The WAR ROOM is back and this quick-hitting edition is full of football recruiting scoop! The first signing period begins on Wednesday so naturally UVa is looking to host an intriguing group of visitors starting today. As the final weekend gets underway, word is that the Cavaliers are expecting to entertain several prospects that they would not doubt love to add in 2020. We’ll dive into those as well as tell you about one commit who is taking an OV elsewhere before we give you the latest on a key offensive line target who is as of this writing expected to sign next week.
As always, what's said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let's go!
Official visitors give UVa a chance for quick additions
In addition to four commits expected on Grounds (three-star LB Sam Brady, three-star DT Jahmeer Carter, three-star WR Lavel Davis, and three-star OL Jestus Johnson) there are a few key prospects looking to take the visits this weekend that we want to focus on. Word we’ve heard is that there is a chance that more may come but for now, this is who we’ve been told UVa is expecting.
Let’s start with the most raw prospect of those expected to visit and that’s Su Agunloye, the 6-foot-6, 236-pound three-star defensive end from New York. Word is that he’s not likely to sign next week but if UVa is smart, the Hoos could certainly try to get him to change his mind about that. We’ve talked to a couple of sources that tend to think Greg Schiano and the new staff at Rutgers might be tough to beat here if they can really dig in. As of yet, we have not heard specifics as to how much that has happened. What seems clear, though, is that more trips are in the making. This is one we’ll have to wait and see on coming after the weekend but it definitely feels like a situation—much like UVa had with other prospects at this time last year—where the Hoos take a swing and if they miss they move on. Time will tell.
Moving on, let’s get to the first of two we think are very likely to end up with UVa and that’s Devin Chandler, the 6-foot-2, 175-pound receiver from Charlotte. He’s coming off a visit to Maryland last weekend and a mid-week trip to Wisconsin, which ended yesterday. Word we’ve heard is that confidence was high that the Cavaliers could make a move this weekend and end up being the choice. Given UVa’s situation at receiver, where one spot has opened up and possibly more could come, Chandler would make a lot of sense for Marques Hagans and the staff, who will also likely be looking for grad transfer help again this year. Don’t be surprised if a decision from Chandler comes pretty soon after his trip where would very much expect the Cavaliers to get the nod.
The second of the aforementioned two that we think UVa signs in 2020 is Elijah Gaines, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound three-star safety from Alexandria. Having been committed to Penn State since late September, Gaines recently opened it up and quickly set up the OV to Charlottesville. Very few sources we’ve heard from in the last week think he’ll land anywhere other than UVa. As of yet, we have not heard of any silent commit talk but it would make a lot of sense. For now, we’ll keep him squarely in the “likely” column and wait and see what the weekend brings.
Now, where things get even more interesting is with four-star Rivals250 defensive tackle and current South Carolina commit Alex Huntley. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Columbia native has been committed to the Gamecocks since June, so the fact that UVa is even in the conversation here is rather intriguing (and, frankly, somewhat surprising). If you had any doubt, the heavy lifting here is clearly being done by Vic So’oto. As with Jowon Briggs a year ago, So’oto has shown an ability to close the deal once he gets a big-time kid on Grounds. The trick, of course, is that UVa would not only need to flip Huntley but to keep him there through Wednesday. Our advice on this one is very, very timid optimism.
Next on the list, as Rivals.com’s Sam Spiegelman—a Louisiana guru if ever there was one—shared on the board this week, UVa is also expected to host four-star Rivals250 wide receiver Koy Moore. The 6-foot-1, 181-pound playmaker is obviously a talented kid and a prospect that the Hoos would love to have. The interest, we’re told, is real. In talking with sources this week, though, the situation seems a little muddy. One the one hand, it sounded very, very unlikely that Moore would be flippable. Granted, he’s taking a visit and that opens the door. But we though it best if people not get their hopes up. But then we heard elsewhere that LSU might be putting pressure on certain kids in its current class to wait to sign, in essence because the Tigers think they might get better fish on the line. So, if that’s true then why wouldn’t Moore and others look around? As we said above, time will tell.
Moving on, one that folks have been excited about is James Pogorelc, the 6-foot-8, 270-pound three-star offensive tackle from Chantilly. Pogorelc is one of two very sought-after targets for Garett Tujague and the Hoos have to be seen as one of the most likely destinations with Michigan (where he just visited) and Stanford (where he’ll visit in January) being the others. As of now, UVa’s position here is tough to get a firm read on. Most folks we talked to think he’s a slight-to-sizable Stanford lean, so getting an OV before the Cardinal is inherently problematic. That being said, UVa has a shot to go in and convince him to stay home and possibly do it with the dead period coming on Monday. Our best advice here, though, is to see what he says coming out of the trip and then to see if Virginia can get him to sign early. If not, that excitement will understandably dissipate quickly.
Lastly, there is some *very* good news likely coming in the next couple hours and that's all I can say about that.
One other official visitor to keep an eye on this weeknd
“Decommit Season,” as some recruiting analysts refer to December, gives and then it can also take away. While UVa is hoping to add to its 2020 class, the Hoos are also going to have to hope they can hold on to at least one commit taking a visit elsewhere and one commit who appears unlikely to sign with Virginia.
