The WAR ROOM is back and this edition is full of football and hoops recruiting scoop! On the gridiron, the Cavaliers will be returning to Scott Stadium for their second home game of the season and it will be their first opportunity to host an official visitor this season. We'll give you the background on where things stand with that big target and who else will be visiting. And we'll also give you some info on a handful of new offers that have gone out recently. On the hoops front, the Wahoos have been busy visiting recruits all around the country. We'll take a look at who some of them are, where UVa might be making some moves, and also give you the current lay of the land in addition to detailing a couple of new offers out in 2018 as well.
As always, what's said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let's go!
First official visitor of 2017 is headed for Charlottesville
Despite an 0-3 start to their 2016 season, Bronco Mendenhall and the Cavaliers return home this weekend and it'll be the first chance for the new staff to welcome an official visitor to town: Three-star offensive tackle Ryan Nelson. The 6-foot-6, 254 pounder from Buena Park (CA) is a big target for the Hoos for a variety of reasons. He's a player that has been a solid UVa lean for some time as well as the fact that he plays a position of need. Word we heard some time ago was that the staff felt very good about Nelson due in large part to his relationship with Garett Tujague from his days at BYU. The word is that they still feel good going into this trip, meaning we won't be surprised at all if Nelson decides to join up. We don't have a clear timeline in mind when we say that, though. So keep your expectations in check accordingly. We feel good about Virginia's chances.
Otherwise, it'll be a relatively small visitor list for this weekend, though several commits will be in the house. In addition to three-star ATH Germane Crowell and three-star RB P.K. Kier, Woodberry Forest will have a strong contingent at Scott Stadium that will include all three of UVa's 2017 commits from that program as well as a number of younger guys as well. Needless to say, it's important for Mendenhall and his staff to continue to recruit that program well and building early relationships with younger recruits is vital.
New offers out in 2017
UVa was busy this week with a handful of new offers going out in the class of 2017. After offering three-star offensive tackle Cole Clemens (6-foot-6, 300 pounds) , three-star defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, and Powder Springs (GA) offensive lineman Brady Scott last week, the Wahoos offered a few intriguing prospects in the past few days.
The first was a player who visited during the start of fall camp and that's Charles Snowden, a 6-foot-7, 200-pound outside linebacker from St. Albans in Washington, D.C. As you can see below, he's player with a lot of athleticism.
Another player to pick up an offer this week is Cole Kirby, a 6-foot-3, 294-pound two-way lineman from Franklin (KY) Franklin-Simpson. Word we've heard is that UVa likes him at nose tackle and he's likely to visit soon.
Lastly, on Thursday afternoon the Wahoos became the latest to offer Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro offensive tackle Jax Wacaser. The 6-foot-5, 255 pounder also has offers from Air Force, Army, Hawaii, Kansas, and UNLV, among others.
Adding even more depth to the 2018 board
As we transition to the hardwood, we thought it would be a good time to check back in on where things stand for the Cavaliers as they continue to add targets in the class of 2018 and toss out new offers.
A couple of weeks back, we broke down the three main position groups that UVa is targeting with its five spots in 2018 (point guards, wings, and bigs). At the time, we told you the staff would be out on the road over the course of the next few weeks and that's certainly been the case.
We'll start with new offers and the biggest might be to five-star standout Immanuel Quickley. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound point guard from Bel Air (MD) John Carroll is the No. 12 player in the Rivals150 for 2018 and has an offer list that's only going to see more additions in the coming weeks and months. Interestingly enough, when we inquired about the offer a source told us that UVa had long been interested but didn't think Quickley would reciprocate. But recently contact was made and he made it clear that he was very interested in the Hoos. While the staff was somewhat surprised, they immediately made a move. Many expect the Terps to be the odds-on favorite but Virginia suddenly feels very good about its potential in this one.
Another player who picked up an offer from the Cavaliers this week was four-star wing Khalid Moore, a 6-foot-6, 175 pounder from Queens (NY) Archbishop Molloy. With Ron Sanchez leading the way, the Wahoos are very interested in Moore, the No. 97 overall player in the 2018 class. Louisville followed suit on Thursday afternoon with an offer as well.
Though those are the only new offers, it's worth noting that Sanchez, Jason Williford, and Brad Soderberg have been all over the country over the past couple of weeks checking in on previously-offered guys as well as going to open gyms to see potential new targets. While Sanchez has been in the northeast, Williford has been working the mid-atlantic and southeast, spending a lot of time in Florida over the end of the week into the weekend. He got a chance to check in on guys like Orlando four-star wing Nassir Little (No. 54 overall), four-star forward Emmitt Williams at IMG Academy in Bradenton (No. 59 overall), four-star guard Luguentz Dort at Arlington Country Day (No. 47 overall), and four-star Oldsmar guard Elijah Weaver (No. 24 overall).
