The WAR ROOM is back and this edition is full of football recruiting scoop! The dead period is dead, visits are finally underway, and it’s going to be an interesting weekend in Charlottesville to say the least. We’ve got the intel on who will be in town and we’ll break down each situation heading into their respective trips. And we’ll also touch on a recent offer that could have big implications for 2022 class.
As always, what’s said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let’s go!
Official visits will give UVa a chance to put in work
As we outlined last Friday in this space, the Wahoos will have a solid start to the June spree of official visit weekends.
While originally it was going to be one commit in the house (three-star safety Will Hardy) we’ve confirmed via sources in the last 24 hours that UVa will also host a second Georgia defensive commit when three-star LB Stevie Bracey also takes his OV to Charlottesville this weekend, too.
Since our breakdown last week, sources have passed along two other visitors that UVa is expecting to host this weekend and both are skill position guys: Three-star receiver JD Dillon and three-star cornerback Ade Willie will be on Grounds starting today. A 6-foot-2, 175 pounder from Mississippi, it would be a bit of a surprise to see Dillon commit to the Cavaliers though the limited room at that position in this class is the kind of thing that can sometimes do wonders. We fully expect the Hoos to make him feel the love but for a Mississippi kid, it's going to be a tough pull be it soon or later. UVa is going to have to crush the visit to have a puncher's chance, in our view. Willie, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound IMG Academy standout who would seem like a hard get too at this point given his offer list (Colorado, Kansas State, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia among others). But, again, visits have a way of making an impact. So how things sort out for these two will be pretty interesting.
Last week when we talked about who all would be in town this weekend we also framed it against what the chances are of UVa getting early verbals this month. And right now, we’d have to say there’s a significant amount of uncertainty on both of the guys we led with last week.
Let’s start with RB Demond Claiborne, who is someone that has felt like a UVa lean for a while. But the tea leaves haven’t been as clear leading into the visit, so how the Cavaliers play this one this weekend will be really interesting. All signs of late have been that the Hoos intend to take just one back in 2022, at least as of now in a class that could run from 15 to maybe 18 signees. We could absolutely see a scenario where the King William native decides soon or at least that he wants to. But trips to Purdue and Vanderbilt later this month loom large.
Three-star Benedictine receiver Leon Haughton is in a similar spot as far as the work the Hoos need to do to close. The 6-foot-4, 198-pound Haughton is clearly a well-regarded prospect, given that he’s got offers from a nice list of schools and is now down to a top seven of Georgia, Maryland, Nebraska, Penn State, Pitt, UVa, and Virginia Tech. We mentioned the somewhat tight space in the class as a whole last week and how things sort out at receiver will be a big indicator of how deep it could go, especially given the number of guys UVa is currently planning to host.
As of right now, Haughton’s likelihood of being a member of Virginia’s 2022 class may well come down to the amount of momentum this weekend gives the Cavaliers. This feels like one of those where if the thing doesn’t happen relatively soon after the visit, it may not happen. But what other trips will he eventually take? That’s the big question for him right now.
The rest of the visitor list for this weekend includes a pair of linemen, one on either side of the ball. Rivals.com’s Josh Helmholdt caught up with three-star Eastlake (OH) OL Ryan Baer this week and as you can see, given that he took a trip out prior to the lifting of the dead period, he’s been pretty serious about UVa for some time. That being said, the work is clearly cut out for the Hoos going this early in the month and then Baer taking visits to Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee. If the Cavaliers are going to have some staying power here, the visit is obviously critical. For anyone who saw last weekend’s War Room, one of the big things that stands out is the number of visitors on the O-line. Given the small-ish number of spots (we’ve heard three or maybe four) relative to the number of serious targets, it’s going to be interesting to see how Garett Tujague plays it all.
On the D-line, meanwhile, is three-star Spring (TX) Westfield standout AJ Holmes. The 6-foot-2, 275 pounder is a talented player but, again, with a smaller class overall it’s hard to say how it all shakes out. What’s really interesting about Holmes is that UVa is currently his only OV. Is that an indicator of anything? In recruiting, it’s hard to overlook any detail.
The intriguing case of Davis Lane
After his time working out for Jason Beck the other day, three-star dual-threat quarterback Davis Lane added an offer from the Hoos.
We would be somewhat surprised if that’s an offer the Liberty Christian Academy standout doesn’t jump on soon.
In talking to sources the last day or so, it certainly feels like this is one that could wrap up sooner than later. Given as much movement as UVa has had on the board in 2022, very little of it seems to have been focused on signal callers. That could be a function of having to evaluate off film alone for so long, which is why Lane’s opportunity to workout with the coaches in person sealed his offer.
Do not be surprised if this weekend comes and the commit that pops isn’t one of the official visitors but rather an in-state signal caller.
Even if that’s not how it plays out over the next 72 hours or so, the fact that UVa is now in the mix for LCA’s quarterback certainly can’t hurt its recruitment of five-star Rivals100 OL Zach Rice, who is scheduled to be in Charlottesville next weekend.
That is it for this week, and as always, what’s said here, stays here!
Our thanks to MyPerfectFranchise for their support of CavsCorner:
Are you a displaced corporate executive or wanting to put your career in your own hands? Or are you an experienced entrepreneur wanting to diversify? Well, @Andy MyPerfectFranchise.Net can help! Having owned multiple franchises and businesses in his career, he uses his expertise to helps others find their American Dream through a very thorough and FREE consultation process. Call Andy, put your life and career in your own hands. It’s 100% free, so what do you have to lose?!!*
Call Andy at (404) 973-9901 today or email him: andy@myperfectfranchise.net
As always, what’s said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let’s go!
