The WAR ROOM is back and this edition is full of football recruiting scoop! As training camp begins today, it signals the end of summer in terms of recruiting. And with that comes the upcoming decisions of some of UVa's top targets as well as the potential for visits. So we'll go through the board in 2017, break down where things stand with each target, and give you our best snapshot of what UVa's chances look like as we barrel forward toward the fall.
As always, what's said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let's go!
Updating the 2017 board
A few weeks ago, we last took a look at where things stood on UVa's board in the class of 2017. As Bronco Mendenhall and his staff exit the summer, we thought it would be a good idea to touch on the various targets and give a look at where thing stands.
Right now, UVa has 17 commitments among high school seniors. In addition, the Cavaliers also have one 2016 signee, Darrious Bratton, who is taking a postgrad year but is planning to enroll when he's eligible. We've been thinking for some time that this class would top out around 21 or 22 and right now, we think the high end of that is most likely.
As we we've done previously, we've broken down each position group based on the top targets and the projected numbers. We also thought it would be an interesting tweak to add The Confidence Meter to this resetting of the board. For those who may need a quick refresher on how this works, we treat it as a snapshot of where UVa stands with the following values assigned to each recruit:
10 - It’s a lock.
9 - Very confident.
8 - UVa is the frontrunner.
7 - UVa is in very good position.
6 - UVa is definitely in the picture.
5 - UVa has some work to do.
2-4 - UVa is a longshot.
1 - Forget about it.
Quarterback (One projected, one committed):
As we've said in the past, with three-star Woodberry Forest signal caller Lindell Stone already in the fold, it continues to appear that QB recruiting in 2017 is wrapped up.
Offensive line (Six projected, four committed):
Mekhi Becton
Confidence Meter: 9.5
As we have been saying for quite some time, Becton is clearly the biggest target on UVa's board. The four-star Rivals250 standout announced a top 10 this past week of Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, UVa, and Virginia Tech. While the 6-foot-7, 300-pound tackle is clearly taking his time with his recruitment, the odds continue to point to the Cavaliers and that's obviously huge considering what the staff wants to do with this class and what they need on the line. We see the Highland Springs standout taking several official visits before ultimately making his decision. As we have said in the past: We really, really like UVa's chances.
Ryan Nelson
Confidence Meter: 9.9
As you can tell from our number above, we feel really good about UVa's chances with the 6-foot-6 tackle from Buena Park (CA). When we caught up with him recently, it was pretty clear to us that the Cavaliers were clearly in the driver's seat. He's planning to take his official visit to UVa next month and said he had no other plans for visits, thinking he might make a decision in late September. This is all good news for the Cavaliers.
Bryson Speas
Confidence Meter: 9.9
We included the three-star tackle from Greensboro (NC) for obvious reasons: Despite the fact that he's committed, schools haven't stopped recruiting him. It's important to note that Speas himself hasn't said anything to give us the impression he's planning to go elsewhere but the fact is that while he entertains other offers, there's a risk involved. At this point, the planned trip to Charlottesville for the cookout on August 20 cannot be understated. Don't be surprised if NC State and Virginia Tech try their best to get him to visit after but our gut says this thing gets shut down after the cookout one way or the other.
Tyran Hunt
Confidence Meter: 8.01
While we have been including the Southampton standout among the DL in past editions, we decided to move him to OL mainly because that seems to be the way UVa is now viewing him as well. Last month, the 6-foot-6, 270-pound lineman trimmed his list to Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Syracuse, UVa, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. He said he hoped to narrow it down again in early August before making his decision shortly thereafter. As we await that next cut, we have to warn you that the next cut may not happen and that the next announcement could be his commitment since that's something he told us was possible when we talked to him a few weeks ago. We see this as an in-state battle that will come down to the wire and if we had to lay money on it, we'd give UVa a very, very slight edge.
Running back (Three projected, two committed):
Jamari Peacock
Confidence Meter: 9.9
At this point, most folks here know Peacock's story well. Following a trip earlier this summer, Peacock said he wasn't going to say anything publicly about his commitment status ahead of a planned announcement in December prior to early enrollment. We'll continue to just call him a heavy, heavy UVa lean until there's any real reason not to.
Wide receiver (One projected):
Darnell Pratt
Confidence Meter: 8.5
Much like with Nelson, it definitely feels like UVa is the clear team to beat for Pratt. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound wideout from Good Counsel has connected well with the staff and though he's got some solid interest, offers haven't been rolling in just yet. That makes for a solid recipe when it comes to Virginia's chances. The only hiccup will be if his recruitment gets drawn out by potential new interest, and that's a very real possibility. Look for him to visit soon and if so for the Hoos try to close the deal.
