Ranked the No. 23 strongside linebacker prospect nationally by Scout.com … Listed as the No. 27 outside linebacker nationally by ESPN/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked the No. 15 player in the state of South Carolina by SuperPrep … The No. 23 prospect in South Carolina and the No. 50 outside linebacker in the country as ranked by Rivals.

Committed to the Hokies on Aug. 1, 2008 … A member of SuperPrep’s Mid-Atlantic Team … Named to PrepStar’s All-Atlantic Region Team as a linebacker … Finished with 102 tackles, including five for a loss, three sacks and also blocked two kicks as a senior … Caught 12 passes for 225 yards and four touchdowns his senior year … Also scored twice on two-point conversions … Had one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions as a senior … Recorded 81 tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions as a junior … Caught eight passes for 123 yards in limited time offensively his junior season.

“Tariq is a versatile athlete who can play a lot of positions, and I think it is good in this type of game to have a guy who can do different things,” Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer said. “Playing on USA Football’s Junior National Team is a wonderful opportunity for him. He is such a quality person; I know that he will represent both his country and our program well.”