The WAR ROOM is (finally!) back and this quick-hitting edition is full of football recruiting scoop! The first chance for the coaching staff to bring recruits to Charlottesville and actually take real visits rather than walking tours in roughly 14 months is about to arrive. So ahead of next weekend’s first officials of the 2022 cycle we thought we’d lay the ground work for how things are shaping up and what we’re hearing on some of UVa’s biggest targets as the Hoos look to do a lot of heavy lifting in a very short amount of time.
Below you will find a running list of visitors that are expected in town over the next month. Given the fluidity and complexity of recruiting these days, there’s an almost certainty that there will be some changes and/or additions and everything in between. So let's dive in:
As always, what’s said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let’s go!
Official visits will give UVa a chance to put in work
In most recruiting cycles, it’s safe to say, the bulk of Virginia’s work is done well before the actual season starts. Typically the Cavaliers get a run of commitments in May and June. Despite the fact that this will be a smaller recruiting class, the reality is that UVa is sitting on five commits and therefore needs to do a lot of heavy lifting in short order because once the season arrives, the gravitational pull of game prep will send a lot of resources and attention that way.
Of course, this isn’t most recruiting cycles and things are going to get especially crazy once the dead period finally ends soon and visits can resume for the first time in a while. It’s worth mentioning here that there is no playbook for “What if on-campus recruiting is shut down for a year?” This is the first time something like this has happened and how recruits will respond and what changes coaching staffs will need to make on the fly is all very much TBD. The one thing that seems most unlikely is that everything will be as it was before, and the one-time transfer rule being in effect certainly does change the calculus to some degree. The numbers will be more fluid than they’ve ever been and from a planning standpoint, the Wahoos have to be “careful” though that might not be the best word. All told, there needs to be some wiggle room so the program can keep some players who may want to extend their careers and use the NCAA’s free year as well as add transfers who become available. So expect the 2022 class to be a bit smaller than the number of seniors might imply. We could see anything from 12-17.
For Bronco Mendenhall and his staff, things set up well week to week this month given the flow of visits. The Cavaliers are expecting to host a number of official visitors spread out over the month with one weekend that looks a bit heavier than the rest.
We’re going to walk through the schedule as it exists for now and talk about the various targets and what we’ve heard. We’ll stress that these are subject to change given the inherent unpredictable nature of recruiting.
A look at the calendar and the visitors
Let’s start with the weekend of June 4-6th, when the Cavaliers are expecting to host five recruits including one commit, three-star safety Will Hardy. The most notable of the group to some might be three-star Benedictine wide receiver Leon Haughton, a 6-foot-4, 198 pounder who might be UVa’s best shot at an early verbal right out of of the gate. That’s not to say that three-star Eastlake (OH) OL Ryan Baer is any less important to the Cavaliers but locking Haughton up could be really beneficial given the in-state ties. Baer, meanwhile, a 6-foot-8, 330-pound lineman, is expected to take trips to Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee before the month is over. Elsewhere during that first weekend, UVa is expected to bring RB Demond Claiborne in for an OV and he’s right up there with Haughton as a potential early addition, at least in our estimation right now. The 5-foot-11 back from King William is a likely Virginia lean anyway but the fact that the Cavaliers are unlikely to take many RBs in this class is something to keep an eye on. Lastly, the fifth visitor expected next weekend is three-star defensive tackle Anthony Holmes, a 6-foot-2, 275 pounder from Spring (TX) Westfield. Again, we can’t (and won’t) say for sure that Virginia is going to land a commitment early but it wouldn’t surprise us if the Hoos rattle off a few to get things going.
