The WAR ROOM is back and this edition is full of football recruiting scoop! With Signing Day having come and gone for the class of 2017, it's time to turn the page and break down where things are for the juniors who are about to embark in earnest into the recruiting process. We'll take a look at the top targets, those with offers who remain uncommitted, and give you a sense of where things stand position by position.
As always, what's said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let's go!
Looking at needs in 2018
The best way to begin to look ahead is to understand the types of needs UVa has and some of those won't become totally clear until after spring ball has wrapped up and coaches get a chance to see some of the younger guys in action. How much they have developed will go a long way toward informing how Bronco Mendenhall and his staff will address the board in 2018.
Quarterback
This season, Virginia will have one senior signal caller and it's pretty much a given the staff will look for at least one addition here. So far in 2018, UVa has offered three three-star QBs who have yet to commit: Brennan Armstrong, a 6-foot-1, 184 pounder out of Shelby (OH), Tyler DeSue, a 6-foot, 199 pounder out of Virginia Beach, and Quincy Patterson, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound dual-threat quarterback from Chicago (IL) Solorio Academy. Of that group, Armstrong has had the most good things to say about the Wahoos and he's someone we fully expect UVa to focus on. That UVa took a pro-style QB might make DeSue less of a critical target but the Cavaliers have stayed in that one even when it looked like he was set to decide. Thus far, Armstrong has offers from Iowa State, Minnesota, and UNC, among others. DeSue, meanwhile, has offers from Miami, NC State, and West Virginia. Patterson is the wildcard of this bunch. He's got offers from a number of Big 10 schools as well as some SEC and ACC, including NCSU, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech. Clearly the traction here is strong because the staff has been recruiting him hard. The next hurdle will be getting him in town for a visit.
Running back
UVa will have one senior at running back this fall but we think it's safe to assume the staff will look to add two more to the stellar 2017 haul. Virginia has offered several running backs in the 2018 class, the most notable of which is easily Ronnie Walker, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound back out of Hopewell. There might be higher-rated recruits on the board and perhaps running back isn't a huge need in this class but Walker might be the one kid we think UVa has to get. Why? For starters, the relationship between the two sides has already been built, so there's a great deal of energy that's already gone into his recruitment. UVa also could really use an in-state punch in this class and getting a kid from the 804 would certainly help. Oh, and he's really, really good. Elsewhere at running back, UVa has also offered Mychale Salahuddin. While there are a couple of longshot offers out in this class, the 5-foot-11, 190 pounder out of Washington (DC) H.D. Woodson is one to watch. He's already been offered by Arkansas, Kentucky, Maryland, NC State, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech, among others. Also, keep an eye on Realus George. In addition to having an incredible name, the 6-foot-1, 245-pound three-star fullback seems like a natural fit for UVa's BB position. He's also been offered by BC at this point and that group is likely to grow very quickly this spring. Another potential big back is David Bailey, a 6-foot-1, 227-pound prospect out of Ridgely (MD) North Carolina who also has an early offer from Syracuse.
Wide receiver
Given what Mendenhall said this week about his wish to have added one more talented athlete at receiver, it makes sense that this will be a position of interest in 2018 despite UVa losing only two seniors at that position. Of the half dozen or so offers out there right now, the guys who stand out the most in terms of UVa's chances are probably Jalen Smith, Tre Turner, and Anthony Schwartz. Smith, a 6-foot, 155-pound three-star out of Virginia Beach, is an early offer guy whose list is probably going to explode in the coming months. Turner, meanwhile, is a two-sport athlete who is a three-star receiver as well. The 6-foot-4, 185 pounder out of Greensboro (NC) Northwest Guilford has a host of offers from the likes of Duke, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Ole Miss, UNC, NC State, Penn State, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. Schwartz, meanwhile, is a recent offeree out of Plantation (FL) American Heritage that is also building a nice list. The 6-foot, 175 pounder has offers from Auburn, Florida, Miami, Mississippi State, Oregon, and Wisconsin, among others.
