New Hampshire isn’t known as a football powerhouse, but every once in a while, a star is discovered and becomes a highly coveted recruit. That’s the case of Phillips Exeter Academy’s Isaiah Reese, a Gilford native, who just inked a deal to play for the University of Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

He also recently became the first football player to represent the Granite State in the 17-year history of the Under Armour NEXT All-America Game, a showcase game in Florida that features the country’s top 100 high school recruits.

“People think of New Hampshire, they’re not going to think of football, but little by little, I feel like the state of New Hampshire is finally getting recognized and I’m just really happy that I could be a part of that,” he said. “I said that when I was at the Under Armor game, as well. I just want to put my state on the map, maybe give a couple of kids some opportunities along the way.”

Before transferring to PEA during the 2023-24 academic year, Reese was named the NHIAA D-II Player of the Year while at Gilford High School, where he played as a quarterback. His coach at Phillips Exeter, Panos Voulgaris, explained that Reese was the one who approached the academy because he believed that it would give him more exposure and an opportunity to develop, both academically and athletically.

“It helped me, outside the class, outside of football, too, coming to Exeter. Great academic school, so it helped me become a better student. And then at the same time, I’m learning more ways to become a better learner on the football field. Because at this school we have a lot of NFL guys on staff,” Reese added.

He’s one of four senior homegrown Granite Staters who were key to PEA’s success this past season, and all four are moving on to play Division I football next fall. The other three include: Tavian Fenderson, a defensive back from Hudson committed to Fordham University; Cody Szymansky, a wide receiver from Salem committed to Towson University; JJ Bright, a running back from Amherst, who will stay close to play for Merrimack College.

Reese is the biggest standout of the bunch. At 6-foot-3, 221-pounds, the defensive back’s highlight tape is phenomenal. Classed as a three-star recruit, he has demonstrated all the qualities a Power Five college wants from a high school senior. Not only that but he’s also excelled in basketball and javelin during his time at PEA.

“One of the benefits about being at Exeter is we have coaches from all over the country coming to campus. And so Isaiah certainly benefited from getting to meet college football coaches from East to West. So that was certainly something that helped him get exposure,” Voulgaris said. “But more than anything, Isaiah did the job on the field, in the classroom, to attract so many of the coaches that have come to recruit him.”

Reese’s most evident talent is his ability to read quarterbacks and offensive linemen, and he agrees that his football intelligence is his biggest asset. His size and strength allow him to rush the edge and pressure the pocket but he’s also speedy enough to cover receivers at all levels.

His highlight tape shows multiple plays where he makes good tackles on short passes and disrupts plays downfield, earning him quite a few interceptions. Part of his defensive success comes from playing on the offensive end, as a wildcat back, receiver and run-pass-option rusher, drawing attention from defensive opponents.

“The thing that makes Isaiah unique is we were able to put him in a multitude of spots on the football field, offensively, defensively and special teams-wise. And so because of that, he was able to showcase his versatility, which is really attractive to colleges,” said Voulgaris.

His abilities earned him multiple honors this past season, including the Northeast Football Conference (NEFC) Defensive Player of the Year, All-NEFC First Team, All-NEPSAC honors, and he was named Exeter’s Most Valuable Player.

“Over the last couple of years, we’ve had him play at all three levels on the defensive side of the ball. He’s played safety, he’s played at the second level as a nickel, as an outside linebacker, as an inside linebacker, and he’s played at the first level as a defensive end, slash rush edge player,” Voulgaris added. “So by being put into all those different situations, it’s allowed him to see the game from different perspectives and influence the game from different perspectives.”

All this led to the 19-year-old receiving offers from multiple D-I programs such as Boston College, Vanderbilt, South Carolina and the University of Virginia. Ultimately, the decision came down to which school wanted him most, academics and which one could provide him the most opportunities to play.

“I felt Virginia had wanted me the most, first off. I really felt like I needed to go where I’m wanted because that’s what’s going to benefit me the most and Virginia had that for me,” said Reese, who will suit up as a defensive back. “They also have really good academics, which is what they’re known for. The level of football they played in the ACC, I think, is the second-best conference for football. So it’s that balance of having everything, Virginia has it, and then the coaching staff is really amazing.”

He added that he’s most excited about the state-of-the-art coaching and facilities at Virginia, such as hitting the weight room, following a meal plan and everything else that goes along with being in a premier FBS program.

“I’m really looking forward to the brothers that I’m gonna make at UVA because there’s no bond like football, those bonds are gonna last forever. I’m really looking forward to a couple, a couple guys who I played against with Deerfield, Willem Thurber, really looking forward to working with him,” Reese said. “In terms of football, my goal is obviously to play as long as I can, regardless of what that is. At some point in my life, I really plan on coaching.”

Alexander Rapp can be reached at arapp@cmonitor.com