7/9/2018 football Edit

Incoming Hokie named area Athlete of the Year

Tim Sullivan • HokieHaven

Editor

Tim Sullivan is the Editor of HokieHaven.com. A University of Michigan alumnus, he is a decade-plus veteran of the recruiting industry.

It's pretty easy to be impressed by incoming running back Cole Beck. The 2018 signee from Blacksburg High is the Roanoke Times athlete of the year.

"He anchored Blacksburg’s winning foursome in the 400-meter relay, again for the third straight year in 42.08 seconds, the No. 2 all-time Timesland clocking. Of course, those feats came on the heels of Beck’s football season that ended when he scored five touchdowns in a playoff loss … against Salem."

— Roanoke Times

Beck's multi-sport exploits are familiar to VT fans by this point - he rushed for 1,620 yards and 27 touchdowns, and caught four receiving touchdowns as a senior. Leading his team to a 10-2 record in his final high-school go-round, he was hardly responsible for their playoff exit, rushing for five touchdowns and catching another in a 33-32 playoff loss to rival Salem.

He also finishes as one of Virginia's fastest high school sprinters of recent vintage. His 10.37-second 100-meter dash was fastest in the state this year (No. 22 nationally), and he was third-best in the 200-meter with a 21.28-second time.

Beck will have to bulk up to continue his success at the college level - his speed is impressive regardless of context, but at 6-0, 174 pounds, he'll have to be stronger to not get beaten up by repeated hits by college-level athletes. He could also adjust by playing defensive back (which he dabbled in as a senior, partially in preparation for the possibility of ending up there at the next level), where sheer mass isn't going to be quite as important on a down-to-down basis.

The three-star was ranked the No. 10 prospect in the state and the nation's No. 21 running back. One thing is abundantly clear, though: Beck has the skills to make an impact for VT, and as early as this Fall.