The WAR ROOM is back and this quick-hitting edition is full of football recruiting scoop! The Wahoos are back at home tomorrow afternoon, which given the team's start seems like a perfect opportunity to welcome a number of recruits to Scott Stadium. We'll get into that as well as break down where things stand with two key official visitors and then preview an upcoming official from another key target. Lastly, we'll also break down several new offers the staff has extended recently.
As always, what's said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let's go!
Official visits on the way
With the Wahoos off to a 3-1 start to the 2017 season, Bronco Mendenhall and his assistant coaches have a little juice working in their favor. That reality was the cause of a little headscratching over the past week among fans when the Cavaliers had a pair of commits (Bryce Ramer and Case Gatlin) part ways with UVa. As we've said on the board since, in each case it was not a situation where the players were looking for greener pastures. In truth, UVa decided it was in the best interest of everyone involved to be honest about their evals and where things stood.
What that means for the 2018 class is that two spots are now freed up and the staff might be able to fill them both this weekend when Virginia hosts a pair of official visitors in Converse (TX) Judson teammates Darren Brown and Chris Mills. As we profiled earlier this week, the 6-foot-4 Brown looks like he's really, really interested in what defensive line coach Vic So'oto and the Wahoos are all about. Though we haven't been able to catch up with Mills, the 6-foot, 185-pound three-star cornerback would also seem like a great fit in terms of what UVa is looking to do. And getting them both on Grounds for their OVs at the same time is quite a play by the staff.
All told, we will not be the least surprised if Mills and especially Brown come off the board for UVa regardless of what happens on the field this weekend. Sure, a win would help a great deal but in talking to Brown earlier this week, it didn't take too much of a leap to think maybe the writing was on the wall. Then again, this is recruiting and anything is always possible. As always, we'll keep you updated on what we hear.
And the other visitors expected? Yes, but...
Now, one thing you'll notice about this week's War Room is that there isn't the typical breakdown of names of those who will be visiting. That's not usually how it works but truth be told, this was a specific request by a specific source. We are well aware of the names of the players UVa is expecting to host (though the names we got our hands on did not include three-star QB commit Wyatt Rector, who said on Twitter yesterday that he'd be in Charlottesville this weekend). Unfortunately, though, when a source this good asks you to wait until Saturday morning to drop the names, you wait.
So, why the request? Well, we can only speculate at this point but we'd have to guess it's because there's something in there that's being held close to the vest. In addition, we feel comfortable passing along that the more than 40 expected visitors include a number of quality targets in 2018 as well as younger kids in 2019, 2020, and 2021. In addition, we feel like it's alright to say that the Cavaliers are expecting to host a number of players from important high schools in and around the DMV.
Check the board early tomorrow morning to see how accurate our initial descriptions are of what is shaping up to be a pretty nice visitor list for the Duke game.
One other official visitor expected soon
While he's not scheduled to be in town until UVa plays host to Boston College in two weeks, the trip that three-star defensive lineman Jordan Redmond has in the works is another big one for the staff. At 6-foot-2, 287 pounds, the Kissimmee (FL) Osceola standout seems like a great fit for what Mendenhall and his staff are looking for from their "silverbacks." He's down to a final group that consists of Duke, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Mississippi State, NC State, Rutgers, Texas Tech, UVa, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin. Visits, though, will be huge. So'oto, who has been a revelation of sorts on the trail, has really helped the Cavaliers stay in the fight here and that's a big reason why Virginia is in line for an OV. There are also rumblings that the Sunshine State native is planning a similar trip to Blacksburg. At this point, the Hokies have home games remaining against Duke (October 28) and Pitt (November 18) that would seem to fit Redmond's schedule. There's also the very real possibility that he takes other trips as well and doesn't decide until closer to the traditional NSD rather than signing early.
For now, though, the Hoos are doing well in the trenches with two of their remaining targets in the 2018 class and this visit will be another sign of that development.
New offers out
Lastly, we'll touch on a few new offers that Mendenhall and his staff have sent out recently. Given that most of 2018 class is done, with roughly six spots left, it makes sense to start digging deeper into the following classes.
The first player we'll touch on that's been offered since our last edition is Maninoa Tufono, a four-star 2019 linebacker from Honolulu (HI) Punahou. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Rivals250 standout also has offers from Cal, Notre Dame, Oregon, Syracuse, USC, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington, and Washington State, among others.
Recently UVa also offered 2019 three-star defensive lineman Ben Smiley out of Indian River. The 6-foot-6, 255-pound Chesapeake native has several offers so far from Maryland, Missouri, ODU, Rutgers, Temple, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest, among others.
Last week, Virginia offered three-star 2019 wide receiver Drake London. To this point, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Moorpark (CA) standout also has early offers from Illinois, San Jose State, and Washington State.
Earlier this week, UVa became the second school to offer 2020 tight end Kevin Bauman. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Red Bank (NJ) Red Bank Catholic product also has an early offer from Rutgers. Given the way UVa has used its tight ends since Mendenhall's arrival, it'll be interesting to see how they address the position moving forward.
And yesterday, the Hoos became the latest team to offer four-star 2019 offensive lineman Enokk Vimahi. The 6-foot-5, 270 pounder from Kahuku (HI) is a member of the Rivals250 and a teammate of current UVa commit Samson Reed. Given what So'oto and the Cavaliers are trying to do in Hawaii, this offer makes a lot of sense. Thus far, BYU, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Utah have all offered as well.