Defensive end (Three projected, two committed):
Jordan Williams
Confidence Meter: 7.5
Over the last few months, we've talked a lot about the four-star Rivals250 standout from Virginia Beach and with his decision set to be announced tomorrow, we feel like it's highly unlikely that the Wahoos (a close second per our sources) are going to be able to beat out Clemson for his commitment. This is a recruitment that shows a lot about how the new staff can connect with an in-state guy, though. Yeah, that might sound a little Pollyanna-ish but losing a player to the Tigers right now should bring no shame.
Jacob Lichtenstein
Confidence Meter: 7.9
After UVa made the final six for the 6-foot-5, 235-pound defensive end, the Weston (FL) Cypress Bay standout visited Charlottesville several weeks ago and was truly blown away. He was also similarly blown away by a trip to USC the following weekend. At this point, we think this one comes down to those two with Cal being a somewhat distant third. Lichtenstein told CavsCorner that he was hoping he could make his college decision not long after his final visit. As we've reported in the past, the connection with former Virginia great Terry Kirby is certainly going to help the Wahoos in this one. While some have downplayed Virginia's chances following the USC visit, we think the Cavaliers still have a very good chance in this one.
Defensive tackle (Three projected, two committed):
Sammy Ochoa
Confidence Meter: 9.5
People are always telling us that we shouldn't be so conservative when it comes to our advice on prospects but normally, we resist that so as to never lead you guys into thinking something we can't back up with facts. Well, in the case of the three-star DT from Austin (TX) Lake Travis, we think it's warranted. In talking with the 6-foot-1 tackle, it was very clear that he loved his visit last week. We're tempted to go Fearless Prediction on this one but the distance and the fact that he's not ready to make his college decision temper that level of certainty. Those factors leave the door open for others to make a move but the Wahoos set the bar extremely high and we feel good about him eventually becoming a member of this class following his official visit. There is, of course, the potential that UVa could fill up at the position so that's worth watching when it comes to Ochoa and his timeline.
Axel Nyembwe
Confidence Meter: 7.8
Coming off his visit last week, we think it's safe to say that the 6-foot-2, 311 pounder from the Avalon School is warming up to UVa in a big way. The word we heard was the Duke was likely the team to beat going in but that its a dead heat right now. The unknown is how long Nyembwe wants to draw this out. That's something to watch over the course of the next few weeks.
Linebacker (Three projected, one committed):
Levani Damuni
Confidence Meter: 7
While Virginia remains in the hunt for the 6-foot-2, 225 pounder, staying closer to home and going to BYU or Utah seems like the most likely move. As the story that Rivals.com's Adam Gorney explained this week, though, an official visit to Virginia is still in play. If he takes that visit this fall, that gives the Cavaliers a real chance to show him what he could mean to the program down the road while working with a coaching staff that he has known for years.
Chris Pierce
Confidence Meter: 8.5
Though he's listed in the database as a wide receiver, the Smithfield native could be a fantastic option at linebacker for UVa. We've said previously that we had a good feeling about Virginia here and we continue to feel that way. The only remaining question in why the number wasn't higher here is due to the fact that Pierce hasn't signaled a clear timeframe on when he'd like to have a decision made.
Ellis Brooks
Confidence Meter: 7.5
After picking Duke in March, Brooks opened things back up in the early part of the summer. Ever since then, Virginia has been trying hard to work on the 6-foot-2, 240-pound four-star linebacker. Word is that the Benedictine star had a great visit to UVa last week. We've reached out several times to hear directly from him about it but for now, we think it's safe to say that the Cavaliers are squarely in the mix. At this point, though, we see this one being a marathon.
Zane Zandier
Confidence Meter: 7
The conventional wisdom for some time has been that West Virginia was the odds-on favorite to land the three-star linebacker from Jefferson Hills (PA) Thomas Jefferson. But UVa has been working the 6-foot-3, 200 pounder in hopes of getting him back on Grounds, possibly as early as this weekend. This will be one to watch over the next few weeks.
Defensive back (Four projected, four committed):
Jeremiah Owusu
Confidence Meter: 8.5
We continue to like UVa's chances with the three-star Bethel safety, who could also play linebacker for the Cavaliers were he to choose them. The 6-foot-2, 188 pounder brings a lot to the table, so it's a little curious that he hasn't gotten much in terms of new interest. Though he's added offers from Vanderbilt and Wake Forest, we still think he's a guy who could get a lot of interest this fall.