Soderberg, meanwhile, was planning to make a stop in to see four-star forward Joey Hauser this week. While most signs point to the Stevens Point (WI) standout, No. 34 overall in the Rivals150, landing at Wisconsin, the Cavaliers are lining up an official visit for later this fall. Word is the UVa assistant also got a chance to get out west to see guys like four-star Arizona native K.J. Hymes (No. 77 in the Rivals150 and four-star point guard Brandon Williams (No. 25 overall).
Bennett making his presence felt on the trail
One interesting tidbit that we got from one of our sources this week was a sort of new tool in the toolbox, so to speak, for the Virginia staff. In monitoring the situation for a while, the rumblings had been that the Cavaliers had some ground to make up with five-star point guard Darius Garland. But a visit by Tony Bennett this week seems to have moved the needle with the No. 13 overall player in the class. That's not to imply that the Tennessee native is about to come off the board or anything but it was interesting to see the reaction UVa's head coach now gets when he shows that personal interest. Perhaps in this class more than any other, his dogged interest in a player will likely pay big dividends. Keep an eye on how UVa uses his visits strategically going forward.
Bennett made a similar visit to Bloomington (IN) to check in on four-star wing Musa Jallow, No. 72 overall in the Rivals150. We continue to hear good things about UVa's position with the 6-foot-5, 200 pounder but the vibes about an early decision seem to have cooled a bit.
Now, before we leave this section we wanted to make clear that UVa isn't shying away from other point guard recruitments on the board, as the staff still remains very high on guys like four-star New Jersey native Jahvon Quinerly (No. 37 overall) and four-star Baltimore guard Prentiss Hubb (No. 33 overall). They still feel good about those two recruitments. The bottom line is that Bennett wants a great point guard and he's making a move on any that he finds in this class that fit his profile. It's on the recruits to make the call as to whether or not they're ready to be that guy.
Speaking of....
Deep class may take some time to take shape
As much as we think guys like four-star wing Brandon Slater (No. 44 in the Rivals150) and four-star Baltimore big man Jalen "Sticks" Smith (No. 22 overall) should be looked at as likely UVa leans, the word we heard over the last week to 10 days from Virginia sources is that the staff seems to be getting very few vibes about potential early commitments. In fact, we spoke with one source that said as much as Bennett might want one of the guys with an early offer to come on board (he's probably itching to get that first one same as fans on the message board are), that might not happen until after New Years. The offers you're seeing are not a product of any anxiety, though. That's just UVa doing its due diligence and going after guys that fit the what they are looking for in this class.
We don't make a point to lay this out as a means to calm any enthusiasm for what will likely be UVa's biggest class in program history. Rather, it's about monitoring expectations and passing along what we hear. We think it's possible at this point but not likely that the Cavaliers add a domino or two this fall but it's more likely that things first start coming into focus during the winter to early spring.
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!
First official visitor of 2017 is headed for Charlottesville
Despite an 0-3 start to their 2016 season, Bronco Mendenhall and the Cavaliers return home this weekend and it'll be the first chance for the new staff to welcome an official visitor to town: Three-star offensive tackle Ryan Nelson. The 6-foot-6, 254 pounder from Buena Park (CA) is a big target for the Hoos for a variety of reasons. He's a player that has been a solid UVa lean for some time as well as the fact that he plays a position of need. Word we heard some time ago was that the staff felt very good about Nelson due in large part to his relationship with Garett Tujague from his days at BYU. The word is that they still feel good going into this trip, meaning we won't be surprised at all if Nelson decides to join up. We don't have a clear timeline in mind when we say that, though. So keep your expectations in check accordingly. We feel good about Virginia's chances.
Otherwise, it'll be a relatively small visitor list for this weekend, though several commits will be in the house. In addition to three-star ATH Germane Crowell and three-star RB P.K. Kier, Woodberry Forest will have a strong contingent at Scott Stadium that will include all three of UVa's 2017 commits from that program as well as a number of younger guys as well. Needless to say, it's important for Mendenhall and his staff to continue to recruit that program well and building early relationships with younger recruits is vital.
New offers out in 2017
UVa was busy this week with a handful of new offers going out in the class of 2017. After offering three-star offensive tackle Cole Clemens (6-foot-6, 300 pounds) , three-star defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, and Powder Springs (GA) offensive lineman Brady Scott last week, the Wahoos offered a few intriguing prospects in the past few days.
The first was a player who visited during the start of fall camp and that's Charles Snowden, a 6-foot-7, 200-pound outside linebacker from St. Albans in Washington, D.C. As you can see below, he's player with a lot of athleticism.
Another player to pick up an offer this week is Cole Kirby, a 6-foot-3, 294-pound two-way lineman from Franklin (KY) Franklin-Simpson. Word we've heard is that UVa likes him at nose tackle and he's likely to visit soon.
Lastly, on Thursday afternoon the Wahoos became the latest to offer Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro offensive tackle Jax Wacaser. The 6-foot-5, 255 pounder also has offers from Air Force, Army, Hawaii, Kansas, and UNLV, among others.
