The WAR ROOM is back and this edition is full of football and hoops recruiting scoop! On the gridiron, the Cavaliers return to Scott Stadium this weekend and will have their first big recruiting event of the season. We'll tell you about the four official visitors that will be in town as well as the other recruits from the 2017, 2018, and 2019 classes that will be on Grounds for the game on Saturday, including some key targets. We'll also tell you about several new offers that have gone out in recent days. On the hoops front, the staff had a number of intriguing 2019 and 2020 targets in town last weekend. We'll give you the latest on those situations as well as follow up on a key 2018 visitor from earlier this week and touch on a five-star recruit who not only was visited by the staff on Thursday but will be in town for a visit next weekend.
As always, what's said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let's go!
Big visit weekend on tap in Charlottesville
Going into the matchup this weekend against Pitt, Bronco Mendenhall and the Wahoos are looking to go 2-0 in ACC play but perhaps just as important will be the four official visitors and the roughly three dozen recruits on unofficials that the program will have in town.
Of the four official visitors, two are committed players who are planning to enroll next semester: Three-star cornerback and Cavalier legacy Germane Crowell as well as three-star Lake Braddock speed back Lamont Atkins. It's obviously always good to have guys in town who are as dedicated to the program as these two are and that could be a part of the weekend's storyline considering the other prospects UVa will be hosting.
Of the other two on official visits, the first is three-star big back Jamari Peacock. The 6-foot, 230-pound Yulee (FL) native has been a heavy Virginia lean for months and we have every expectation that he'll also be enrolling early next semester in Charlottesville. The last time Peacock went on the record, he said he wasn't planning to make his decision public until later in the fall/early winter. At this point, we'd advise folks to be very, very optimistic about the Hoos having him in 2017.
The other prospect who will be on his official visit is four-star linebacker Levani Damuni. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound backer from Millville (UT) Northridge is a player we've covered in the past. His pre-existing relationship with Mendenhall's staff dating back to their days at BYU and his search for a future home centers on a number of factors, including academics. Clearly, this is a huge opportunity for the staff to reel in a player at a position of need and one, much like with recent three-star offensive tackle commit Ryan Nelson, that they have a lot of history with. The hardest part has always been trying to get Damuni to leave Utah, as both the Utes and Cougars are seen as potential/likely landing places. It'll be interesting to see how things shake out following his official visit.
Outside of those four official visitors, the Cavaliers are also expecting to host a number of unofficial visitors. That included a number of committed players like DT Mandy Alonso, safety Joey Blount, DL Tommy Christ, offensive lineman Tyler Fannin, offensive lineman Chris Glaser, and wide receiver Darnell Pratt.
The biggest unofficial visitor without question will be four-star Rivals250 offensive lineman Mekhi Becton. The 6-foot-7, 300-pound Highland Springs tackle is looking to take an official to UVa down the road but this is a great opportunity to have him surrounded by a host of committed players and guys who are weighing things just like he is. We can't overstate the job that Garett Tujague has done in this recruitment, as we believe the Wahoos hold a substantial edge. This weekend, they can build on that lead and make the Richmond native feel even more at home in the school that offers him both early playing time as well as an option that isn't too far away.
In addition, Virginia will also be hosting several other uncommitted 2017 prospects this weekend including Cole Kirby, Darius Wise, and Zane Zandier.
Kirby, a 6-foot-3, 294-pound lineman from Franklin (KY) Franklin-Simpson could be making his decision soon. To this point, UVa remains his lone FBS offer and the Hoos have been pushing for some time. Wise, meanwhile, is an intriguing prospect from Beaver (PA) Beaver Area. At 5-foot-11, 173 pounds, he's got a versatile skillset that could fit in a host of places in UVa's offense. And then there's Zandier, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound linebacker from Jefferson Hills (PA) Thomas Jefferson. If you'll recall, he and his family visited back during training camp and at the time, it felt like West Virginia was the clear team to beat. Since then, though, the Cavaliers have emerged as the potential favorite with Penn State flirting with an offer and somewhat slowing down Zandier's process. It'll be interesting to see where this one goes following the visit this weekend because the tea leaves seem to be saying that the Wahoos could be adding him to the fold soon.
Of course, the 2017 prospects won't be alone. There will be more than 15 prospects from the 2018 class who will be in attendance, perhaps none bigger than three-star Hopewell running back Ronnie Walker. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound playmaker has already put together a nice offer list, with Duke, Vanderbilt, and the Hoos (who we see as the heavy favorites) already in line. Elsewhere among the junior visitors, UVa will also be expecting North Potomac (MD) dual-threat QB Doc Bonner, three-star Mechanisburg (PA) Cumberland Valley linebacker Charlie Katshir, and Wallingford (CT) punter John Tessitore, son of ESPN broadcaster Joe Tessitore.
