Marty Gordon
NRVsports@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Christiansburg High’s Izaiah Cotto has announced plans to continue his football career at Averett University.
The 5-11, 170 defensive back and offensive specialist signed his commitment letter this past week in front of family, friends and teammates in the school’s gymnasium.
Cotto highlighted his senior year with a 200-plus receiving game to set a new school record. He would be named the all-county/all-city offensive specialist this past season and finished with 31 receptions with 576 yards and six touchdowns. He also rushed for 246 yards with another two scores and was used at tailback and receiver.
On defense, Cotto finished the season with 54 tackles, five interceptions and four breakups, garnering the assignment of covering the opponent’s number one receiver for most of the season.
This came after a junior campaign, where he played quarterback and was 56 of
114 through the air for 869 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. As a runner, he
rolled off 181 carries for 808 yards and six scores.
Cotto said he chose to play at Averett because of the family, home feeling, “They pursued me with as soon as I stepped on campus and I know I can help turn that program around,” he said.
Averett University is a private university in Danville, Virginia, with a current enrollment of 1,879 students. Averett competes in 23 intercollegiate varsity sports, and its athletic teams are called the Cougars. The university is a member of the Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).
This past season, the school’s football team finished 1-8 overall. Cotto will join former Christiansburg’s Xavier Joplin, who is currently on the roster at the Averett.
Also, an assistant coach at Averett is familiar to the Christiansburg High program.
Patrick Bolen was promoted to assistant head coach of the Averett University football staff in January 2026. He was previously on the staff on a full-time basis in March 2023 after serving as a long-time part-time coach with the Cougars’ program.
Before joining Averett’s football staff, Bolen was a linebackers coach at Christiansburg High School from 2003-06.
At Averett, Cotto plans to major in Criminal Justice.
