The WAR ROOM is back and this edition is full of football recruiting scoop! With spring ball now in the rear view, recruiting gets the full focus of the staff heading into visit and camp season starting next month. This week, we'll revisit where things stand in the 2018, who the top targets are, and we'll walk you position by position through the board and gauge where UVa stands with players the Cavaliers are hoping to bring into the fold this cycle.
As always, what's said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let's go!
Revisiting the 2018
Though the Cavaliers didn't get the spring festival bounce that Bronco Mendenhall teased earlier in that week, the Wahoos are still in a pretty good spot as camp season approaches. With seven commitments in the class so far (plus the pending arrival of former signee Wayne Taulapapa following his Mormon mission), UVa is well on its way to signing the full class of roughly 25 that Mendenhall has explicitly said he wants. The added wrinkle this year will be the early signing period, as players will have a 72-hour period that begins on December 20. Though changes to the recruiting cycle that will allow players to take official visits beginning in April of their junior year doesn't go into effect until the 2019 class, the 2018 kids will be guinea pigs of sorts. How many will choose to sign early? What dynamics will that 72-hour period change? Will players be more or less apt to wait and see? And how will schools respond?
We mention that not only because of its recent approval but also too because perhaps more than most years, it's important that UVa's coaches have not only heavily evaluated in this class to this point but they're also 1) well positioned in terms of offers and 2) well positioned in terms of commits. Maybe more than most years, it's important to have as many "knowns" taken care of as things head to the fall and the pending early signing period.
So with that said, we thought this week we'd take some time to revisit the big board and, as is our custom, go position by position focusing on the important targets and storylines as things look right now.
Quarterback
The last time we ran through the position breakdown, you could have said UVa was reeling a bit after having lost of couple of early targets to commitments elsewhere. But there's no doubt the staff loves the pickup of three-star Florida signal caller Wyatt Rector. That would mean the Hoos are done at this position in this class.
Running back
As we mentioned above, Taulapapa is expected to enroll next summer, making him a de facto member of the 2018 class and meaning that the Cavaliers already have some hay in the barn at running back. But that doesn't change their pursuit of two key targets that we believe they're either in the lead for as of now or at the very top of the list. The first is Hopewell three-star Ronnie Walker. He's been to Charlottesville so much that it would be an extremely tough beat for UVa to lose out on him but the line of suitors is long and likely to get longer. He's also in no rush it would seem. Still, he's the guy at the top of the board. The other is Ridgely (MD) North Caroline three-star David Bailey. Though we haven't been able to get up with him yet for a full interview, there's no doubt the time spent on Grounds last weekend was important for the 6-foot-1, 220 pound big back. UVa has offered a lot of very good RBs in this class but these two are not only perfect fits in terms of needs but two players we think the Hoos should be in the very thick with if not the outright leaders. And we absolutely could see the staff taking two more in addition to Tualapapa if it's the right two.
Wide receiver
This position will be interesting to watch in 2018 in terms of numbers. UVa graduates two, lost a third to transfer, and another still hasn't been cleared for action following a concussion last fall. So, it's probably safe to think the staff will take three and perhaps even four. With Tavares Kelly in the fold, the Hoos have already added some dynamic playmaking ability and someone to help in the return game. Given our recent conversation with him, three-star Hayfield athlete Brian Cobbs certainly knows how well he fits what UVa wants and clearly the school itself fits him, too. At this point, we'd be surprised if he lands anywhere else. It also seems like the Hoos are in a relatively good spot for Baltimore native Ugo Obasi as well as Landstown's Joseph White, though he could play multiple positions. It's also worth keeping an eye on three-star Greensboro (NC) Dudley wideout Nigel Fitzgerald, who also recently picked up an offer from UVa, and Lilburn (GA) Parkview three-star Miles Marshall.
Offensive line
If there is a place that most see as THE position of need, it is and will likely continue to be the O-line (while surely there are some folks who are tired of how much we talk about it...). But with two good, solid commitments already in the fold, UVa is well on the way to the projected five additions in this class. We would call Virginia the runaway favorite to land three-star Oscar Smith standout James Collins. Though Penn State is lurking a bit, we would be floored if he doesn't end up with the Wahoos. Now, if we work from a place where UVa has Collins, Joe Bissinger, and Will Lawrence in the fold, then it would seem that the Cavaliers would have a bevy of very realistic options for those last two spots. They're very well positioned with guys like Blake Anderson, Calvin Atkeson, Tola Banjoko, Wyatt Campbell, Devonte Gordon, John Harris, Justin Johnson, Jordan McFadden, and Aidan Rafferty just to name a few. There's no position in 2018 that UVa has made more inroads on early than the offensive line and that could mean a significant turnaround for recruiting there going forward.
Tight end
It wasn't all that long ago that UVa seemed to be well positioned if not about to land three-star Atlanta native John FitzPatrick but in a theme that has shown itself several times in this class, players evaluated and offered early by UVa have picked up some big time offers down the road. And FitzPatrick is chief on the list after having been offered by Alabama this week. It's tough to see him landing in Charlottesville now, obviously, but there are still several quality TEs on the board including Big Stone Gap's James Mitchell and New Jersey native Matt Alaimo.