Lastly, in the class of 2019, UVa will be playing host to several prospects including Dominion's Jimmy Christ (younger brother of Tommy) and Jalon Jones, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound quarterback from Henrico who you've already heard a lot about given his (really) early offer and who you'll continue to hear a lot about going forward.
New offers out in 2017
Lastly this week, let's check in on several new offers that the Cavaliers have sent out recently.
We'll start with four-star Rivals250 junior quarterback Justin Fields, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound dual-threat QB out of Kennesaw (GA) Harrison. He's got early offers from a number of quality options including Arizona, Duke, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, UNC, NC State, Penn State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
Virginia also went with a new offer on the defensive line in the class of 2018 this week when the Hoos became the latest to offer Tommy Togiai. That puts the Cavaliers in the mix with Boise State, BYU, Oregon, UCLA, Utah, and Washington for the 6-foot-3, 293-pound Rivals250 standout from Pocatello (ID) Highland.
The third offer we'll touch on this week went out to junior George Takacs, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound TE out of Naples (FL) Gulf Coast. He's already got early offers from Florida, Iowa State, Ole Miss, and NC State, among others. Check out his film here.
Lastly, UVa also offered three-star Florida wide receiver Damond Johnson this week. The 6-foot-1, 161 pounder has been committed to Duke since February but the Cavaliers have tossed their hat into the ring for the Pensacola (FL) West Florida Tech standout.
UVa makes a play for two key 2018 targets
As we transition to the hardwood, the program is on the cusp of the 2016-2017 season which means recruiting will start to really take a backseat soon. That is why it makes sense that the staff would have some visit opportunities this fall.
With the trip to Spain this summer, Tony Bennett and his staff weren't able to hold their annual Elite Camp in August. As we mentioned at the time, there was thought being given to planning a couple of visit weekends for young kids this fall with the goal of having them on Grounds to watch the team practice. Last weekend was the first of those weekends with the second coming down the road, likely next weekend.
Before we get to the younger prospects who visited and sort out what those recruitments might look like, we need to start with two highly-rated 2018s and discuss their visits: Four-star wing Musa Jallow and five-star point guard Immanuel Quickley.
Jallow, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound prospect from Bloomington (IN) Bloomington North, spent two days in Charlottesville earlier this week seeing the school, watching the team, and getting to know the coaches as he has had at recent visits to IU, Stanford, and Michigan State. Led by Ron Sanchez, many felt like UVa was a potential early landing spot for the No. 72 overall prospect in the Rivals150 for 2018 but for now, word is he's going to take this thing out a bit, perhaps (if not likely) into the spring. Given the background as well as how the visit went and his enthusiasm about returning, we'd call him a slight Virginia lean at this point.
Quickley, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound point guard and the No. 12 overall player in the class, will be in Charlottesville soon. On Thursday, UVa's Jason Williford stopped in to see the Bel Air (MD) John Carroll standout in advance of his unofficial visit next weekend. Word we heard is that the Cavaliers are continuing to feel good about their chances though maybe not overwhelmingly so (which is the standard for this staff, to be honest). Having Quickley take the visit will be in and of itself a very, very good sign. He's pushed his way into the mix at the top of board at guard in a rather short amount of time, which speaks to his skill level as well as his potential fit. The Cavaliers have liked everything they've heard and seen so far in this one since things started picking up late in the summer.
Of note: Quickley won't be the only visitor next weekend, as UVa will be hosting 2017 commit Marco Anthony for his official.
Setting up the next two classes
Now, as to those young guys who visited, even though the Cavaliers had about a dozen prospects in town, sources say there were four on hand that UVa is focused on the most, at least as of now (with more evaluations still to come).
That group is made up of four-star DeMatha guard Justin Moore, four-star Trinity Episcopal forward Armando Bacot, intriguing 6-foot-11 center Qudus Wahab from Virginia Academy in Ashburn, and DeMatha center Hunter Dickinson.
Moore and Bacot are players we've discussed before. A 6-foot-3, 180-pound shooting guard, Moore is the No. 40 overall player in the class 2019 while the 6-foot-9 Bacot is a Richmond native who is No. 41 in the class. Moore has early offers from Xavier, Notre Dame, and ODU while Bacot has offers from UVa, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech, among others.
