It’s my favorite day of the year: National Signing Day! The day when high-school kids across the nation fax in their letters of intent to their dream schools. I fantasized of signing on the dotted line to play football at UVA or perhaps the University of Texas. But I realized that I threw way too many interceptions and actually had more concussions than I did touchdown passes.
There are several magazines out that cover nothing more than high school football recruiting, and while I do follow it I don’t consider a religion. I guess it might have something to do with the fact that all the 4-star and 5-star recruits don’t usually make their way to Charlottesville. (Besides, if you go back and look at that list from 10 years ago, most of the names on the Rivals Top-100 you have still never heard of.) But there is something magical about signing day.
Virginia fired Al Groh at the end of the season, but next-man-up Mike London was able to get every single one of Groh’s recruits to sign on the dotted line. London also added four recruits of his own at the last minute. The class that signed today is not loaded with much nationally-recognized star power, but sure has some gems.
I rate this signing class a 70 out of 100. We needed a few more linebackers, and a big-play wide-out/return guy. A couple of things pop out at me as I look down this list. 1. No guys from Pennsylvania or Ohio, two major hotbeds of high school football talent. 2. Not one guy from Northern Virginia and that’s quite unusual for the Hoos to only have two guys from Maryland, none from DC and none from NOVA. 3. Four QB’s signed! There is no chance they all stay at quarterback on this roster. Here is the complete list with some comments on several of them:
1- Morgan Moses OT 6-6 340 Richmond, VA. The big fella could have played anywhere in the USA. He is still waiting on grades and SAT scores, and is still enrolled at FUMA, but I cannot wait to see him in orange and blue. Thanks John Schuman. You can pencil him in a four-year starter on the offensive line.
2- Kevin Parks RB 5-8 185 Mount Ulla, NC. Lighting-fast tailback that broke all the records in the state of North Carolina. Never wavered on his commitment. Runs like he’s angry and has something to prove.
3- Michael Strauss QB 6-3 215 Miami, FL. He’s already on grounds and in school early. I like kids from Florida at the QB position. This was all London’s doing. His high school coach (Earl Sims) played for Groh’s first UVA team and we would love to open a pipeline to his HS.
4- Zach Swanson TE 6-6 225 Katy, TX. A last-minute pick-up from the great football state of Texas. Needs to get a little bigger, but you gotta love guys from football-crazy Texas.
5- Henry Coley LB 6-2 220 Va Beach, VA. Had 120 tackles in 2009 as his HS team won the district. Had 93 tackles in 2008. We can always use a good linebacker in our new 4-3 scheme that London is instituting.
6- Pablo Alverez S 6-3 190 Miami, FL. He runs a 4.4 40 and is also a standout on the track team. Love big safeties from Florida.
7- Jake McGee QB/ATH 6-5 210 Richmond, VA. He’s a gamer and was added to the team by Mike London. He might get a shot at QB, but he can also play TE. He’s a winner, and that sure as hell counts for something.
8- Rijo Walker CB 5-10 170 Hampton, VA. We needed to mend some fences in the 757, and coach London actually graduated from the same high school (Bethel). Lightning fast corner that could return kicks at UVA as well.
9- Ryan Cobb LB/FB 6-1 220 Wykoff, NJ.
10- E.J. Scott WR 5-11 170 Ellicott City, MD.
11- Conner Davis OL 6-5 255 Glen Allen, VA.
12- Khalek Shepherd WR 5-8 170 Brandywine, MD.
13- Mike Rocco QB 6-3 208 Lynchburg, VA.
14- Stephen Lawe OL 6-5 286 Norfolk, VA.
15- Miles Gooch QB 6-3 210 Decatur, GA .
16- Chris Brathwaite DE 6-1 250 Flushing, NY.
17- Cody Wallace OL 6-4 265 Moorestown, NY.
And it’s still basketball season! The tied-for-first-place Hoos (13-6, 4-2) are home this evening to face a critical test from the Wolfies from NC State. Virginia beat the Wolfpack in Raleigh earlier this season, and we all know how difficult it has been historically to get the in-season sweep of an ACC opponent for the Wahoos. Virginia was down 10 points in that game in Raleigh, but rallied to win 70-62 and set the tone for their ACC season so far. In the first contest, Virginia made 17 straight free throws down the stretch to seal the sweet road win. The last time Virginia won both games of the ACC season it was in the 2007-2008 season against BC. Man, that seems like 100 years ago.
The Wolfpack (14-8, 2-5) has not been playing very well lately, and currently resides in the basement of the all-over-the-place ACC. They did beat Duke earlier this season, but since then have utterly tanked. Look out for point guard Javier Gonzalez (who did not play the last time around against the Hoos) to try and keep up his strong shooting as of late. Virginia has won four of the last six meetings in the series and look for Virginia to blowout the Pack tonight (80-60?) in front of a very lively home-court at the JPJ. Last time out in the HUGE win on the road against UNC, Sammy Zeglinski added a season-high 19 points, and Sylven added a game-high and season high 29! Can the Hoos keep up their winning ways? Go Hoos!
