The WAR ROOM is back and this edition is full of football recruiting scoop! The Cavaliers are planning another recruiting event for this weekend, meaning there will be a host of recruits on Grounds for tomorrow afternoon's basketball games. We'll go position by position to break down some of the names and storylines of those who are expected before we dive back into another list of recent offerees as Virginia digs deeper into the 2018 class.
As always, what's said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let's go!
Pushing forward with 2018 targets
Last Friday afternoon, we dropped another laundry list of new offers and we'll get to those that have gone out since. But what it says to us that Bronco Mendenhall and his staff have continued to be so aggressive with offers harkens back to something he said during his NSD presser. Essentially, he doesn't waste time on kids they don't get traction on. In our view, the Cavaliers are jumping in with kids they like and if those recruits aren't reciprocating that interest, they're moving forward. It's a strategy borne out of necessity and pragmatism.
Thankfully for the Wahoos, the basketball schedule finally allows for a Saturday home game, which gives Mendenhall and his staff the opportunity to bring in football recruits for what is mainly a Junior Day event but will also include a number of underclassmen as well.
We thought his week we'd once again go position by position, this time focusing on visitors, recent offers, and important storylines as things move forward in the 2018 class.
Quarterback
Not that long ago, it appeared UVa had three main targets at QB but since then, Brennan Armstrong has committed to Minnesota and Quincy Patterson has made an early decision in favor of Virginia Tech. That makes the pursuit of three-star Virginia Beach native Tyler DeSue all the more important. And we don't want to gloss over that considering his position, ability, and the high school program he's in. But the 6-foot, 199-pound signal caller has company at the top of UVa's board, namely from Wyatt Rector. And if you watch some film of the Leesburg (FL) standout, it will be somewhat reminiscent of another strong, athletic guy that Mendenhall has coached in the past. Maybe putting a Taysom Hill comparison on Rector is a tad heavy but regardless, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Sunshine State native is a player that Virginia is very high on for a reason. He seems like he'd be a natural fit.
Running back
We've said before that UVa has a number of quality targets at running back but there's no question that Hopewell three-star Ronnie Walker is at the top of the list. The 5-foot-11, 190 pounder has been in Charlottesville twice in the last two weeks, making his potential addition all the more likely. If this was a Confidence Meter edition of the War Room, he'd be well over a 9 at this point. UVa is also expecting to host recently offered running back Demarkes Stradford this weekend, the 6-foot, 180-pound back out of Charlotte.
Wide receiver
Three-star Hayfield athlete Brian Cobbs, who could play a number of positions at the next level including wideout, has been a player that UVa has been on for some time. This weekend, he'll be back in Charlottesville. Given the interest he's been picking up, we think an early decision is unlikely but we certainly can't rule it out.
Offensive line
If there is a position this weekend that's going to see a lot of traffic, it's on the offensive line. We'll start with one of UVa's recent offers: Three-star Oscar Smith standout James Collins. Though the Hoos have a lots of targets on the OL, Collins is near the top of that list. His long-awaited visit to Charlottesville comes tomorrow and while we aren't predicting anything, we won't be surprised whatsoever if the 6-foot-5, 297-pound Chesapeake native becomes UVa's second commit in 2018. He's not in any rush but given his comments to us recently, he seems like a prime candidate. That being said, the Cavaliers have a lot of work to do on the line so it's a good sign that Devonte Gordon, Evan Gregory, and Aidan Rafferty have all been on Grounds recently. Collins will be joined this weekend by three-star Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep standout Justin Johnson. If we had to give a forecast, it would seem Penn State will be tough to beat for the 6-foot-7, 340 pounder but the fact that he's going to be in town tomorrow says a lot. Also visiting this weekend is Potomac guard Jesus Gibbs. The 6-foot-4, 250 pounder also has offers from ECU, NC State, ODU, Syracuse, and Wake Forest. Lastly, the other junior OT to know about who is visiting this weekend is Blake Zubovic, a 6-foot-6, 295-pound lineman from Belle Vernon (PA). It's been a few weeks since UVa offered, so the timing of this visit is good for the Hoos. Overall, given the number of offers Virginia has tossed out already on the O-line, there are going to be a lot of names and recruitments to track this spring and summer so do your best to become as acquainted as possible.
Tight end
Three-star Atlanta native John Fitzpatrick gave rave review to his recent visit to UVa and we'll be very surprised if he doesn't end up at UVa. The question, though, is when he might want to come to a place where he's ready to decide. It was clear to us in talking to him thereafter that the staff did a great job of selling him on his opportunities on and off the field. Much like with Walker, he sounds like a recruit who could commit soon but is saying things that a recruit says when they might not commit for a while. Typically, those types of recruitments end sooner than later. At this point, we also feel very confident here but without a clear timeframe in mind, it's going to be interesting to see how it plays out.