Offensive line
It's no surprise that of UVa's offered juniors, this group is easily the largest. We expect the staff, set to lose at least three there (if not more given the expected one-year transfer additions) to take at least five in this class, likely six. Nana Asiedu, a four-star Rivals250 tackle out of Stafford, is one of the top five players in the Commonwealth and certainly would be a huge addition aside from just being a 6-foot-6, 270-pound lineman. The competition here is incredibly stiff, though, as you can imagine. Justin Johnson, a 6-foot-7, 340-pound three-star tackle out of Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep Charter, is a target to keep an eye on. He's got early offers from BC, BYU, Missouri, Pitt, and Vanderbilt, among others. Another tackle to watch is an in-state lineman from Episcopal in Alexandria, three-star tackle Tola Banjoko. The 6-foot-5, 243 pounder also has offers from Georgia, NC State, and Vandy, among others. This week, UVa offered Michael Furtney, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound tackle from Milan (MI). He's got offers from Cincinnati, UConn, Fresno State, Kentucky, Minnesota, Syracuse, and Wisconsin, among others. On the interior, three-star guard Wyatt Blake out of Crystal Lake (IL) Crystal Lake Central is someone to watch, too. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound lineman is building a solid list, with offers thus far from Duke, Indiana, Missouri, Northwestern, Syracuse, and Vandy. This week, Virginia also offered four-star Lake Oswego (OR) tackle Dawson Jaramillo who also has early offers from Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington.
Tight end
UVa didn't sign a tight end in 2017 but the staff, which will lose one senior at that position this fall, has already offered several in 2018. The best of that bunch is four-star Rivals250 standout James Mitchell out of Big Stone Gap. The 6-foot-4, 210 pounder has offers from Clemson, Duke, Tennessee, Vandy, and Tech. Another TE with an offer is John Fitzpatrick, a 6-foot-6, 230 pounder out of Marist School in Atlanta. ISU, UMd, Pitt, and Rutgers have also offered at this point.
Defensive end
Given what UVa signed this week, we expect the Wahoos to try to find some ends in the 2018 class. The Hoos lose one at that position (plus a utility DL who has played end and nose) this fall but given the need for playmakers, we could see the target here be two or maybe even three. This group of targets is going to really grow over the spring as the talented players begin to match skill with maturation. Though he may be a two-star at this point, UVa really likes what it sees in Benedictine standout Chris Collins, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound end. He's a Top 25 player in the state and has early offers from Duke, Georgia, Michigan State, and Wake Forest, among others. One more to keep an eye on is Dennis Briggs, a 6-foot-3, 218-pound end out of Kissimmee (FL) Gateway. Indiana, ISU, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Pitt, and Vandy have also offered thus far.
Defensive tackle
The search for a nose tackle continues and if we had to bet, we'd say the Cavaliers have three targets square at the top of the board: Ja'Mion Franklin, Evan Gregory, and Jayde Pierre. Franklin, a prospect we've already profiled, loves what he's hearing from UVa and given our talk with him, it's hard to see anyone else as the odds-on favorite at this point. A 6-foot-3, 305-pound three-star tackle out of Ridgely (MD) North Caroline, he's got early offers from Rutgers and Syracuse but he'll get a lot of interest very, very soon. Gregory, meanwhile, is technically the higher rated of the two at this point and the four-star DT out of Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha is going to get a lot of looks. The 6-foot-4, 286 pounder also has early offers from Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse, and West Virginia. Lastly, Pierre is from Dominion in Sterling, the same HS as 2017 signee Tommy Christ. UVa is the first school to offer the 6-foot-2, 305 pounder.
Linebacker
UVa has to find a way to replace at least one of its projected starters next season and that's sometimes a good template for how the staff will dole out spots in the recruiting class. Malcolm Cook could look to apply for a sixth year as well, making the need here a little less important. Still, we could see Virginia looking to bring in three or four at this position in 2018 as the staff continues to try and bring in more talent to add to its lone 2018 commit, three-star LB Noah Taylor. While a guy like Teradja Mitchell, the 6-foot-3, 232-pound four-star Rivals250 standout from Bishop Sullivan, is a pipe dream, UVa has some solid targets on the board already. We'll start with another in-state backer: three-star Oscar Smith standout Keshon Artis. The 6-foot, 200-pound Chesapeake native also has early offers from Maryland and Tech. Another three-star linebacker to watch is Shayne Simon. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's Prep prospect has early offers from BC, UMd, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Stanford, and UCLA, among others. Two other linebackers to keep an eye on this spring are Justice Dingle and Payton Wilson. Dingle is a 6-foot-2, 225-pound four-star from Bowling Green (KY) who is currently No. 240 in the Rivals250. He's also got early offers from Kentucky, Louisville, and Tennessee. Wilson, meanwhile, is a three-star linebacker out of Hillsborough (NC) Orange County. The 6-foot-4, 220 pound has a slew of early offers, including Alabama, Duke, Georgia, Maryland, UNC, NC State, Penn State, and Virginia Tech, among others. Last night, the Cavaliers became the latest school to offer Dallas Grant, a 6-foot-3, 208-pound four-star backer out of Toledo (OH) St. John's. The Rivals250 prospect has early offers from BC, Cincinnati, Duke, ISU, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pitt, South Carolina, and UCLA, among others.