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!
Official visits on the way
With the Wahoos off to a 3-1 start to the 2017 season, Bronco Mendenhall and his assistant coaches have a little juice working in their favor. That reality was the cause of a little headscratching over the past week among fans when the Cavaliers had a pair of commits (Bryce Ramer and Case Gatlin) part ways with UVa. As we've said on the board since, in each case it was not a situation where the players were looking for greener pastures. In truth, UVa decided it was in the best interest of everyone involved to be honest about their evals and where things stood.
What that means for the 2018 class is that two spots are now freed up and the staff might be able to fill them both this weekend when Virginia hosts a pair of official visitors in Converse (TX) Judson teammates Darren Brown and Chris Mills. As we profiled earlier this week, the 6-foot-4 Brown looks like he's really, really interested in what defensive line coach Vic So'oto and the Wahoos are all about. Though we haven't been able to catch up with Mills, the 6-foot, 185-pound three-star cornerback would also seem like a great fit in terms of what UVa is looking to do. And getting them both on Grounds for their OVs at the same time is quite a play by the staff.
All told, we will not be the least surprised if Mills and especially Brown come off the board for UVa regardless of what happens on the field this weekend. Sure, a win would help a great deal but in talking to Brown earlier this week, it didn't take too much of a leap to think maybe the writing was on the wall. Then again, this is recruiting and anything is always possible. As always, we'll keep you updated on what we hear.
And the other visitors expected? Yes, but...
Now, one thing you'll notice about this week's War Room is that there isn't the typical breakdown of names of those who will be visiting. That's not usually how it works but truth be told, this was a specific request by a specific source. We are well aware of the names of the players UVa is expecting to host (though the names we got our hands on did not include three-star QB commit Wyatt Rector, who said on Twitter yesterday that he'd be in Charlottesville this weekend). Unfortunately, though, when a source this good asks you to wait until Saturday morning to drop the names, you wait.
So, why the request? Well, we can only speculate at this point but we'd have to guess it's because there's something in there that's being held close to the vest. In addition, we feel comfortable passing along that the more than 40 expected visitors include a number of quality targets in 2018 as well as younger kids in 2019, 2020, and 2021. In addition, we feel like it's alright to say that the Cavaliers are expecting to host a number of players from important high schools in and around the DMV.
Check the board early tomorrow morning to see how accurate our initial descriptions are of what is shaping up to be a pretty nice visitor list for the Duke game.
One other official visitor expected soon
While he's not scheduled to be in town until UVa plays host to Boston College in two weeks, the trip that three-star defensive lineman Jordan Redmond has in the works is another big one for the staff. At 6-foot-2, 287 pounds, the Kissimmee (FL) Osceola standout seems like a great fit for what Mendenhall and his staff are looking for from their "silverbacks." He's down to a final group that consists of Duke, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Mississippi State, NC State, Rutgers, Texas Tech, UVa, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin. Visits, though, will be huge. So'oto, who has been a revelation of sorts on the trail, has really helped the Cavaliers stay in the fight here and that's a big reason why Virginia is in line for an OV. There are also rumblings that the Sunshine State native is planning a similar trip to Blacksburg. At this point, the Hokies have home games remaining against Duke (October 28) and Pitt (November 18) that would seem to fit Redmond's schedule. There's also the very real possibility that he takes other trips as well and doesn't decide until closer to the traditional NSD rather than signing early.
For now, though, the Hoos are doing well in the trenches with two of their remaining targets in the 2018 class and this visit will be another sign of that development.
New offers out
Lastly, we'll touch on a few new offers that Mendenhall and his staff have sent out recently. Given that most of 2018 class is done, with roughly six spots left, it makes sense to start digging deeper into the following classes.
The first player we'll touch on that's been offered since our last edition is Maninoa Tufono, a four-star 2019 linebacker from Honolulu (HI) Punahou. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Rivals250 standout also has offers from Cal, Notre Dame, Oregon, Syracuse, USC, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington, and Washington State, among others.
Recently UVa also offered 2019 three-star defensive lineman Ben Smiley out of Indian River. The 6-foot-6, 255-pound Chesapeake native has several offers so far from Maryland, Missouri, ODU, Rutgers, Temple, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest, among others.
Last week, Virginia offered three-star 2019 wide receiver Drake London. To this point, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Moorpark (CA) standout also has early offers from Illinois, San Jose State, and Washington State.
Earlier this week, UVa became the second school to offer 2020 tight end Kevin Bauman. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Red Bank (NJ) Red Bank Catholic product also has an early offer from Rutgers. Given the way UVa has used its tight ends since Mendenhall's arrival, it'll be interesting to see how they address the position moving forward.
And yesterday, the Hoos became the latest team to offer four-star 2019 offensive lineman Enokk Vimahi. The 6-foot-5, 270 pounder from Kahuku (HI) is a member of the Rivals250 and a teammate of current UVa commit Samson Reed. Given what So'oto and the Cavaliers are trying to do in Hawaii, this offer makes a lot of sense. Thus far, BYU, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Utah have all offered as well.
That is it for this week, and as always, what's said here, stays here!