Defensive end
In a full class, we'd expect UVa to take three at this position if not four, which makes things a little murky given the targets on the board and where UVa stands. Word is that three-star Benedictine standout Chris Collins is set to announce his decision on Monday with Carolina poised as the potential pick. Four-star Rivals250 standout and Gilman School star Thomas Booker would be a perfect fit but that seems like a race the Cavaliers simply won't win, especially with a planned trip back to ND already on the books. Of the guys with offers, three-star NJ native Jayson Oweh could be an important target. This week, the staff offered Red Bank (NJ) Red Bank Catholic's Emmett McNamara and we won't be surprised if a lot more names are added to the board here over the course of camp season.
Defensive tackle
Most folks around here probably know the name at the top of the board at defensive tackle and it's going to be a much bigger dog fight for three-star Ridgely (MD) North Caroline NT target Ja'mion Franklin than we thought it would back in February following his first visit. The Cavaliers did a serious amount of good for themselves with Franklin last weekend and that's critical because he's going back to Notre Dame before his expected decision on July 1. Still, UVa has done some very solid work at DT, namely last weekend when the Hoos really impressed three-star D.C. native Cam Goode. In Ryan Bryce, Kai Golden, Jayde Pierre, and Austin Smith the Cavaliers have four more solid three-star targets at a position of need that might actually dwarf the need on the OL even given the limited number of spots you'd need to fill. Just as the staff did with OL targets, they flooded the zone with NTs and now are set up in a very good spot even if Franklin opts to head to South Bend.
Linebacker
We said above that UVa was really well positioned in this class on the offensive line and given the need-to-get ratio, we do believe that's true. But UVa's work at linebacker is just barely behind that. With three guys already in the fold, including the vastly underrated Javar Garrett, Mendenhall and Co. have much to work with here with a lot of solid targets on the board. Calvert Hall three-star Chance Campbell would make a lot of sense in this class and if the Hoos close out this group that way, it would be a monster look.
Defensive back
With Evan Stewart off the board this week to Boston College, that's one less target in the secondary that we would've told you UVa was in a good spot with. There's no doubting that Virginia leads for Tennessee safety Kohl Henke and the Hoos are also likely in the driver's seat for Patrick Henry's Kaleb Smith. At cornerback, they are in a good spot with three-star Jermaine Waller, teammates with linebacker commit Noah Taylor at the Avalon School. They're also in striking distance with three-star Norcross (GA) GAC standout Trey Morrison, though the field is tough.
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!
Revisiting the 2018
Though the Cavaliers didn't get the spring festival bounce that Bronco Mendenhall teased earlier in that week, the Wahoos are still in a pretty good spot as camp season approaches. With seven commitments in the class so far (plus the pending arrival of former signee Wayne Taulapapa following his Mormon mission), UVa is well on its way to signing the full class of roughly 25 that Mendenhall has explicitly said he wants. The added wrinkle this year will be the early signing period, as players will have a 72-hour period that begins on December 20. Though changes to the recruiting cycle that will allow players to take official visits beginning in April of their junior year doesn't go into effect until the 2019 class, the 2018 kids will be guinea pigs of sorts. How many will choose to sign early? What dynamics will that 72-hour period change? Will players be more or less apt to wait and see? And how will schools respond?
We mention that not only because of its recent approval but also too because perhaps more than most years, it's important that UVa's coaches have not only heavily evaluated in this class to this point but they're also 1) well positioned in terms of offers and 2) well positioned in terms of commits. Maybe more than most years, it's important to have as many "knowns" taken care of as things head to the fall and the pending early signing period.
So with that said, we thought this week we'd take some time to revisit the big board and, as is our custom, go position by position focusing on the important targets and storylines as things look right now.
Quarterback
The last time we ran through the position breakdown, you could have said UVa was reeling a bit after having lost of couple of early targets to commitments elsewhere. But there's no doubt the staff loves the pickup of three-star Florida signal caller Wyatt Rector. That would mean the Hoos are done at this position in this class.
Running back
As we mentioned above, Taulapapa is expected to enroll next summer, making him a de facto member of the 2018 class and meaning that the Cavaliers already have some hay in the barn at running back. But that doesn't change their pursuit of two key targets that we believe they're either in the lead for as of now or at the very top of the list. The first is Hopewell three-star Ronnie Walker. He's been to Charlottesville so much that it would be an extremely tough beat for UVa to lose out on him but the line of suitors is long and likely to get longer. He's also in no rush it would seem. Still, he's the guy at the top of the board. The other is Ridgely (MD) North Caroline three-star David Bailey. Though we haven't been able to get up with him yet for a full interview, there's no doubt the time spent on Grounds last weekend was important for the 6-foot-1, 220 pound big back. UVa has offered a lot of very good RBs in this class but these two are not only perfect fits in terms of needs but two players we think the Hoos should be in the very thick with if not the outright leaders. And we absolutely could see the staff taking two more in addition to Tualapapa if it's the right two.
