Four-star North Carolina Class of 2017 LB Justin Foster atop every college recruiter’s wish list

Few times in life can one be called disruptive, troublesome, or a brute with those adjectives being high praise and a great compliment. But those words only partly describes Crest High School linebacker Justin Foster. Other adjectives include big, fast, strong, and smart. All in all Foster is the complete package, a natural.

Even college recruiters love Foster’s play. The 6’3”, 220 pound, outside linebacker has 10 offers to date: Clemson, Duke, North Carolina, N.C. State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Virginia, and Wake Forest. Funny thing is those offers are going to keep coming in as long as Foster keeps his recruiting open, he is close to wrapping up his sophomore year in school!

Over the past two years Crest has been stacked with top Division-I talent. This serves as a testament to Foster’s play. As an underclassman he was able to step on the field and not only contribute, but contribute at a high level. If defenses wanted to run away from defensive ends Omar Brooks (10 sacks) or Jared Brooks, they would have to meet up with Foster. Given the opportunity the Shelby, North Carolina area native made the most of it coming up with 57 tackles, 7.0 tackles for a loss, and 2.0 sacks. Even in his words the light bulb did not come on until the later part of the season yet he was able to get it done on the field.

Crest ransacked North Carolina in 2014 posting a 16-0 record capturing the state championship. Unfortunately for area North Carolina high school teams, Crest has a ton of top talent returning in 2015 leading many to believe a repeat is inevitable.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview we caught up with Justin to talk about his sophomore season, how things may change under new head coach Will Clark, recruiting, and Crest’s chances of bringing home another state title in 2015.

 

Justin, congratulations on being part of Crest’s 2014 state championship team. Did you guys know you had the talent to win it all going into the season?

“Our coach (Mark Barnes) kept telling us the only team that was going to beat us is ourselves. He kept telling us we could win it all. We didn’t have too much competition through the season until the playoffs. We prepared well for every game. I don’t think people were expecting us to win state but we did. Everyone is now expecting us to win again next season.”

The Chargers are in the middle of a coaching change, who is the new head coach?

“Coach (Will) Clark is our new coach, he was our defensive coordinator last season. Coach Barnes retired. He moved to South Carolina. I think he accepted a head coaching job at a high school down there.”

Has the transition been easy so far to Coach Clark?

“Yes, it’s been an easy transition.”

You mentioned fans in the area expect you guys to win it all again in 2015. How does the team look in your eyes?

“We pretty much have the same team coming back. The guys coming in to replace those players who graduated, you have to get them ready to play. They have to do their roles. We have to do the little things right like we did last year. If we do that I think we can win again.”

What will be the strength of the team in 2015?

“Our defense should be better.”

What are your strengths on the field?

“I’m fast for my size and I can cover a lot of ground. I’m good at coming off the edge chasing down the QB or the play from behind. My biggest strength is turning everything back inside.”

What are your thoughts on your individual performance play last year?

“I think I did pretty well. At the beginning I was getting into the routine. I got a big sack, I think it was against Southwestern Randolph, that really got it going and I turned it on after that.”

That was in the playoffs. You played solidly throughout the season.

“I was on the whole season but it really came together then. I don’t know how to explain it but the light bulb came on.”

You have offers from Clemson, Duke, UNC, N.C. State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and Virginia, what other schools are showing heavy interest in your right now?

“I’m getting interest from FSU (Florida State) and Georgia.”

What type of feedback have you received from these colleges?

“They like my body frame and that I can cover a lot of ground for my size. All the coaches are telling me what a great fit I am for their defense.”

Have you made any unofficial visits yet?

“I’ve been to Wake Forest, UNC, Clemson, Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, and N.C. State.”

How did the visits go?

“I enjoyed them all. A lot of the visits were for Junior Days. At Clemson I got to sit in the meeting room and watch practice. I watched Tennessee practice and at Wake Forest I got to see their practice. At V-Tech I got to sit in meeting room and see practice.”

After sitting in on the meetings has that helped you with your knowledge of the game at all?

“I’m really learning a lot. I only played 2-3 games my freshman year. I’m still learning a lot about football, defense, and all of the colleges. It’s been an amazing experience to go to all of these schools and have all of these offers.”

Do you have any favorites yet?

“No, I’m still open to all schools.”

Do you have a time frame on making a decision on where you will play your college ball?

“By the end of my junior season, maybe the beginning of my senior year.”

When you make that choice what will influence your decision on which college you will attend?

“The things that will influence me, if the school has my major, the recruits coming in at my position and those already there, and how I feel about the coaching staff. I want to figure out which school fits me best to get early playing time so I can start as a sophomore.”

Are you taking any unofficial visits over the summer?

“I’m visiting Vanderbilt, Virginia – I’ll probably visit all of the schools that have extended offers. I’m trying to get around to all of them to get a feel for the school. I’m going to visit FSU and Georgia too. I’ll go back through all of them and get a feel for it.”

Do you play any sports for Crest other than football?

“I play basketball.”

What positions?

“I play the Three to the Five.”

The Five? What kind of game do you have for those that have never seen you play?

“I’m a post player but I’ll go out on the wing and take people off the dribble.”

Did you poster a couple of guys this year?

“I got a couple of dunks on guys this year (laughing).”

What was your stat line in basketball?

“I averaged 15 points per game and 8 rebounds.”

Now that basketball is over what are you doing in the offseason to prepare for your junior year?

“I workout at school Monday through Friday in the morning and everyday after school. Every Tuesday I go to a speed trainer. I’m trying to get my 40 down and increase my speed.”

Are there any college players you enjoy watching play the game?

“I really liked (defensive end) Vic Beasley at Clemson. I really don’t watch football as much or individuals as I used to. I went to a couple of Clemson games last year.”

Who has made the biggest impact on your football career?

“My mentor, Darnell Jefferies, he’s there for everything. He takes me to all my visits and talks to me about football. Coach Barnes, when he was there, he had a big impact. He really got me out there with the schools. Will Clark is helping me with my schools and everything too.”

What is your favorite part of playing football?

“I get to be physical. There’s not another sport where you can be as physical as you can be in football.”

 

Everyone has an opinion, and right now my opinion about Foster is that of a “can’t miss recruit.” Backing up the statement is 10 scholarship offers to top Division-I schools and another recruiting service, 247Sports, tabbing Foster as the top 2017 recruit in the state of North Carolina and as the No. 3 outside linebacker in the nation.

As mentioned previously, he’s big, 6’3”, 220 pounds, but also strong. His bench press is already at 260 with a squat max of 370; remember he is still just a sophomore. Foster is fast too. His last 40-yard dash time was clocked at 4.61.

With one year as a varsity starter under his belt, now knowing the scheme, how to prepare, and what to expect through a week of practice and on Friday nights, Foster’s ceiling seems limitless. By the end of his senior year he could easily be rated as the top linebacker in the nation. Watching this process will be fun for fans but the same assuredly cannot be said for opposing North Carolina high school offenses.

 

Written by Ryan Wright

Photo credit: shelbystar.com; No. 35 Justin Foster

Photo credit: tiger.net; Justin Foster at Clemson