Defensive end/outside linebacker
Another spot where UVa has targeted a number of versatile options, the Hoos will host their lone 2018 commit this weekend in Noah Taylor. They'll also be bringing in Burtonsville (MD) Paint Branch three-star Durell Nchami too. At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, he projects to an OLB in UVa's system and already has offers from Maryland, ODU, Pitt, Syracuse, and Wake Forest as well.
Defensive tackle
A name that folks here are already familiar with, it's clear at this point that three-star Ridgely (MD) North Caroline NT target Ja'mion Franklin is going to have a pretty big recruitment. UVa was among the earliest offers for the 6-foot-3, 305 pounder but since then, he's added an offer from Georgia Tech, has a visit lined up this weekend to Clemson, and one down the road to Notre Dame. It's going to be a very, very busy spring and summer for him, as we expected. It'll be important that the staff finds a way to get him back on Grounds for a spring practice to make sure to keep pace in what appears to be a longer recruitment going forward.
Defensive back
Among the visitors expected this weekend, the one position that's on the level of OL in terms of depth is in the secondary where UVa is hosting a number of offered prospects. We'll start with Kohl Henke, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety from Chattanooga (TN) Boyd Buchanan. UVa, which offered a few weeks ago, remains the main school on his list at this point. Also at safety, the staff is expecting to host three-star Montvale (NJ) St. Joseph's standout Evan Stewart. The 6-foot-1, 190 pounder is one of UVa's top targets at his position and he's got early offers from UConn, Louisville, UNC, NC State, Northwestern, Pitt, Syracuse, and West Virginia, among others. At cornerback, the Wahoos are expecting to have DJ Crossen and Trey Morrison in town. Crossen, a three-star cornerback from Greensboro (NC) Dudley, checks in at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and also has offers from Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Vandy, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest, among others. Morrison, meanwhile, is a 5-foot-10, 175-pound three-star from Norcross (GA) Greater Atlanta Christian who also has early offers from ECU, Southern Miss, Wake Forest, and West Virginia, among others.
Athlete
As was mentioned in a recent story on the Dinwiddie native, UVa is going to host four-star Rivals250 standout K'Vaughan Pope this weekend. The 6-foot-2, 210 pounder is currently No. 105 in the Rivals250 and has the offer list to show for it. We don't want to count Virginia completely out but we haven't heard much on Pope to make us think that the chances of him eventually landing in Charlottesville are good. That being said, this is an important trip for a variety of reasons and it's good for UVa to get him into town.
Breaking down more new offers
As we said above, it's been another busy week when it comes to new offers. So, let's dive into the new names on the board:
The first was to Ollie Lane, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound tackle from Corryton (TN) Gibbs. And thus far, he's already built a nice offer list with Georgia Tech, Missouri, Northwestern, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vandy, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin among others, having thrown their hats in.
Virginia looked to Springfield (OH) to join a laundry list of schools that have offered four-star Rivals250 tight end Leonard Taylor. The versatile 6-foot-5, 240 pounder is No. 146 in the country and has offers from Cincinnati, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pitt, and Tennessee, among others.
The Cavaliers also offered three-star OG Jacob Isaia on his unofficial visit last weekend. A 6-foot-3, 260 pounder from Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman, we hope to catch up with him this weekend to discuss the visit and his recruitment. Thus far, he also has offers from BYU, Michigan State, and Nevada.
A little closer to home, Virginia also extended an offer this week to three-star linebacker Chance Campbell, a 6-foot-2, 225 pounder from Baltimore (MD) Calvert Hall. Early on, he's got offers from Army, Maryland, Pitt, and Yale.
Another highly-rated recruit that the Wahoos offered over the last week was four-star Rivals250 standout Dante Stills. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive end out of Fairmont (WV) Fairmont Senior is No. 189 nationally and the No. 9 player at his position in the 2018 class. It won't come as a surprise then that he's got offers from Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, UNC, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pitt, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia, among others.
Breaking from the crop of junior offers, UVa became the first school to offer an intriguing defensive end prospect out of Alabama named Mohamoud Diabate. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound 2019 prospect is from Auburn (AL) and figures to be one to watch going forward.
UVa stayed in the deep south and became the first school to offer Donaldsville (LA) athlete Jaylin Williams. The 6-foot-3, 182 pounder could play a variety of positions at the next level but word is UVa likes him at linebacker.
Virginia became the latest school to offer another southern athlete: Three-star Fort Myers (FL) Dunbar prospect Shocky Jacques-Louis. The 6-foot, 170-pound playmaker also has offers from Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, UNC, South Carolina, UCF, and Wake Forest, among others.
Last night, the Cavaliers offered three-star Slidell (LA) Northshore safety Jeremiah McDonald. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound defensive back also has offers from Ole Miss and Vandy.