Defensive back
Given what UVa stands to graduate this fall (two CBs and a safety), the 2018 class doesn't have to be incredibly deep here but it must be solid. There are a lot of DBs in their first couple of years in the program so we'd expect the staff to look for three in this cycle. Virginia is in early on Noah Boykin, Evan Stewart, and Vincent Flythe. A 6-foot-2, 170-pound safety out of Woodson in DC, Boykin has early offers from ISU, UMd, Michigan State, North Carolina, and Pitt, among others. Stewart, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound three-star safety out of Montvale (NJ) St. Joseph's, has offers so far from UNC, NC State, Northwestern, and Syracuse among others. And Flythe, the lone corner among this trio, is a 6-foot-1, 175 pounder out of Woodson. He's also got offers from ISU and Maryland. The Wahoos also offered Bullis (MD) safety Bryson Shaw this week.
Athlete
Lastly, there are a number of prospects listed in our database as athletes that UVa is after. The Hoos have long been on Dinwiddie's K'Vaughan Pope, a four-star Rivals250 standout who is currently the No. 3 player in the state. The 6-foot-2, 210 pounder could play a variety of positions and he's got early offers from Clemson, Georgia, NC State, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. There are others worth tracking this spring, namely Trevon Moehrig-Woodard, Thomas Booker, and Brian Cobbs. Moehrig-Woodard, a three-star out of Spring Branch (TX) Smithson Valley, is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound prospect who also has early offers from Missouri, Stanford, and Vandy. Booker, meanwhile, is a four-star out of Gilman in Baltimore who is a Rivals250 prospect. The 6-foot-4, 245 pounder has offers from Clemson, Duke, Maryland, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others. Cobbs, though, is someone we expect the Hoos to make a real play for. The 6-foot-3, 195 pounder out of Hayfield in Alexandria is likely to have a big spring. UVa is in early along with only ODU. Also, UVa has recently offered NC State safety commit De'Von Graves, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound three-star from Appomattox who has been committed to the Wolfpack since last spring but may be back on the market at some point soon.
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!
Looking at needs in 2018
The best way to begin to look ahead is to understand the types of needs UVa has and some of those won't become totally clear until after spring ball has wrapped up and coaches get a chance to see some of the younger guys in action. How much they have developed will go a long way toward informing how Bronco Mendenhall and his staff will address the board in 2018.
Quarterback
This season, Virginia will have one senior signal caller and it's pretty much a given the staff will look for at least one addition here. So far in 2018, UVa has offered three three-star QBs who have yet to commit: Brennan Armstrong, a 6-foot-1, 184 pounder out of Shelby (OH), Tyler DeSue, a 6-foot, 199 pounder out of Virginia Beach, and Quincy Patterson, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound dual-threat quarterback from Chicago (IL) Solorio Academy. Of that group, Armstrong has had the most good things to say about the Wahoos and he's someone we fully expect UVa to focus on. That UVa took a pro-style QB might make DeSue less of a critical target but the Cavaliers have stayed in that one even when it looked like he was set to decide. Thus far, Armstrong has offers from Iowa State, Minnesota, and UNC, among others. DeSue, meanwhile, has offers from Miami, NC State, and West Virginia. Patterson is the wildcard of this bunch. He's got offers from a number of Big 10 schools as well as some SEC and ACC, including NCSU, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech. Clearly the traction here is strong because the staff has been recruiting him hard. The next hurdle will be getting him in town for a visit.
Running back
UVa will have one senior at running back this fall but we think it's safe to assume the staff will look to add two more to the stellar 2017 haul. Virginia has offered several running backs in the 2018 class, the most notable of which is easily Ronnie Walker, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound back out of Hopewell. There might be higher-rated recruits on the board and perhaps running back isn't a huge need in this class but Walker might be the one kid we think UVa has to get. Why? For starters, the relationship between the two sides has already been built, so there's a great deal of energy that's already gone into his recruitment. UVa also could really use an in-state punch in this class and getting a kid from the 804 would certainly help. Oh, and he's really, really good. Elsewhere at running back, UVa has also offered Mychale Salahuddin. While there are a couple of longshot offers out in this class, the 5-foot-11, 190 pounder out of Washington (DC) H.D. Woodson is one to watch. He's already been offered by Arkansas, Kentucky, Maryland, NC State, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech, among others. Also, keep an eye on Realus George. In addition to having an incredible name, the 6-foot-1, 245-pound three-star fullback seems like a natural fit for UVa's BB position. He's also been offered by BC at this point and that group is likely to grow very quickly this spring. Another potential big back is David Bailey, a 6-foot-1, 227-pound prospect out of Ridgely (MD) North Carolina who also has an early offer from Syracuse.