Donovan Johnson, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound three-star safety from Louisiana, is expected to take an OV to Arkansas this weekend to check out the Razorbacks. New HC Sam Pittman comes from UGa where he was the O-line coach but he’s been a popular name on the recruiting trail in the southeast for some time. The expectation is that he’ll do well in this element of the job. But of course Pittman is still putting together a staff, so how that all translates as of yet is weird to say the least. What’s really interesting in Johnson’s situation is that this isn’t a case where a committed guy is going along for the ride with teammates; several recruits from Helen Cox HS are taking visits this weekend but not to Arkansas, we’re told. And yet no one we talked to seems to be too worried about him flipping. In fact, after announcing this visit to Fayetteville, he also soon thereafter tweeted “Go Hoos.” To go along with that, he’s been as pro-UVa publicly as any recruit in the class. That’s not to say he won’t flip; it’s recruiting after all so literally anything short of aliens can happen. But our expectation is that this is a visit that doesn’t lead to anything dramatic. What’s the theme? Time will tell.
Whereas that one can be seen at “meh” news at best, the bad news is that four-star safety Bud Clark seems unlikely to sign with the Cavaliers next week. This is a rumor that we first heard about a few weeks back but couldn’t confirm. But it’s gotten so prevalent that not discussing it makes no sense. As of now, it looks like an admissions issue will end UVa’s chances here but since Clark hasn’t announced it publicly, we wait, maybe until NSD (the February one even, potentially) to know for sure. But as of now, we don’t expect him to be a part of the class and we’ll certainly let you know if that changes.
And the curious case of four-star OL Gentry
We’re going to close out this War Room with a quick note on four-star offensive lineman Andrew Gentry. The 6-foot-8, 305-pound Rivals250 prospect is seen by most as a lock to BYU. And that makes sense given his Mormon faith, his intent in taking a mission, his location, and his family history with the Cougars, where his brother is on the team.
Now, we’re not going to tell you to discount BYU in this race but we do think people are underselling the chances of him going elsewhere. Both UVa and Michigan have done a lot of work to try to make this one interesting and in the end, we wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case. The plan as of midweek was for Gentry to sign next Wednesday, meaning that should UVa (or Michigan, technically) miss out on him they can and would double down on Pogorelc and see what happens. Our read right now is that the Hoos, who were also in home this week along with the other two schools, have more of a shot with Gentry than most give them credit for. What they do with it over the next few days, though, will tell the tale. We would love to give you a prediction on this one, especially if we thought UVa was in a spot to be the odds-on favorite. As of yet, what we’ve heard hasn’t reached that bar. But the next few days should be particularly interesting as far as the Colorado prospect is concerned.
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 visitors give UVa a chance for quick additions
In addition to four commits expected on Grounds (three-star LB Sam Brady, three-star DT Jahmeer Carter, three-star WR Lavel Davis, and three-star OL Jestus Johnson) there are a few key prospects looking to take the visits this weekend that we want to focus on. Word we’ve heard is that there is a chance that more may come but for now, this is who we’ve been told UVa is expecting.
Let’s start with the most raw prospect of those expected to visit and that’s Su Agunloye, the 6-foot-6, 236-pound three-star defensive end from New York. Word is that he’s not likely to sign next week but if UVa is smart, the Hoos could certainly try to get him to change his mind about that. We’ve talked to a couple of sources that tend to think Greg Schiano and the new staff at Rutgers might be tough to beat here if they can really dig in. As of yet, we have not heard specifics as to how much that has happened. What seems clear, though, is that more trips are in the making. This is one we’ll have to wait and see on coming after the weekend but it definitely feels like a situation—much like UVa had with other prospects at this time last year—where the Hoos take a swing and if they miss they move on. Time will tell.
Moving on, let’s get to the first of two we think are very likely to end up with UVa and that’s Devin Chandler, the 6-foot-2, 175-pound receiver from Charlotte. He’s coming off a visit to Maryland last weekend and a mid-week trip to Wisconsin, which ended yesterday. Word we’ve heard is that confidence was high that the Cavaliers could make a move this weekend and end up being the choice. Given UVa’s situation at receiver, where one spot has opened up and possibly more could come, Chandler would make a lot of sense for Marques Hagans and the staff, who will also likely be looking for grad transfer help again this year. Don’t be surprised if a decision from Chandler comes pretty soon after his trip where would very much expect the Cavaliers to get the nod.
The second of the aforementioned two that we think UVa signs in 2020 is Elijah Gaines, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound three-star safety from Alexandria. Having been committed to Penn State since late September, Gaines recently opened it up and quickly set up the OV to Charlottesville. Very few sources we’ve heard from in the last week think he’ll land anywhere other than UVa. As of yet, we have not heard of any silent commit talk but it would make a lot of sense. For now, we’ll keep him squarely in the “likely” column and wait and see what the weekend brings.