Wahab, or "Q" as he's called, isn't rated by Rivals yet but one look at his film and you understand why folks are intrigued about his potential. Lastly, Dickinson is the lone 2020 prospect of this foursome but he's already got the size that will attract a great deal of attention.
We expect UVa to go to work on evaluating a number of younger guys as the 2018 class continues to take shape later this year and into next spring but already, the two classes that follow are setting up nicely.
That is it for this week, and as always, what's said here, stays here!
As always, what's said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let's go!
Big visit weekend on tap in Charlottesville
Going into the matchup this weekend against Pitt, Bronco Mendenhall and the Wahoos are looking to go 2-0 in ACC play but perhaps just as important will be the four official visitors and the roughly three dozen recruits on unofficials that the program will have in town.
Of the four official visitors, two are committed players who are planning to enroll next semester: Three-star cornerback and Cavalier legacy Germane Crowell as well as three-star Lake Braddock speed back Lamont Atkins. It's obviously always good to have guys in town who are as dedicated to the program as these two are and that could be a part of the weekend's storyline considering the other prospects UVa will be hosting.
Of the other two on official visits, the first is three-star big back Jamari Peacock. The 6-foot, 230-pound Yulee (FL) native has been a heavy Virginia lean for months and we have every expectation that he'll also be enrolling early next semester in Charlottesville. The last time Peacock went on the record, he said he wasn't planning to make his decision public until later in the fall/early winter. At this point, we'd advise folks to be very, very optimistic about the Hoos having him in 2017.
The other prospect who will be on his official visit is four-star linebacker Levani Damuni. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound backer from Millville (UT) Northridge is a player we've covered in the past. His pre-existing relationship with Mendenhall's staff dating back to their days at BYU and his search for a future home centers on a number of factors, including academics. Clearly, this is a huge opportunity for the staff to reel in a player at a position of need and one, much like with recent three-star offensive tackle commit Ryan Nelson, that they have a lot of history with. The hardest part has always been trying to get Damuni to leave Utah, as both the Utes and Cougars are seen as potential/likely landing places. It'll be interesting to see how things shake out following his official visit.
Outside of those four official visitors, the Cavaliers are also expecting to host a number of unofficial visitors. That included a number of committed players like DT Mandy Alonso, safety Joey Blount, DL Tommy Christ, offensive lineman Tyler Fannin, offensive lineman Chris Glaser, and wide receiver Darnell Pratt.
The biggest unofficial visitor without question will be four-star Rivals250 offensive lineman Mekhi Becton. The 6-foot-7, 300-pound Highland Springs tackle is looking to take an official to UVa down the road but this is a great opportunity to have him surrounded by a host of committed players and guys who are weighing things just like he is. We can't overstate the job that Garett Tujague has done in this recruitment, as we believe the Wahoos hold a substantial edge. This weekend, they can build on that lead and make the Richmond native feel even more at home in the school that offers him both early playing time as well as an option that isn't too far away.
In addition, Virginia will also be hosting several other uncommitted 2017 prospects this weekend including Cole Kirby, Darius Wise, and Zane Zandier.
Kirby, a 6-foot-3, 294-pound lineman from Franklin (KY) Franklin-Simpson could be making his decision soon. To this point, UVa remains his lone FBS offer and the Hoos have been pushing for some time. Wise, meanwhile, is an intriguing prospect from Beaver (PA) Beaver Area. At 5-foot-11, 173 pounds, he's got a versatile skillset that could fit in a host of places in UVa's offense. And then there's Zandier, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound linebacker from Jefferson Hills (PA) Thomas Jefferson. If you'll recall, he and his family visited back during training camp and at the time, it felt like West Virginia was the clear team to beat. Since then, though, the Cavaliers have emerged as the potential favorite with Penn State flirting with an offer and somewhat slowing down Zandier's process. It'll be interesting to see where this one goes following the visit this weekend because the tea leaves seem to be saying that the Wahoos could be adding him to the fold soon.
Of course, the 2017 prospects won't be alone. There will be more than 15 prospects from the 2018 class who will be in attendance, perhaps none bigger than three-star Hopewell running back Ronnie Walker. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound playmaker has already put together a nice offer list, with Duke, Vanderbilt, and the Hoos (who we see as the heavy favorites) already in line. Elsewhere among the junior visitors, UVa will also be expecting North Potomac (MD) dual-threat QB Doc Bonner, three-star Mechanisburg (PA) Cumberland Valley linebacker Charlie Katshir, and Wallingford (CT) punter John Tessitore, son of ESPN broadcaster Joe Tessitore.