Wide receiver
Given what Mendenhall said this week about his wish to have added one more talented athlete at receiver, it makes sense that this will be a position of interest in 2018 despite UVa losing only two seniors at that position. Of the half dozen or so offers out there right now, the guys who stand out the most in terms of UVa's chances are probably Jalen Smith, Tre Turner, and Anthony Schwartz. Smith, a 6-foot, 155-pound three-star out of Virginia Beach, is an early offer guy whose list is probably going to explode in the coming months. Turner, meanwhile, is a two-sport athlete who is a three-star receiver as well. The 6-foot-4, 185 pounder out of Greensboro (NC) Northwest Guilford has a host of offers from the likes of Duke, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Ole Miss, UNC, NC State, Penn State, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. Schwartz, meanwhile, is a recent offeree out of Plantation (FL) American Heritage that is also building a nice list. The 6-foot, 175 pounder has offers from Auburn, Florida, Miami, Mississippi State, Oregon, and Wisconsin, among others.
Offensive line
It's no surprise that of UVa's offered juniors, this group is easily the largest. We expect the staff, set to lose at least three there (if not more given the expected one-year transfer additions) to take at least five in this class, likely six. Nana Asiedu, a four-star Rivals250 tackle out of Stafford, is one of the top five players in the Commonwealth and certainly would be a huge addition aside from just being a 6-foot-6, 270-pound lineman. The competition here is incredibly stiff, though, as you can imagine. Justin Johnson, a 6-foot-7, 340-pound three-star tackle out of Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep Charter, is a target to keep an eye on. He's got early offers from BC, BYU, Missouri, Pitt, and Vanderbilt, among others. Another tackle to watch is an in-state lineman from Episcopal in Alexandria, three-star tackle Tola Banjoko. The 6-foot-5, 243 pounder also has offers from Georgia, NC State, and Vandy, among others. This week, UVa offered Michael Furtney, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound tackle from Milan (MI). He's got offers from Cincinnati, UConn, Fresno State, Kentucky, Minnesota, Syracuse, and Wisconsin, among others. On the interior, three-star guard Wyatt Blake out of Crystal Lake (IL) Crystal Lake Central is someone to watch, too. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound lineman is building a solid list, with offers thus far from Duke, Indiana, Missouri, Northwestern, Syracuse, and Vandy. This week, Virginia also offered four-star Lake Oswego (OR) tackle Dawson Jaramillo who also has early offers from Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington.
Tight end
UVa didn't sign a tight end in 2017 but the staff, which will lose one senior at that position this fall, has already offered several in 2018. The best of that bunch is four-star Rivals250 standout James Mitchell out of Big Stone Gap. The 6-foot-4, 210 pounder has offers from Clemson, Duke, Tennessee, Vandy, and Tech. Another TE with an offer is John Fitzpatrick, a 6-foot-6, 230 pounder out of Marist School in Atlanta. ISU, UMd, Pitt, and Rutgers have also offered at this point.
Defensive end
Given what UVa signed this week, we expect the Wahoos to try to find some ends in the 2018 class. The Hoos lose one at that position (plus a utility DL who has played end and nose) this fall but given the need for playmakers, we could see the target here be two or maybe even three. This group of targets is going to really grow over the spring as the talented players begin to match skill with maturation. Though he may be a two-star at this point, UVa really likes what it sees in Benedictine standout Chris Collins, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound end. He's a Top 25 player in the state and has early offers from Duke, Georgia, Michigan State, and Wake Forest, among others. One more to keep an eye on is Dennis Briggs, a 6-foot-3, 218-pound end out of Kissimmee (FL) Gateway. Indiana, ISU, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Pitt, and Vandy have also offered thus far.