Also coming last night, Virginia became the first school to offer Kai Golden, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound defensive tackle out of Marana (AZ) Mountain View.
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!
Pushing forward with 2018 targets
Last Friday afternoon, we dropped another laundry list of new offers and we'll get to those that have gone out since. But what it says to us that Bronco Mendenhall and his staff have continued to be so aggressive with offers harkens back to something he said during his NSD presser. Essentially, he doesn't waste time on kids they don't get traction on. In our view, the Cavaliers are jumping in with kids they like and if those recruits aren't reciprocating that interest, they're moving forward. It's a strategy borne out of necessity and pragmatism.
Thankfully for the Wahoos, the basketball schedule finally allows for a Saturday home game, which gives Mendenhall and his staff the opportunity to bring in football recruits for what is mainly a Junior Day event but will also include a number of underclassmen as well.
We thought his week we'd once again go position by position, this time focusing on visitors, recent offers, and important storylines as things move forward in the 2018 class.
Quarterback
Not that long ago, it appeared UVa had three main targets at QB but since then, Brennan Armstrong has committed to Minnesota and Quincy Patterson has made an early decision in favor of Virginia Tech. That makes the pursuit of three-star Virginia Beach native Tyler DeSue all the more important. And we don't want to gloss over that considering his position, ability, and the high school program he's in. But the 6-foot, 199-pound signal caller has company at the top of UVa's board, namely from Wyatt Rector. And if you watch some film of the Leesburg (FL) standout, it will be somewhat reminiscent of another strong, athletic guy that Mendenhall has coached in the past. Maybe putting a Taysom Hill comparison on Rector is a tad heavy but regardless, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Sunshine State native is a player that Virginia is very high on for a reason. He seems like he'd be a natural fit.
Running back
We've said before that UVa has a number of quality targets at running back but there's no question that Hopewell three-star Ronnie Walker is at the top of the list. The 5-foot-11, 190 pounder has been in Charlottesville twice in the last two weeks, making his potential addition all the more likely. If this was a Confidence Meter edition of the War Room, he'd be well over a 9 at this point. UVa is also expecting to host recently offered running back Demarkes Stradford this weekend, the 6-foot, 180-pound back out of Charlotte.
Wide receiver
Three-star Hayfield athlete Brian Cobbs, who could play a number of positions at the next level including wideout, has been a player that UVa has been on for some time. This weekend, he'll be back in Charlottesville. Given the interest he's been picking up, we think an early decision is unlikely but we certainly can't rule it out.
Offensive line
If there is a position this weekend that's going to see a lot of traffic, it's on the offensive line. We'll start with one of UVa's recent offers: Three-star Oscar Smith standout James Collins. Though the Hoos have a lots of targets on the OL, Collins is near the top of that list. His long-awaited visit to Charlottesville comes tomorrow and while we aren't predicting anything, we won't be surprised whatsoever if the 6-foot-5, 297-pound Chesapeake native becomes UVa's second commit in 2018. He's not in any rush but given his comments to us recently, he seems like a prime candidate. That being said, the Cavaliers have a lot of work to do on the line so it's a good sign that Devonte Gordon, Evan Gregory, and Aidan Rafferty have all been on Grounds recently. Collins will be joined this weekend by three-star Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep standout Justin Johnson. If we had to give a forecast, it would seem Penn State will be tough to beat for the 6-foot-7, 340 pounder but the fact that he's going to be in town tomorrow says a lot. Also visiting this weekend is Potomac guard Jesus Gibbs. The 6-foot-4, 250 pounder also has offers from ECU, NC State, ODU, Syracuse, and Wake Forest. Lastly, the other junior OT to know about who is visiting this weekend is Blake Zubovic, a 6-foot-6, 295-pound lineman from Belle Vernon (PA). It's been a few weeks since UVa offered, so the timing of this visit is good for the Hoos. Overall, given the number of offers Virginia has tossed out already on the O-line, there are going to be a lot of names and recruitments to track this spring and summer so do your best to become as acquainted as possible.
Tight end
Three-star Atlanta native John Fitzpatrick gave rave review to his recent visit to UVa and we'll be very surprised if he doesn't end up at UVa. The question, though, is when he might want to come to a place where he's ready to decide. It was clear to us in talking to him thereafter that the staff did a great job of selling him on his opportunities on and off the field. Much like with Walker, he sounds like a recruit who could commit soon but is saying things that a recruit says when they might not commit for a while. Typically, those types of recruitments end sooner than later. At this point, we also feel very confident here but without a clear timeframe in mind, it's going to be interesting to see how it plays out.