Adding even more depth to the 2018 board
As we transition to the hardwood, we thought it would be a good time to check back in on where things stand for the Cavaliers as they continue to add targets in the class of 2018 and toss out new offers.
A couple of weeks back, we broke down the three main position groups that UVa is targeting with its five spots in 2018 (point guards, wings, and bigs). At the time, we told you the staff would be out on the road over the course of the next few weeks and that's certainly been the case.
We'll start with new offers and the biggest might be to five-star standout Immanuel Quickley. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound point guard from Bel Air (MD) John Carroll is the No. 12 player in the Rivals150 for 2018 and has an offer list that's only going to see more additions in the coming weeks and months. Interestingly enough, when we inquired about the offer a source told us that UVa had long been interested but didn't think Quickley would reciprocate. But recently contact was made and he made it clear that he was very interested in the Hoos. While the staff was somewhat surprised, they immediately made a move. Many expect the Terps to be the odds-on favorite but Virginia suddenly feels very good about its potential in this one.
Another player who picked up an offer from the Cavaliers this week was four-star wing Khalid Moore, a 6-foot-6, 175 pounder from Queens (NY) Archbishop Molloy. With Ron Sanchez leading the way, the Wahoos are very interested in Moore, the No. 97 overall player in the 2018 class. Louisville followed suit on Thursday afternoon with an offer as well.
Though those are the only new offers, it's worth noting that Sanchez, Jason Williford, and Brad Soderberg have been all over the country over the past couple of weeks checking in on previously-offered guys as well as going to open gyms to see potential new targets. While Sanchez has been in the northeast, Williford has been working the mid-atlantic and southeast, spending a lot of time in Florida over the end of the week into the weekend. He got a chance to check in on guys like Orlando four-star wing Nassir Little (No. 54 overall), four-star forward Emmitt Williams at IMG Academy in Bradenton (No. 59 overall), four-star guard Luguentz Dort at Arlington Country Day (No. 47 overall), and four-star Oldsmar guard Elijah Weaver (No. 24 overall).
Soderberg, meanwhile, was planning to make a stop in to see four-star forward Joey Hauser this week. While most signs point to the Stevens Point (WI) standout, No. 34 overall in the Rivals150, landing at Wisconsin, the Cavaliers are lining up an official visit for later this fall. Word is the UVa assistant also got a chance to get out west to see guys like four-star Arizona native K.J. Hymes (No. 77 in the Rivals150 and four-star point guard Brandon Williams (No. 25 overall).
Bennett making his presence felt on the trail
One interesting tidbit that we got from one of our sources this week was a sort of new tool in the toolbox, so to speak, for the Virginia staff. In monitoring the situation for a while, the rumblings had been that the Cavaliers had some ground to make up with five-star point guard Darius Garland. But a visit by Tony Bennett this week seems to have moved the needle with the No. 13 overall player in the class. That's not to imply that the Tennessee native is about to come off the board or anything but it was interesting to see the reaction UVa's head coach now gets when he shows that personal interest. Perhaps in this class more than any other, his dogged interest in a player will likely pay big dividends. Keep an eye on how UVa uses his visits strategically going forward.
Bennett made a similar visit to Bloomington (IN) to check in on four-star wing Musa Jallow, No. 72 overall in the Rivals150. We continue to hear good things about UVa's position with the 6-foot-5, 200 pounder but the vibes about an early decision seem to have cooled a bit.
Now, before we leave this section we wanted to make clear that UVa isn't shying away from other point guard recruitments on the board, as the staff still remains very high on guys like four-star New Jersey native Jahvon Quinerly (No. 37 overall) and four-star Baltimore guard Prentiss Hubb (No. 33 overall). They still feel good about those two recruitments. The bottom line is that Bennett wants a great point guard and he's making a move on any that he finds in this class that fit his profile. It's on the recruits to make the call as to whether or not they're ready to be that guy.
Speaking of....
Deep class may take some time to take shape
As much as we think guys like four-star wing Brandon Slater (No. 44 in the Rivals150) and four-star Baltimore big man Jalen "Sticks" Smith (No. 22 overall) should be looked at as likely UVa leans, the word we heard over the last week to 10 days from Virginia sources is that the staff seems to be getting very few vibes about potential early commitments. In fact, we spoke with one source that said as much as Bennett might want one of the guys with an early offer to come on board (he's probably itching to get that first one same as fans on the message board are), that might not happen until after New Years. The offers you're seeing are not a product of any anxiety, though. That's just UVa doing its due diligence and going after guys that fit the what they are looking for in this class.
We don't make a point to lay this out as a means to calm any enthusiasm for what will likely be UVa's biggest class in program history. Rather, it's about monitoring expectations and passing along what we hear. We think it's possible at this point but not likely that the Cavaliers add a domino or two this fall but it's more likely that things first start coming into focus during the winter to early spring.
That is it for this week, and as always, what's said here, stays here!