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!
Updating the 2017 board
A few weeks ago, we last took a look at where things stood on UVa's board in the class of 2017. As Bronco Mendenhall and his staff exit the summer, we thought it would be a good idea to touch on the various targets and give a look at where thing stands.
Right now, UVa has 17 commitments among high school seniors. In addition, the Cavaliers also have one 2016 signee, Darrious Bratton, who is taking a postgrad year but is planning to enroll when he's eligible. We've been thinking for some time that this class would top out around 21 or 22 and right now, we think the high end of that is most likely.
As we we've done previously, we've broken down each position group based on the top targets and the projected numbers. We also thought it would be an interesting tweak to add The Confidence Meter to this resetting of the board. For those who may need a quick refresher on how this works, we treat it as a snapshot of where UVa stands with the following values assigned to each recruit:
10 - It’s a lock.
9 - Very confident.
8 - UVa is the frontrunner.
7 - UVa is in very good position.
6 - UVa is definitely in the picture.
5 - UVa has some work to do.
2-4 - UVa is a longshot.
1 - Forget about it.
Quarterback (One projected, one committed):
As we've said in the past, with three-star Woodberry Forest signal caller Lindell Stone already in the fold, it continues to appear that QB recruiting in 2017 is wrapped up.
Offensive line (Six projected, four committed):
Mekhi Becton
Confidence Meter: 9.5
As we have been saying for quite some time, Becton is clearly the biggest target on UVa's board. The four-star Rivals250 standout announced a top 10 this past week of Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, UVa, and Virginia Tech. While the 6-foot-7, 300-pound tackle is clearly taking his time with his recruitment, the odds continue to point to the Cavaliers and that's obviously huge considering what the staff wants to do with this class and what they need on the line. We see the Highland Springs standout taking several official visits before ultimately making his decision. As we have said in the past: We really, really like UVa's chances.
Ryan Nelson
Confidence Meter: 9.9
As you can tell from our number above, we feel really good about UVa's chances with the 6-foot-6 tackle from Buena Park (CA). When we caught up with him recently, it was pretty clear to us that the Cavaliers were clearly in the driver's seat. He's planning to take his official visit to UVa next month and said he had no other plans for visits, thinking he might make a decision in late September. This is all good news for the Cavaliers.
Bryson Speas
Confidence Meter: 9.9
We included the three-star tackle from Greensboro (NC) for obvious reasons: Despite the fact that he's committed, schools haven't stopped recruiting him. It's important to note that Speas himself hasn't said anything to give us the impression he's planning to go elsewhere but the fact is that while he entertains other offers, there's a risk involved. At this point, the planned trip to Charlottesville for the cookout on August 20 cannot be understated. Don't be surprised if NC State and Virginia Tech try their best to get him to visit after but our gut says this thing gets shut down after the cookout one way or the other.
Tyran Hunt
Confidence Meter: 8.01
While we have been including the Southampton standout among the DL in past editions, we decided to move him to OL mainly because that seems to be the way UVa is now viewing him as well. Last month, the 6-foot-6, 270-pound lineman trimmed his list to Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Syracuse, UVa, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. He said he hoped to narrow it down again in early August before making his decision shortly thereafter. As we await that next cut, we have to warn you that the next cut may not happen and that the next announcement could be his commitment since that's something he told us was possible when we talked to him a few weeks ago. We see this as an in-state battle that will come down to the wire and if we had to lay money on it, we'd give UVa a very, very slight edge.
Running back (Three projected, two committed):
Jamari Peacock
Confidence Meter: 9.9
At this point, most folks here know Peacock's story well. Following a trip earlier this summer, Peacock said he wasn't going to say anything publicly about his commitment status ahead of a planned announcement in December prior to early enrollment. We'll continue to just call him a heavy, heavy UVa lean until there's any real reason not to.
Wide receiver (One projected):
Darnell Pratt
Confidence Meter: 8.5
Much like with Nelson, it definitely feels like UVa is the clear team to beat for Pratt. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound wideout from Good Counsel has connected well with the staff and though he's got some solid interest, offers haven't been rolling in just yet. That makes for a solid recipe when it comes to Virginia's chances. The only hiccup will be if his recruitment gets drawn out by potential new interest, and that's a very real possibility. Look for him to visit soon and if so for the Hoos try to close the deal.