The second weekend of the month looks to be the “big” one and it’s currently scheduled to have the biggest target on the board on Grounds. Let’s start there, as five-star Rivals100 offensive lineman Zach Rice will be in town June 11-13th. No. 17 overall in the class and the No. 3 tackle in the nation, Rice is a Virginia legacy who has a final five that consists of Alabama, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and UVa. In talking to various sources over the past three or four months, it has seemed like the Cavaliers have done exactly what they needed to do in order to put themselves in a position to keep him home. This one, as it always was going to be, remains a marathon not a sprint but if you did a polling average of sorts, the Hoos would be the team most likely to be in the lead right now. The trouble is that this one changes steadily and the “lead” is tenuous at best. Since there have been countless in-state offensive linemen over the years that the Cavaliers have had great traction with only to lose out on in the end, we can’t (and won’t) advise but so much emotional investment as of yet. But this is the chance for Garett Tujgaue and Co. to shine and we fully expect the “family first, last, always” of it all to make a huge impression.
Of course, the Virginia O-line coach is going to be busy. As of now, Rice will be joined that weekend by two other OL targets in Fisher Anderson and Jake Maikkula. Anderson, a 6-foot-7, 265-pound four-star from Franklin (TN), is No. 27 overall at his position. While there were reports this week that the Rivals250 standout would be at UVa the following week rather than during this weekend, he told CavsCorner on Thursday that it would be the second week. So we’ll have to see how this one sorts out. What is sorted, though, is the visit by Maikkula, the 6-foot-6, 265-pound three-star from Valor Christian in Colorado. If that name sounds familiar, it should as its the same high school that produced former Virginia offensive lineman Dillon Reinkensmeyer. Word we've heard is that the Cavaliers should be seen as one of three teams seriously in the mix for Maikkula, joined by Cal and Duke. Visits, as is obvious, will be huge. If we had to guess, we’d say the Hoos have a slight edge right now.
Joining that group of linemen on the weekend of the 11th will be several other official visitors (newest commit Dak Twitty told CavsCorner this week that he’ll be in town that weekend but it won’t be an OV) including a trio of commits in Stevie Bracey, Karson Gay, and Trey McDonald. Having all of those committed recruits and especially Twitty on Grounds that weekend will help with the whole group but especially four-star Rivals250 DE Eli Hall. The Shelby (NC) Crest standout, the No. 17 strong side D-end in the nation, is one of UVa’s top targets and this is prime opportunity for the Cavaliers (and Twitty) to make their case. Some have probably overblown that friendship but it’s clear that the two would love to be on the same team in college.
So who else is coming that weekend? Three-star DE Nick Campbell out of Minneola (FL) Lake Minneola, three-star CB Amari Jackson out of McDonough (GA) Eagle’s Landing, three-star ATH Jaiven Plummer from Episcopal, and Harvey (LA) Helen Cox DB Tariq Watson, though there has been some noise that perhaps that visit gets moved.
Though the following weekend June 18th-20th isn’t as busy in terms of numbers, it’s still pretty important for the Cavaliers considering there are two four-star defensive linemen (Kaleb Artis and Beau Atkinson) expected as well as a four-star tackle (Brody Meadows) who may be the other top target on the O-line and a four-star DB from the Bayou (Austin Ausberry) who is very likely the top cornerback on the board, too. While the previous weekend may be the one that gets all of the attention, our read is that if Virginia is going to have a standout class—especially with tighter numbers—then the haul is going to have to include pieces among those named here. The most likely seems to be Meadows, who most folks we’ve talked to believe is UVa’s to lose. Artis has some heavy hitters on his visit list, with trips to Penn State, Auburn, and FSU line used. The buzz on Atkinson has been growing for a while but trips to Miami, Michigan, and Cal will also loom large. While we think UVa has a legit shot with Artis and a slightly better shot with Atkinson, Ausberry is the wildest card here, especially with LSU lurking. A 6-foot-1 corner, he’s the perfect fit for what UVa is looking for, especially in this class, but Rivals250 DBs from the deep south are typically hard pulls. If this visit takes place—plans are all well and good but it’s still recruiting after all—then we will feel even better about Virginia’s chances.