Now, where things get even more interesting is with four-star Rivals250 defensive tackle and current South Carolina commit Alex Huntley. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Columbia native has been committed to the Gamecocks since June, so the fact that UVa is even in the conversation here is rather intriguing (and, frankly, somewhat surprising). If you had any doubt, the heavy lifting here is clearly being done by Vic So’oto. As with Jowon Briggs a year ago, So’oto has shown an ability to close the deal once he gets a big-time kid on Grounds. The trick, of course, is that UVa would not only need to flip Huntley but to keep him there through Wednesday. Our advice on this one is very, very timid optimism.
Next on the list, as Rivals.com’s Sam Spiegelman—a Louisiana guru if ever there was one—shared on the board this week, UVa is also expected to host four-star Rivals250 wide receiver Koy Moore. The 6-foot-1, 181-pound playmaker is obviously a talented kid and a prospect that the Hoos would love to have. The interest, we’re told, is real. In talking with sources this week, though, the situation seems a little muddy. One the one hand, it sounded very, very unlikely that Moore would be flippable. Granted, he’s taking a visit and that opens the door. But we though it best if people not get their hopes up. But then we heard elsewhere that LSU might be putting pressure on certain kids in its current class to wait to sign, in essence because the Tigers think they might get better fish on the line. So, if that’s true then why wouldn’t Moore and others look around? As we said above, time will tell.
Moving on, one that folks have been excited about is James Pogorelc, the 6-foot-8, 270-pound three-star offensive tackle from Chantilly. Pogorelc is one of two very sought-after targets for Garett Tujague and the Hoos have to be seen as one of the most likely destinations with Michigan (where he just visited) and Stanford (where he’ll visit in January) being the others. As of now, UVa’s position here is tough to get a firm read on. Most folks we talked to think he’s a slight-to-sizable Stanford lean, so getting an OV before the Cardinal is inherently problematic. That being said, UVa has a shot to go in and convince him to stay home and possibly do it with the dead period coming on Monday. Our best advice here, though, is to see what he says coming out of the trip and then to see if Virginia can get him to sign early. If not, that excitement will understandably dissipate quickly.
Lastly, there is some *very* good news likely coming in the next couple hours and that's all I can say about that.
One other official visitor to keep an eye on this weeknd
“Decommit Season,” as some recruiting analysts refer to December, gives and then it can also take away. While UVa is hoping to add to its 2020 class, the Hoos are also going to have to hope they can hold on to at least one commit taking a visit elsewhere and one commit who appears unlikely to sign with Virginia.
Donovan Johnson, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound three-star safety from Louisiana, is expected to take an OV to Arkansas this weekend to check out the Razorbacks. New HC Sam Pittman comes from UGa where he was the O-line coach but he’s been a popular name on the recruiting trail in the southeast for some time. The expectation is that he’ll do well in this element of the job. But of course Pittman is still putting together a staff, so how that all translates as of yet is weird to say the least. What’s really interesting in Johnson’s situation is that this isn’t a case where a committed guy is going along for the ride with teammates; several recruits from Helen Cox HS are taking visits this weekend but not to Arkansas, we’re told. And yet no one we talked to seems to be too worried about him flipping. In fact, after announcing this visit to Fayetteville, he also soon thereafter tweeted “Go Hoos.” To go along with that, he’s been as pro-UVa publicly as any recruit in the class. That’s not to say he won’t flip; it’s recruiting after all so literally anything short of aliens can happen. But our expectation is that this is a visit that doesn’t lead to anything dramatic. What’s the theme? Time will tell.
Whereas that one can be seen at “meh” news at best, the bad news is that four-star safety Bud Clark seems unlikely to sign with the Cavaliers next week. This is a rumor that we first heard about a few weeks back but couldn’t confirm. But it’s gotten so prevalent that not discussing it makes no sense. As of now, it looks like an admissions issue will end UVa’s chances here but since Clark hasn’t announced it publicly, we wait, maybe until NSD (the February one even, potentially) to know for sure. But as of now, we don’t expect him to be a part of the class and we’ll certainly let you know if that changes.
And the curious case of four-star OL Gentry
We’re going to close out this War Room with a quick note on four-star offensive lineman Andrew Gentry. The 6-foot-8, 305-pound Rivals250 prospect is seen by most as a lock to BYU. And that makes sense given his Mormon faith, his intent in taking a mission, his location, and his family history with the Cougars, where his brother is on the team.
Now, we’re not going to tell you to discount BYU in this race but we do think people are underselling the chances of him going elsewhere. Both UVa and Michigan have done a lot of work to try to make this one interesting and in the end, we wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case. The plan as of midweek was for Gentry to sign next Wednesday, meaning that should UVa (or Michigan, technically) miss out on him they can and would double down on Pogorelc and see what happens. Our read right now is that the Hoos, who were also in home this week along with the other two schools, have more of a shot with Gentry than most give them credit for. What they do with it over the next few days, though, will tell the tale. We would love to give you a prediction on this one, especially if we thought UVa was in a spot to be the odds-on favorite. As of yet, what we’ve heard hasn’t reached that bar. But the next few days should be particularly interesting as far as the Colorado prospect is concerned.
That is it for this week, and as always, what's said here, stays here!