Defensive end/outside linebacker
Another spot where UVa has targeted a number of versatile options, the Hoos will host their lone 2018 commit this weekend in Noah Taylor. They'll also be bringing in Burtonsville (MD) Paint Branch three-star Durell Nchami too. At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, he projects to an OLB in UVa's system and already has offers from Maryland, ODU, Pitt, Syracuse, and Wake Forest as well.
Defensive tackle
A name that folks here are already familiar with, it's clear at this point that three-star Ridgely (MD) North Caroline NT target Ja'mion Franklin is going to have a pretty big recruitment. UVa was among the earliest offers for the 6-foot-3, 305 pounder but since then, he's added an offer from Georgia Tech, has a visit lined up this weekend to Clemson, and one down the road to Notre Dame. It's going to be a very, very busy spring and summer for him, as we expected. It'll be important that the staff finds a way to get him back on Grounds for a spring practice to make sure to keep pace in what appears to be a longer recruitment going forward.
Defensive back
Among the visitors expected this weekend, the one position that's on the level of OL in terms of depth is in the secondary where UVa is hosting a number of offered prospects. We'll start with Kohl Henke, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety from Chattanooga (TN) Boyd Buchanan. UVa, which offered a few weeks ago, remains the main school on his list at this point. Also at safety, the staff is expecting to host three-star Montvale (NJ) St. Joseph's standout Evan Stewart. The 6-foot-1, 190 pounder is one of UVa's top targets at his position and he's got early offers from UConn, Louisville, UNC, NC State, Northwestern, Pitt, Syracuse, and West Virginia, among others. At cornerback, the Wahoos are expecting to have DJ Crossen and Trey Morrison in town. Crossen, a three-star cornerback from Greensboro (NC) Dudley, checks in at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and also has offers from Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Vandy, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest, among others. Morrison, meanwhile, is a 5-foot-10, 175-pound three-star from Norcross (GA) Greater Atlanta Christian who also has early offers from ECU, Southern Miss, Wake Forest, and West Virginia, among others.
Athlete
As was mentioned in a recent story on the Dinwiddie native, UVa is going to host four-star Rivals250 standout K'Vaughan Pope this weekend. The 6-foot-2, 210 pounder is currently No. 105 in the Rivals250 and has the offer list to show for it. We don't want to count Virginia completely out but we haven't heard much on Pope to make us think that the chances of him eventually landing in Charlottesville are good. That being said, this is an important trip for a variety of reasons and it's good for UVa to get him into town.
Breaking down more new offers
As we said above, it's been another busy week when it comes to new offers. So, let's dive into the new names on the board:
The first was to Ollie Lane, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound tackle from Corryton (TN) Gibbs. And thus far, he's already built a nice offer list with Georgia Tech, Missouri, Northwestern, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vandy, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin among others, having thrown their hats in.
Virginia looked to Springfield (OH) to join a laundry list of schools that have offered four-star Rivals250 tight end Leonard Taylor. The versatile 6-foot-5, 240 pounder is No. 146 in the country and has offers from Cincinnati, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pitt, and Tennessee, among others.
The Cavaliers also offered three-star OG Jacob Isaia on his unofficial visit last weekend. A 6-foot-3, 260 pounder from Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman, we hope to catch up with him this weekend to discuss the visit and his recruitment. Thus far, he also has offers from BYU, Michigan State, and Nevada.
A little closer to home, Virginia also extended an offer this week to three-star linebacker Chance Campbell, a 6-foot-2, 225 pounder from Baltimore (MD) Calvert Hall. Early on, he's got offers from Army, Maryland, Pitt, and Yale.
Another highly-rated recruit that the Wahoos offered over the last week was four-star Rivals250 standout Dante Stills. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive end out of Fairmont (WV) Fairmont Senior is No. 189 nationally and the No. 9 player at his position in the 2018 class. It won't come as a surprise then that he's got offers from Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, UNC, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pitt, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia, among others.
Breaking from the crop of junior offers, UVa became the first school to offer an intriguing defensive end prospect out of Alabama named Mohamoud Diabate. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound 2019 prospect is from Auburn (AL) and figures to be one to watch going forward.
UVa stayed in the deep south and became the first school to offer Donaldsville (LA) athlete Jaylin Williams. The 6-foot-3, 182 pounder could play a variety of positions at the next level but word is UVa likes him at linebacker.
Virginia became the latest school to offer another southern athlete: Three-star Fort Myers (FL) Dunbar prospect Shocky Jacques-Louis. The 6-foot, 170-pound playmaker also has offers from Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, UNC, South Carolina, UCF, and Wake Forest, among others.
Last night, the Cavaliers offered three-star Slidell (LA) Northshore safety Jeremiah McDonald. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound defensive back also has offers from Ole Miss and Vandy.
Also coming last night, Virginia became the first school to offer Kai Golden, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound defensive tackle out of Marana (AZ) Mountain View.
That is it for this week, and as always, what's said here, stays here!