Elsewhere that weekend, UVa is expecting to host three-star OL Drew Bobo, who would also be a really nice piece in 2022, along with three-star CB Mansoor Delane, three-star OL Austin Firestone, three-star CB Ryland Gandy, and three-star WR Dominique McKenzie.
Bobo is a player we’ve heard for some time now might have some UVa lean in him but it’s also clear that Kentucky will have some staying power. In addition to camps, he’ll be at Georgia Tech the weekend of June 11-13 and then Kentucky the weekend after visiting Charlottesville. His father, Mike, is the new offensive coordinator at Auburn but as of yet it doesn’t appear playing for his dad is a top priority. But that could change. Nonetheless, UK is likely to be UVa’s biggest competition here.
Lastly, Virginia will look to close out the month with a solid group of visitors June 25-27 that includes four-star OL Tyler Gibson, four-star Rivals250 RB Marlon Gunn, and three-star DT Felix Hixon as well as kicker Will Bettridge. Because these OVs are coming later in the month, these might be seen as the most tenuous both because guys who visit earlier might commit or these guys may well be off the board before the date arrives. Gibson and Dunn figure to have spots but given the size of the OL group as well as how tight things will be at RB in this class, nothing is really for sure especially this year. Hixon, meanwhile, is a guy we’ve heard for a long time could be a Virginia lean. But that intel has gotten a little stale and recent attempts at clarifying the situation haven’t been fruitful. If the 6-foot-3, 284-pound Georgia native takes the visit as expected, we see that as a huge sign for the Cavaliers. But for now, given how much work is left and how quickly it’s all approaching, the Hoos have to focus on what’s directly in front of them.
And it all starts next weekend…
That is it for this week, and as always, what’s said here, stays here!
Our thanks to MyPerfectFranchise for their support of CavsCorner:
Are you a displaced corporate executive or wanting to put your career in your own hands? Or are you an experienced entrepreneur wanting to diversify? Well, @Andy MyPerfectFranchise.Net can help! Having owned multiple franchises and businesses in his career, he uses his expertise to helps others find their American Dream through a very thorough and FREE consultation process. Call Andy, put your life and career in your own hands. It’s 100% free, so what do you have to lose?!!*
Call Andy at (404) 973-9901 today or email him: andy@myperfectfranchise.net
Below you will find a running list of visitors that are expected in town over the next month. Given the fluidity and complexity of recruiting these days, there’s an almost certainty that there will be some changes and/or additions and everything in between. So let's dive in:
As always, what’s said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let’s go!
Official visits will give UVa a chance to put in work
In most recruiting cycles, it’s safe to say, the bulk of Virginia’s work is done well before the actual season starts. Typically the Cavaliers get a run of commitments in May and June. Despite the fact that this will be a smaller recruiting class, the reality is that UVa is sitting on five commits and therefore needs to do a lot of heavy lifting in short order because once the season arrives, the gravitational pull of game prep will send a lot of resources and attention that way.
Of course, this isn’t most recruiting cycles and things are going to get especially crazy once the dead period finally ends soon and visits can resume for the first time in a while. It’s worth mentioning here that there is no playbook for “What if on-campus recruiting is shut down for a year?” This is the first time something like this has happened and how recruits will respond and what changes coaching staffs will need to make on the fly is all very much TBD. The one thing that seems most unlikely is that everything will be as it was before, and the one-time transfer rule being in effect certainly does change the calculus to some degree. The numbers will be more fluid than they’ve ever been and from a planning standpoint, the Wahoos have to be “careful” though that might not be the best word. All told, there needs to be some wiggle room so the program can keep some players who may want to extend their careers and use the NCAA’s free year as well as add transfers who become available. So expect the 2022 class to be a bit smaller than the number of seniors might imply. We could see anything from 12-17.
For Bronco Mendenhall and his staff, things set up well week to week this month given the flow of visits. The Cavaliers are expecting to host a number of official visitors spread out over the month with one weekend that looks a bit heavier than the rest.
