ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 28, 1997 TAG: 9701280056
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
Virginia Tech received its biggest prize of the football recruiting season when Parade All-American Yubrenal Isabelle returned home from his campus visit and made an oral commitment Monday to the Hokies.
Isabelle, the choice of the Morgantown Touchdown Club as the top player in West Virginia, rushed for 4,541 yards and scored 66 touchdowns in a celebrated three-year career at Bluefield High School.
Isabelle, whose first name is pronounced Yu-BREN-al, also recorded nearly 500 tackles and is expected to play defense for the Hokies. At 6 feet 2 and 225 pounds, he runs 40 yards in 4.65 seconds.
``We've had some athletes here,'' said Bluefield coach Fred Simon, ``but as far as the total package - athletic ability, grades, everything else - we've never had another like Yubrenal.''
Isabelle picked Tech over Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. He was to have visited Notre Dame this past weekend, but canceled his trip, moving up a visit to Tech he originally scheduled for Jan.31.
Isabelle could not be reached for comment, but Simon said it was apparent the recruiting process had become stressful.
``You could see that it was making him uptight,'' Simon said, ``but he's got a younger brother who will be a sophomore [in high school] next year and I think the family wanted Yubrenal to go somewhere close, so they could see him play.''
Isabelle's father, Bo, went to West Virginia for one year in the 1970s, but the Mountaineers were not among the finalists in his son's recruiting.
Isabelle is the third Parade All-American to commit or sign with Tech during the 1990s, joining tight end Bryan Jennings from Lynchburg in 1992 and kicker Shayne Graham from Pulaski County in 1995.
``I haven't talked to Tech about it, but I pretty much think he'll be a linebacker in college,'' said Simon, who used Isabelle in the middle. ``I think he could play tailback, but he's got the size, the quickness and the feet you're looking for in a linebacker.''
Isabelle is the 20th player to commit to Tech, which no longer is involved with Dwight Perkins, a linebacker from Plantation, Fla., who committed to Clemson.
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