Defensive tackle
The search for a nose tackle continues and if we had to bet, we'd say the Cavaliers have three targets square at the top of the board: Ja'Mion Franklin, Evan Gregory, and Jayde Pierre. Franklin, a prospect we've already profiled, loves what he's hearing from UVa and given our talk with him, it's hard to see anyone else as the odds-on favorite at this point. A 6-foot-3, 305-pound three-star tackle out of Ridgely (MD) North Caroline, he's got early offers from Rutgers and Syracuse but he'll get a lot of interest very, very soon. Gregory, meanwhile, is technically the higher rated of the two at this point and the four-star DT out of Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha is going to get a lot of looks. The 6-foot-4, 286 pounder also has early offers from Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse, and West Virginia. Lastly, Pierre is from Dominion in Sterling, the same HS as 2017 signee Tommy Christ. UVa is the first school to offer the 6-foot-2, 305 pounder.
Linebacker
UVa has to find a way to replace at least one of its projected starters next season and that's sometimes a good template for how the staff will dole out spots in the recruiting class. Malcolm Cook could look to apply for a sixth year as well, making the need here a little less important. Still, we could see Virginia looking to bring in three or four at this position in 2018 as the staff continues to try and bring in more talent to add to its lone 2018 commit, three-star LB Noah Taylor. While a guy like Teradja Mitchell, the 6-foot-3, 232-pound four-star Rivals250 standout from Bishop Sullivan, is a pipe dream, UVa has some solid targets on the board already. We'll start with another in-state backer: three-star Oscar Smith standout Keshon Artis. The 6-foot, 200-pound Chesapeake native also has early offers from Maryland and Tech. Another three-star linebacker to watch is Shayne Simon. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's Prep prospect has early offers from BC, UMd, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Stanford, and UCLA, among others. Two other linebackers to keep an eye on this spring are Justice Dingle and Payton Wilson. Dingle is a 6-foot-2, 225-pound four-star from Bowling Green (KY) who is currently No. 240 in the Rivals250. He's also got early offers from Kentucky, Louisville, and Tennessee. Wilson, meanwhile, is a three-star linebacker out of Hillsborough (NC) Orange County. The 6-foot-4, 220 pound has a slew of early offers, including Alabama, Duke, Georgia, Maryland, UNC, NC State, Penn State, and Virginia Tech, among others. Last night, the Cavaliers became the latest school to offer Dallas Grant, a 6-foot-3, 208-pound four-star backer out of Toledo (OH) St. John's. The Rivals250 prospect has early offers from BC, Cincinnati, Duke, ISU, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pitt, South Carolina, and UCLA, among others.
Defensive back
Given what UVa stands to graduate this fall (two CBs and a safety), the 2018 class doesn't have to be incredibly deep here but it must be solid. There are a lot of DBs in their first couple of years in the program so we'd expect the staff to look for three in this cycle. Virginia is in early on Noah Boykin, Evan Stewart, and Vincent Flythe. A 6-foot-2, 170-pound safety out of Woodson in DC, Boykin has early offers from ISU, UMd, Michigan State, North Carolina, and Pitt, among others. Stewart, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound three-star safety out of Montvale (NJ) St. Joseph's, has offers so far from UNC, NC State, Northwestern, and Syracuse among others. And Flythe, the lone corner among this trio, is a 6-foot-1, 175 pounder out of Woodson. He's also got offers from ISU and Maryland. The Wahoos also offered Bullis (MD) safety Bryson Shaw this week.
Athlete
Lastly, there are a number of prospects listed in our database as athletes that UVa is after. The Hoos have long been on Dinwiddie's K'Vaughan Pope, a four-star Rivals250 standout who is currently the No. 3 player in the state. The 6-foot-2, 210 pounder could play a variety of positions and he's got early offers from Clemson, Georgia, NC State, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. There are others worth tracking this spring, namely Trevon Moehrig-Woodard, Thomas Booker, and Brian Cobbs. Moehrig-Woodard, a three-star out of Spring Branch (TX) Smithson Valley, is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound prospect who also has early offers from Missouri, Stanford, and Vandy. Booker, meanwhile, is a four-star out of Gilman in Baltimore who is a Rivals250 prospect. The 6-foot-4, 245 pounder has offers from Clemson, Duke, Maryland, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others. Cobbs, though, is someone we expect the Hoos to make a real play for. The 6-foot-3, 195 pounder out of Hayfield in Alexandria is likely to have a big spring. UVa is in early along with only ODU. Also, UVa has recently offered NC State safety commit De'Von Graves, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound three-star from Appomattox who has been committed to the Wolfpack since last spring but may be back on the market at some point soon.
That is it for this week, and as always, what's said here, stays here!