Wide receiver
This position will be interesting to watch in 2018 in terms of numbers. UVa graduates two, lost a third to transfer, and another still hasn't been cleared for action following a concussion last fall. So, it's probably safe to think the staff will take three and perhaps even four. With Tavares Kelly in the fold, the Hoos have already added some dynamic playmaking ability and someone to help in the return game. Given our recent conversation with him, three-star Hayfield athlete Brian Cobbs certainly knows how well he fits what UVa wants and clearly the school itself fits him, too. At this point, we'd be surprised if he lands anywhere else. It also seems like the Hoos are in a relatively good spot for Baltimore native Ugo Obasi as well as Landstown's Joseph White, though he could play multiple positions. It's also worth keeping an eye on three-star Greensboro (NC) Dudley wideout Nigel Fitzgerald, who also recently picked up an offer from UVa, and Lilburn (GA) Parkview three-star Miles Marshall.
Offensive line
If there is a place that most see as THE position of need, it is and will likely continue to be the O-line (while surely there are some folks who are tired of how much we talk about it...). But with two good, solid commitments already in the fold, UVa is well on the way to the projected five additions in this class. We would call Virginia the runaway favorite to land three-star Oscar Smith standout James Collins. Though Penn State is lurking a bit, we would be floored if he doesn't end up with the Wahoos. Now, if we work from a place where UVa has Collins, Joe Bissinger, and Will Lawrence in the fold, then it would seem that the Cavaliers would have a bevy of very realistic options for those last two spots. They're very well positioned with guys like Blake Anderson, Calvin Atkeson, Tola Banjoko, Wyatt Campbell, Devonte Gordon, John Harris, Justin Johnson, Jordan McFadden, and Aidan Rafferty just to name a few. There's no position in 2018 that UVa has made more inroads on early than the offensive line and that could mean a significant turnaround for recruiting there going forward.
Tight end
It wasn't all that long ago that UVa seemed to be well positioned if not about to land three-star Atlanta native John FitzPatrick but in a theme that has shown itself several times in this class, players evaluated and offered early by UVa have picked up some big time offers down the road. And FitzPatrick is chief on the list after having been offered by Alabama this week. It's tough to see him landing in Charlottesville now, obviously, but there are still several quality TEs on the board including Big Stone Gap's James Mitchell and New Jersey native Matt Alaimo.
Defensive end
In a full class, we'd expect UVa to take three at this position if not four, which makes things a little murky given the targets on the board and where UVa stands. Word is that three-star Benedictine standout Chris Collins is set to announce his decision on Monday with Carolina poised as the potential pick. Four-star Rivals250 standout and Gilman School star Thomas Booker would be a perfect fit but that seems like a race the Cavaliers simply won't win, especially with a planned trip back to ND already on the books. Of the guys with offers, three-star NJ native Jayson Oweh could be an important target. This week, the staff offered Red Bank (NJ) Red Bank Catholic's Emmett McNamara and we won't be surprised if a lot more names are added to the board here over the course of camp season.
Defensive tackle
Most folks around here probably know the name at the top of the board at defensive tackle and it's going to be a much bigger dog fight for three-star Ridgely (MD) North Caroline NT target Ja'mion Franklin than we thought it would back in February following his first visit. The Cavaliers did a serious amount of good for themselves with Franklin last weekend and that's critical because he's going back to Notre Dame before his expected decision on July 1. Still, UVa has done some very solid work at DT, namely last weekend when the Hoos really impressed three-star D.C. native Cam Goode. In Ryan Bryce, Kai Golden, Jayde Pierre, and Austin Smith the Cavaliers have four more solid three-star targets at a position of need that might actually dwarf the need on the OL even given the limited number of spots you'd need to fill. Just as the staff did with OL targets, they flooded the zone with NTs and now are set up in a very good spot even if Franklin opts to head to South Bend.
Linebacker
We said above that UVa was really well positioned in this class on the offensive line and given the need-to-get ratio, we do believe that's true. But UVa's work at linebacker is just barely behind that. With three guys already in the fold, including the vastly underrated Javar Garrett, Mendenhall and Co. have much to work with here with a lot of solid targets on the board. Calvert Hall three-star Chance Campbell would make a lot of sense in this class and if the Hoos close out this group that way, it would be a monster look.
Defensive back
With Evan Stewart off the board this week to Boston College, that's one less target in the secondary that we would've told you UVa was in a good spot with. There's no doubting that Virginia leads for Tennessee safety Kohl Henke and the Hoos are also likely in the driver's seat for Patrick Henry's Kaleb Smith. At cornerback, they are in a good spot with three-star Jermaine Waller, teammates with linebacker commit Noah Taylor at the Avalon School. They're also in striking distance with three-star Norcross (GA) GAC standout Trey Morrison, though the field is tough.
That is it for this week, and as always, what's said here, stays here!
