DORMONT Pa. –– Despite a 35-21 loss to Keystone Oaks on Friday night, Wash High quarterback/wide receiver Davoun Fuse displayed why he’ll be playing in the Big 10 next year at Rutgers. The play that showcased Division 1 talent came in the second half, when Fuse caught a short pass and nearly leaped over a cornerback, who was standing in an upright position. Fuse got penalized as it’s illegal to jump over a defensive player in high school football. Nevertheless, the pure athleticism was striking. Standing at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Fuse is the complete package when it comes to height, weight, and speed.
Fuse committed to Rutgers in May as a three-star athlete, but he said head coach Greg Schiano wants him to play at linebacker.
“I liked the coaching staff. Coach Schiano is a really good dude,” Fuse said on why he committed to Rutgers. “So are the players. I liked their players, too. And I liked the environment. It’s better than staying in Pittsburgh, in my opinion.”
Fuse felt a family-like vibe when talking with Schiano, so it was a no-brainer decision.
“He’s really positive. He’s like a dad to me kind of,” Fuse said of Schiano. “Talking to him is like me talking to my dad. He’s always on me about everything. I can feel family from him.”
Fuse visited Rutgers before he committed in the spring and went there twice during the summer. He also mentioned that he’s leaving on Friday night to attend the Rutgers-Indiana game on Saturday in Piscataway.
“There’s a city, but there’s like the campus, too,” Fuse said about Rutgers. “I don’t like being in the city a lot. I like how it’s separate from everything.”
Rutgers was Fuse’s only Division I offer before he committed. “After I committed, everybody started coming. Syracuse, WVU, and Pitt is still talking to me,” Fuse said.
Davoun might not be the only one from the Fuse family to play at Rutgers, as his brother Semaj has also received an offer. Semaj is a 6-foot-3, 248-pound defensive lineman for the Prexies, and he’s only a sophomore.
“Definitely their defensive coaches and the way their defense plays. It’s a way that I’d rather play my defense,” Semaj said on what he likes about Rutgers’ program.
Semaj also echoed what his brother said about Schiano.
“He’s really easy to talk to like he understands everything that you tell him,” Semaj said. “He can break down (things) and help you out and decipher everything if you don’t understand it. He will just talk to you about it.”
Semaj said he also has an offer from Akron, along with receiving interest from Pitt and Notre Dame. Semaj plays mostly at defensive tackle for the Prexies, but he thinks he’ll play defensive end at the next level.
“I think I’m going to play defensive end or edge, but who knows, time will tell,” Semaj said.