Official visits will give UVa a chance to put in work
As we outlined last Friday in this space, the Wahoos will have a solid start to the June spree of official visit weekends.
While originally it was going to be one commit in the house (three-star safety Will Hardy) we’ve confirmed via sources in the last 24 hours that UVa will also host a second Georgia defensive commit when three-star LB Stevie Bracey also takes his OV to Charlottesville this weekend, too.
Since our breakdown last week, sources have passed along two other visitors that UVa is expecting to host this weekend and both are skill position guys: Three-star receiver JD Dillon and three-star cornerback Ade Willie will be on Grounds starting today. A 6-foot-2, 175 pounder from Mississippi, it would be a bit of a surprise to see Dillon commit to the Cavaliers though the limited room at that position in this class is the kind of thing that can sometimes do wonders. We fully expect the Hoos to make him feel the love but for a Mississippi kid, it's going to be a tough pull be it soon or later. UVa is going to have to crush the visit to have a puncher's chance, in our view. Willie, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound IMG Academy standout who would seem like a hard get too at this point given his offer list (Colorado, Kansas State, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia among others). But, again, visits have a way of making an impact. So how things sort out for these two will be pretty interesting.
Last week when we talked about who all would be in town this weekend we also framed it against what the chances are of UVa getting early verbals this month. And right now, we’d have to say there’s a significant amount of uncertainty on both of the guys we led with last week.
Let’s start with RB Demond Claiborne, who is someone that has felt like a UVa lean for a while. But the tea leaves haven’t been as clear leading into the visit, so how the Cavaliers play this one this weekend will be really interesting. All signs of late have been that the Hoos intend to take just one back in 2022, at least as of now in a class that could run from 15 to maybe 18 signees. We could absolutely see a scenario where the King William native decides soon or at least that he wants to. But trips to Purdue and Vanderbilt later this month loom large.
Three-star Benedictine receiver Leon Haughton is in a similar spot as far as the work the Hoos need to do to close. The 6-foot-4, 198-pound Haughton is clearly a well-regarded prospect, given that he’s got offers from a nice list of schools and is now down to a top seven of Georgia, Maryland, Nebraska, Penn State, Pitt, UVa, and Virginia Tech. We mentioned the somewhat tight space in the class as a whole last week and how things sort out at receiver will be a big indicator of how deep it could go, especially given the number of guys UVa is currently planning to host.
As of right now, Haughton’s likelihood of being a member of Virginia’s 2022 class may well come down to the amount of momentum this weekend gives the Cavaliers. This feels like one of those where if the thing doesn’t happen relatively soon after the visit, it may not happen. But what other trips will he eventually take? That’s the big question for him right now.
The rest of the visitor list for this weekend includes a pair of linemen, one on either side of the ball. Rivals.com’s Josh Helmholdt caught up with three-star Eastlake (OH) OL Ryan Baer this week and as you can see, given that he took a trip out prior to the lifting of the dead period, he’s been pretty serious about UVa for some time. That being said, the work is clearly cut out for the Hoos going this early in the month and then Baer taking visits to Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee. If the Cavaliers are going to have some staying power here, the visit is obviously critical. For anyone who saw last weekend’s War Room, one of the big things that stands out is the number of visitors on the O-line. Given the small-ish number of spots (we’ve heard three or maybe four) relative to the number of serious targets, it’s going to be interesting to see how Garett Tujague plays it all.
On the D-line, meanwhile, is three-star Spring (TX) Westfield standout AJ Holmes. The 6-foot-2, 275 pounder is a talented player but, again, with a smaller class overall it’s hard to say how it all shakes out. What’s really interesting about Holmes is that UVa is currently his only OV. Is that an indicator of anything? In recruiting, it’s hard to overlook any detail.
The intriguing case of Davis Lane
After his time working out for Jason Beck the other day, three-star dual-threat quarterback Davis Lane added an offer from the Hoos.
We would be somewhat surprised if that’s an offer the Liberty Christian Academy standout doesn’t jump on soon.
In talking to sources the last day or so, it certainly feels like this is one that could wrap up sooner than later. Given as much movement as UVa has had on the board in 2022, very little of it seems to have been focused on signal callers. That could be a function of having to evaluate off film alone for so long, which is why Lane’s opportunity to workout with the coaches in person sealed his offer.
Do not be surprised if this weekend comes and the commit that pops isn’t one of the official visitors but rather an in-state signal caller.
Even if that’s not how it plays out over the next 72 hours or so, the fact that UVa is now in the mix for LCA’s quarterback certainly can’t hurt its recruitment of five-star Rivals100 OL Zach Rice, who is scheduled to be in Charlottesville next weekend.
That is it for this week, and as always, what’s said here, stays here!
Our thanks to MyPerfectFranchise for their support of CavsCorner:
Are you a displaced corporate executive or wanting to put your career in your own hands? Or are you an experienced entrepreneur wanting to diversify? Well, @Andy MyPerfectFranchise.Net can help! Having owned multiple franchises and businesses in his career, he uses his expertise to helps others find their American Dream through a very thorough and FREE consultation process. Call Andy, put your life and career in your own hands. It’s 100% free, so what do you have to lose?!!*
Call Andy at (404) 973-9901 today or email him: andy@myperfectfranchise.net
