LB/DE Damien Dozier Shines In Summer Camp, Earns Tech Offer

Four years ago, Damien Dozier was a 5-foot-11 safety for Enloe High School's football team in Raleigh, N.C.

Now, he's a 6-foot-5, 215-pound outside linebacker and rush end.

"I'd like to focus on mastering my position," Dozier says. "I want to make sure I know the game. With my positions and roles, I've been all over the field in high school football."

Positions aren't the only relocations Dozier's experienced. The fourth-year junior transferred from Enloe to Virginia Episcopal School before last season.

His recruitment wasn't going as planned, something he realized after a camp at Clemson.

He landed at the private Lynchburg school, where Dozier immediately made his presence felt on the field.

The rangy linebacker who "loves to rush the passer" finished with 127 tackles, four forced fumble and seven sacks.

With a 4.65 40-yard dash time, Dozier covered the pass, rushed the passer and even played nose guard on rush downs.

His qualities stood out at a one-day camp in Maryland two weeks ago.

On the ride home, Virginia Tech assistant coach Cornell Brown called Dozier and offered a scholarship.

"I like that Tech has been pretty consistent and honest from the start," Dozier, who visited the school once for the spring game, said. "They're pretty up-front and I like that more than the sweet talking."

Cincinnati, UConn and Delaware State also offered scholarships after the combine.

The son of Damien Covington, who set a school record for tackles at NC State and later played for the Buffalo Bills, Dozier uses his 84-inch wingspan to beat offensive tackles.

One-on-one drills often highlight camps, something that Dozier feels helps his stock with recruiters.

"My go-to move is to line up at a diagonal two yards outside the tackle and go up the field," he explains. "If I see him take the big second step, then I'll get under him and rip through."

He prefers to pass rush, but feels comfortable in whatever situation he's needed. Dozier likes that Tech will offer him an opportunity to compete for playing time right away.

Last season's experience in multiple schemes — 3-4, 4-3, and sometimes even a 2-man line — added to his versatility.

Young for his grade, the extra year of re-grading in VES' private education has helped him mature on and off the field.

Dozier holds a 3.4 GPA and hopes to major in business.

He grew up an NC State fan and hopes to receive scholarships from three more ACC schools — North Carolina, Virginia and Clemson — before he makes a decision by the start of next season.

"One thing that was a big turn-on at Clemson was the fans," Dozier says. "I want a school that has a similar atmosphere.

"There's a homey feel to a big college."

He'll attend "six or seven" more single-day camps in mid-June and will likely make a decision soon after.

Dozier uses his father's memory as motivation. Covington was murdered in 2002 when his son was only three years old.

He was 29 when killed in a home invasion in Lindenwold, N.J.

"It's one of those things where if he can do it, I can," Dozier says. "I'm gonna try to do what he did but be better than he was."