Lastly, in the class of 2019, UVa will be playing host to several prospects including Dominion's Jimmy Christ (younger brother of Tommy) and Jalon Jones, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound quarterback from Henrico who you've already heard a lot about given his (really) early offer and who you'll continue to hear a lot about going forward.
New offers out in 2017
Lastly this week, let's check in on several new offers that the Cavaliers have sent out recently.
We'll start with four-star Rivals250 junior quarterback Justin Fields, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound dual-threat QB out of Kennesaw (GA) Harrison. He's got early offers from a number of quality options including Arizona, Duke, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, UNC, NC State, Penn State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
Virginia also went with a new offer on the defensive line in the class of 2018 this week when the Hoos became the latest to offer Tommy Togiai. That puts the Cavaliers in the mix with Boise State, BYU, Oregon, UCLA, Utah, and Washington for the 6-foot-3, 293-pound Rivals250 standout from Pocatello (ID) Highland.
The third offer we'll touch on this week went out to junior George Takacs, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound TE out of Naples (FL) Gulf Coast. He's already got early offers from Florida, Iowa State, Ole Miss, and NC State, among others. Check out his film here.
Lastly, UVa also offered three-star Florida wide receiver Damond Johnson this week. The 6-foot-1, 161 pounder has been committed to Duke since February but the Cavaliers have tossed their hat into the ring for the Pensacola (FL) West Florida Tech standout.
UVa makes a play for two key 2018 targets
As we transition to the hardwood, the program is on the cusp of the 2016-2017 season which means recruiting will start to really take a backseat soon. That is why it makes sense that the staff would have some visit opportunities this fall.
With the trip to Spain this summer, Tony Bennett and his staff weren't able to hold their annual Elite Camp in August. As we mentioned at the time, there was thought being given to planning a couple of visit weekends for young kids this fall with the goal of having them on Grounds to watch the team practice. Last weekend was the first of those weekends with the second coming down the road, likely next weekend.
Before we get to the younger prospects who visited and sort out what those recruitments might look like, we need to start with two highly-rated 2018s and discuss their visits: Four-star wing Musa Jallow and five-star point guard Immanuel Quickley.
Jallow, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound prospect from Bloomington (IN) Bloomington North, spent two days in Charlottesville earlier this week seeing the school, watching the team, and getting to know the coaches as he has had at recent visits to IU, Stanford, and Michigan State. Led by Ron Sanchez, many felt like UVa was a potential early landing spot for the No. 72 overall prospect in the Rivals150 for 2018 but for now, word is he's going to take this thing out a bit, perhaps (if not likely) into the spring. Given the background as well as how the visit went and his enthusiasm about returning, we'd call him a slight Virginia lean at this point.
Quickley, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound point guard and the No. 12 overall player in the class, will be in Charlottesville soon. On Thursday, UVa's Jason Williford stopped in to see the Bel Air (MD) John Carroll standout in advance of his unofficial visit next weekend. Word we heard is that the Cavaliers are continuing to feel good about their chances though maybe not overwhelmingly so (which is the standard for this staff, to be honest). Having Quickley take the visit will be in and of itself a very, very good sign. He's pushed his way into the mix at the top of board at guard in a rather short amount of time, which speaks to his skill level as well as his potential fit. The Cavaliers have liked everything they've heard and seen so far in this one since things started picking up late in the summer.
Of note: Quickley won't be the only visitor next weekend, as UVa will be hosting 2017 commit Marco Anthony for his official.
Setting up the next two classes
Now, as to those young guys who visited, even though the Cavaliers had about a dozen prospects in town, sources say there were four on hand that UVa is focused on the most, at least as of now (with more evaluations still to come).
That group is made up of four-star DeMatha guard Justin Moore, four-star Trinity Episcopal forward Armando Bacot, intriguing 6-foot-11 center Qudus Wahab from Virginia Academy in Ashburn, and DeMatha center Hunter Dickinson.
Moore and Bacot are players we've discussed before. A 6-foot-3, 180-pound shooting guard, Moore is the No. 40 overall player in the class 2019 while the 6-foot-9 Bacot is a Richmond native who is No. 41 in the class. Moore has early offers from Xavier, Notre Dame, and ODU while Bacot has offers from UVa, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech, among others.
Wahab, or "Q" as he's called, isn't rated by Rivals yet but one look at his film and you understand why folks are intrigued about his potential. Lastly, Dickinson is the lone 2020 prospect of this foursome but he's already got the size that will attract a great deal of attention.
We expect UVa to go to work on evaluating a number of younger guys as the 2018 class continues to take shape later this year and into next spring but already, the two classes that follow are setting up nicely.
That is it for this week, and as always, what's said here, stays here!