Defensive end (Three projected, two committed):
Jordan Williams
Confidence Meter: 7.5
Over the last few months, we've talked a lot about the four-star Rivals250 standout from Virginia Beach and with his decision set to be announced tomorrow, we feel like it's highly unlikely that the Wahoos (a close second per our sources) are going to be able to beat out Clemson for his commitment. This is a recruitment that shows a lot about how the new staff can connect with an in-state guy, though. Yeah, that might sound a little Pollyanna-ish but losing a player to the Tigers right now should bring no shame.
Jacob Lichtenstein
Confidence Meter: 7.9
After UVa made the final six for the 6-foot-5, 235-pound defensive end, the Weston (FL) Cypress Bay standout visited Charlottesville several weeks ago and was truly blown away. He was also similarly blown away by a trip to USC the following weekend. At this point, we think this one comes down to those two with Cal being a somewhat distant third. Lichtenstein told CavsCorner that he was hoping he could make his college decision not long after his final visit. As we've reported in the past, the connection with former Virginia great Terry Kirby is certainly going to help the Wahoos in this one. While some have downplayed Virginia's chances following the USC visit, we think the Cavaliers still have a very good chance in this one.
Defensive tackle (Three projected, two committed):
Sammy Ochoa
Confidence Meter: 9.5
People are always telling us that we shouldn't be so conservative when it comes to our advice on prospects but normally, we resist that so as to never lead you guys into thinking something we can't back up with facts. Well, in the case of the three-star DT from Austin (TX) Lake Travis, we think it's warranted. In talking with the 6-foot-1 tackle, it was very clear that he loved his visit last week. We're tempted to go Fearless Prediction on this one but the distance and the fact that he's not ready to make his college decision temper that level of certainty. Those factors leave the door open for others to make a move but the Wahoos set the bar extremely high and we feel good about him eventually becoming a member of this class following his official visit. There is, of course, the potential that UVa could fill up at the position so that's worth watching when it comes to Ochoa and his timeline.
Axel Nyembwe
Confidence Meter: 7.8
Coming off his visit last week, we think it's safe to say that the 6-foot-2, 311 pounder from the Avalon School is warming up to UVa in a big way. The word we heard was the Duke was likely the team to beat going in but that its a dead heat right now. The unknown is how long Nyembwe wants to draw this out. That's something to watch over the course of the next few weeks.
Linebacker (Three projected, one committed):
Levani Damuni
Confidence Meter: 7
While Virginia remains in the hunt for the 6-foot-2, 225 pounder, staying closer to home and going to BYU or Utah seems like the most likely move. As the story that Rivals.com's Adam Gorney explained this week, though, an official visit to Virginia is still in play. If he takes that visit this fall, that gives the Cavaliers a real chance to show him what he could mean to the program down the road while working with a coaching staff that he has known for years.
Chris Pierce
Confidence Meter: 8.5
Though he's listed in the database as a wide receiver, the Smithfield native could be a fantastic option at linebacker for UVa. We've said previously that we had a good feeling about Virginia here and we continue to feel that way. The only remaining question in why the number wasn't higher here is due to the fact that Pierce hasn't signaled a clear timeframe on when he'd like to have a decision made.
Ellis Brooks
Confidence Meter: 7.5
After picking Duke in March, Brooks opened things back up in the early part of the summer. Ever since then, Virginia has been trying hard to work on the 6-foot-2, 240-pound four-star linebacker. Word is that the Benedictine star had a great visit to UVa last week. We've reached out several times to hear directly from him about it but for now, we think it's safe to say that the Cavaliers are squarely in the mix. At this point, though, we see this one being a marathon.
Zane Zandier
Confidence Meter: 7
The conventional wisdom for some time has been that West Virginia was the odds-on favorite to land the three-star linebacker from Jefferson Hills (PA) Thomas Jefferson. But UVa has been working the 6-foot-3, 200 pounder in hopes of getting him back on Grounds, possibly as early as this weekend. This will be one to watch over the next few weeks.
Defensive back (Four projected, four committed):
Jeremiah Owusu
Confidence Meter: 8.5
We continue to like UVa's chances with the three-star Bethel safety, who could also play linebacker for the Cavaliers were he to choose them. The 6-foot-2, 188 pounder brings a lot to the table, so it's a little curious that he hasn't gotten much in terms of new interest. Though he's added offers from Vanderbilt and Wake Forest, we still think he's a guy who could get a lot of interest this fall.
That is it for this week, and as always, what's said here, stays here!
