Hokies Back in the Mix for DE Houshun Gaines After Bizarre Commitment Mix Up

It would be a bit of an understatement to say that Houshun Gaines' recruitment process hasn't exactly been a normal one.

The senior defensive end out of Rocky Mount, N.C.'s Nash Central HS has been the target of national media attention in recent weeks, all because he seemed to be at the center of some sort of "catfishing" plot by an overzealous fan.

The situation is certainly a bizarre one. On October 3, Gaines announced during a press conference that he'd be committing to Florida, one of several schools interested in him along with Virginia Tech.

But by October 5, he'd withdrawn his commitment, as rumors swirled that a fan posing as an assistant coach for the Gators had fooled Gaines into thinking Florida was interested.

While that likely makes for the better story, the truth is a little more complicated.

It would seem that someone did pretend to be speaking for Florida when they weren't, but that's not the reason Gaines isn't a Gator right now.

"He received an offer from Florida, he went to campus and he loved it," said Kevin Crudup, Gaines' coach at Nash Central. "He was struggling between Florida and Virginia Tech, right up until the last minute."

Crudup downplayed the role of the "catfishing" in the whole incident. Instead, it was a question of scholarship technicalities.

"He committed to Florida, but they told him they couldn't accept his commitment," Crudup said. "It was a numbers thing, based on what they had at the time."

It would seem that Gaines' scholarship offer was conditional, dependent on whether or not the Gators had space for him by the time he made his commitment.

Gaines did talk to someone posing as Florida's director of player personnel, Drew Hughes, and when he told that person he was ready to commit, they didn't mention anything about the limits on his scholarship.

So he went ahead with his decision, and the story grew larger.

"I can't speak to who he was talking to online, but it does seem like some people are putting their own spin on things," Crudup said.

Despite this mix up, it would seem that the Gators are still an option for Gaines.

"When I talked to them after, they just said they wanted to evaluate me further," Gaines said.

All this controversy could open up room for the Hokies to make up ground in his recruitment.

"After all this with Florida, Coach (Charley) Wiles called and said he's not wavering, he's still 100 percent committed to the offer he made him," Crudup said. "He's shown a lot of love, I think it's very impressive for him to show this level of commitment in the wake of all this."

Gaines agrees that he's kept talking with the Hokies even after he picked Florida over Tech.

"I just talked with Coach Wiles, we're definitely still on good terms," Gaines said.

The defensive line coach seems to have made a particularly large impression on Gaines.

"He loves Coach Wiles, that's what's made the decision so tough for him initially," Crudup said. "He invested so much time and energy in his recruiting, he didn't want to let him down."

Wiles has been after the senior DE ever since Crudup first gave him the heads up about Gaines.

"I knew Coach Wiles from some previous recruiting trips, so I sent him Houshun's film a few months ago," Crudup said. "Once I did, he called me right back and said he really liked him, and then came down a couple times to see him."

For Gaines, the interest from Tech was very welcome.

"Tech has always been one of his favorites," Crudup said. "Back at the start of his recruitment, I asked him his ideal top five schools, and he put Tech in there, before they even knew about him."

Now that Wiles has gotten to know Gaines, a 3-star recruit according to the 247Sports Composite rating, he seems to think he could add some important depth at defensive end for the Hokies.

At 6'4" and 220 pounds, Gaines has the frame and athleticism to play either DE or OLB, and many schools have floated the possibility of playing him in the linebacking corps.

"Some schools are definitely interested in him as a 3-4 backer, others just want him with his hand on the ground going to get the quarterback," Crudup said. "With offenses going no huddle, and spreading you, a lot of schools want a guy like him, that can play defensive end or outside linebacker, that's tall and long, can run sideline to sideline."

Crudup points out that Gaines has been selected to the roster of the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, the game pitting top North Carolina prospects against those from South Carolina, as a linebacker, but Wiles has other plans for him.

"He really likes my pass rush, he definitely thinks I'm better with my hand on the ground," Gaines said.

Now, Wiles will get a chance to make his case to Gaines in person when he stops by Blacksburg for the Boston College game on November 1.

"I'll be taking a visit then, but it won't be official or anything, just staying the weekend," Gaines said. "I want to get a feel for the environment, the vibe of it, talk to some of the players."

Gaines last visited Tech back in April, and Crudup thinks it's good that he's getting back up to the campus after all he's been through recently.

"Coach Wiles told him to come up and see how they do it on game day, and guaranteed him he'd love it, and I agree that it's a good idea," Crudup said. "Florida was the last place he's been so it'll be good for him to go back there."

With the Hokies surely seeming like an appealing option after the Gators demurred from accepting his commitment, this visit will likely be a very influential one for Gaines.

"I think he wants reassurance that this would be the place for him," Crudup said.