensive player if he wanted, but he loves defense and that makes him even better because he's so into shutting players down. He wants to dominate." - Mike Farrell, National Analyst, Rivals.com
Why he's a five-star: "Bottom line on Fuller is that he's a playmaker. He's the defensive version of his teammate Stefon Diggs, a guy who has been playing since he was a freshman, improves every year, works hard and gets better the bigger the situation. Few guys can come up big when it counts, but Fuller does and thrives on that. No one threw his way this year and he still managed to get three big picks, averaged 55 yards-per-interception return and scored on one. That's big-time." - Mike Farrell, National Analyst, Rivals.com
His coach says: "Kendall simply gets it done no matter what he has to do, he has a knack for making plays. He's as comfortable playing the game going backwards as he is forwards and that's rare. He's such a great, raw athlete he could play anything he wants, but he loves defense and cornerback. When the game is on the line, he wants to shut guys down and he holds himself to such a high standard you never have to get on him. Finally, he's a film junkie like his brothers were and he's always breaking down tape." - Good Counsel assistant coach Brawley Evans
Odds and ends: Fuller stuffed the stat sheet for his team in its 12-0 state title run. On defense he had 26 tackles and three interceptions for 165 yards and a score while breaking up three passes. On offense he had 26 catches for 527 yards and 5 touchdowns while averaging over 20 yards-per-catch and finished fourth on his team in all-purpose yards despite his primary role as a cornerback…..Fuller's oldest brother, Vincent Fuller, spent six seasons in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans while two other brothers Kyle and Corey, are currently at Virginia Tech. Vincent also played at Virginia Tech in college….Fuller is the third Good Counsel player since 2009 to earn five-star status, the others being linebacker Jelani Jenkins in 2009 and wide receiver Stefon Diggs this year.
NFL player comparison : Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers
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