We’re going to walk through the schedule as it exists for now and talk about the various targets and what we’ve heard. We’ll stress that these are subject to change given the inherent unpredictable nature of recruiting.
A look at the calendar and the visitors
Let’s start with the weekend of June 4-6th, when the Cavaliers are expecting to host five recruits including one commit, three-star safety Will Hardy. The most notable of the group to some might be three-star Benedictine wide receiver Leon Haughton, a 6-foot-4, 198 pounder who might be UVa’s best shot at an early verbal right out of of the gate. That’s not to say that three-star Eastlake (OH) OL Ryan Baer is any less important to the Cavaliers but locking Haughton up could be really beneficial given the in-state ties. Baer, meanwhile, a 6-foot-8, 330-pound lineman, is expected to take trips to Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee before the month is over. Elsewhere during that first weekend, UVa is expected to bring RB Demond Claiborne in for an OV and he’s right up there with Haughton as a potential early addition, at least in our estimation right now. The 5-foot-11 back from King William is a likely Virginia lean anyway but the fact that the Cavaliers are unlikely to take many RBs in this class is something to keep an eye on. Lastly, the fifth visitor expected next weekend is three-star defensive tackle Anthony Holmes, a 6-foot-2, 275 pounder from Spring (TX) Westfield. Again, we can’t (and won’t) say for sure that Virginia is going to land a commitment early but it wouldn’t surprise us if the Hoos rattle off a few to get things going.
The second weekend of the month looks to be the “big” one and it’s currently scheduled to have the biggest target on the board on Grounds. Let’s start there, as five-star Rivals100 offensive lineman Zach Rice will be in town June 11-13th. No. 17 overall in the class and the No. 3 tackle in the nation, Rice is a Virginia legacy who has a final five that consists of Alabama, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and UVa. In talking to various sources over the past three or four months, it has seemed like the Cavaliers have done exactly what they needed to do in order to put themselves in a position to keep him home. This one, as it always was going to be, remains a marathon not a sprint but if you did a polling average of sorts, the Hoos would be the team most likely to be in the lead right now. The trouble is that this one changes steadily and the “lead” is tenuous at best. Since there have been countless in-state offensive linemen over the years that the Cavaliers have had great traction with only to lose out on in the end, we can’t (and won’t) advise but so much emotional investment as of yet. But this is the chance for Garett Tujgaue and Co. to shine and we fully expect the “family first, last, always” of it all to make a huge impression.
Of course, the Virginia O-line coach is going to be busy. As of now, Rice will be joined that weekend by two other OL targets in Fisher Anderson and Jake Maikkula. Anderson, a 6-foot-7, 265-pound four-star from Franklin (TN), is No. 27 overall at his position. While there were reports this week that the Rivals250 standout would be at UVa the following week rather than during this weekend, he told CavsCorner on Thursday that it would be the second week. So we’ll have to see how this one sorts out. What is sorted, though, is the visit by Maikkula, the 6-foot-6, 265-pound three-star from Valor Christian in Colorado. If that name sounds familiar, it should as its the same high school that produced former Virginia offensive lineman Dillon Reinkensmeyer. Word we've heard is that the Cavaliers should be seen as one of three teams seriously in the mix for Maikkula, joined by Cal and Duke. Visits, as is obvious, will be huge. If we had to guess, we’d say the Hoos have a slight edge right now.
Joining that group of linemen on the weekend of the 11th will be several other official visitors (newest commit Dak Twitty told CavsCorner this week that he’ll be in town that weekend but it won’t be an OV) including a trio of commits in Stevie Bracey, Karson Gay, and Trey McDonald. Having all of those committed recruits and especially Twitty on Grounds that weekend will help with the whole group but especially four-star Rivals250 DE Eli Hall. The Shelby (NC) Crest standout, the No. 17 strong side D-end in the nation, is one of UVa’s top targets and this is prime opportunity for the Cavaliers (and Twitty) to make their case. Some have probably overblown that friendship but it’s clear that the two would love to be on the same team in college.
So who else is coming that weekend? Three-star DE Nick Campbell out of Minneola (FL) Lake Minneola, three-star CB Amari Jackson out of McDonough (GA) Eagle’s Landing, three-star ATH Jaiven Plummer from Episcopal, and Harvey (LA) Helen Cox DB Tariq Watson, though there has been some noise that perhaps that visit gets moved.
Though the following weekend June 18th-20th isn’t as busy in terms of numbers, it’s still pretty important for the Cavaliers considering there are two four-star defensive linemen (Kaleb Artis and Beau Atkinson) expected as well as a four-star tackle (Brody Meadows) who may be the other top target on the O-line and a four-star DB from the Bayou (Austin Ausberry) who is very likely the top cornerback on the board, too. While the previous weekend may be the one that gets all of the attention, our read is that if Virginia is going to have a standout class—especially with tighter numbers—then the haul is going to have to include pieces among those named here. The most likely seems to be Meadows, who most folks we’ve talked to believe is UVa’s to lose. Artis has some heavy hitters on his visit list, with trips to Penn State, Auburn, and FSU line used. The buzz on Atkinson has been growing for a while but trips to Miami, Michigan, and Cal will also loom large. While we think UVa has a legit shot with Artis and a slightly better shot with Atkinson, Ausberry is the wildest card here, especially with LSU lurking. A 6-foot-1 corner, he’s the perfect fit for what UVa is looking for, especially in this class, but Rivals250 DBs from the deep south are typically hard pulls. If this visit takes place—plans are all well and good but it’s still recruiting after all—then we will feel even better about Virginia’s chances.
Elsewhere that weekend, UVa is expecting to host three-star OL Drew Bobo, who would also be a really nice piece in 2022, along with three-star CB Mansoor Delane, three-star OL Austin Firestone, three-star CB Ryland Gandy, and three-star WR Dominique McKenzie.
Bobo is a player we’ve heard for some time now might have some UVa lean in him but it’s also clear that Kentucky will have some staying power. In addition to camps, he’ll be at Georgia Tech the weekend of June 11-13 and then Kentucky the weekend after visiting Charlottesville. His father, Mike, is the new offensive coordinator at Auburn but as of yet it doesn’t appear playing for his dad is a top priority. But that could change. Nonetheless, UK is likely to be UVa’s biggest competition here.
Lastly, Virginia will look to close out the month with a solid group of visitors June 25-27 that includes four-star OL Tyler Gibson, four-star Rivals250 RB Marlon Gunn, and three-star DT Felix Hixon as well as kicker Will Bettridge. Because these OVs are coming later in the month, these might be seen as the most tenuous both because guys who visit earlier might commit or these guys may well be off the board before the date arrives. Gibson and Dunn figure to have spots but given the size of the OL group as well as how tight things will be at RB in this class, nothing is really for sure especially this year. Hixon, meanwhile, is a guy we’ve heard for a long time could be a Virginia lean. But that intel has gotten a little stale and recent attempts at clarifying the situation haven’t been fruitful. If the 6-foot-3, 284-pound Georgia native takes the visit as expected, we see that as a huge sign for the Cavaliers. But for now, given how much work is left and how quickly it’s all approaching, the Hoos have to focus on what’s directly in front of them.
And it all starts next weekend…
That is it for this week, and as always, what’s said here, stays here!
Our thanks to MyPerfectFranchise for their support of CavsCorner:
Are you a displaced corporate executive or wanting to put your career in your own hands? Or are you an experienced entrepreneur wanting to diversify? Well, @Andy MyPerfectFranchise.Net can help! Having owned multiple franchises and businesses in his career, he uses his expertise to helps others find their American Dream through a very thorough and FREE consultation process. Call Andy, put your life and career in your own hands. It’s 100% free, so what do you have to lose?!!*
Call Andy at (404) 973-9901 today or email him: andy@myperfectfranchise.net
