With four days left until college football’s signing day, Mike London is trying to add four major pieces to Virginia’s 2011-2012 recruiting class. London has already received 24 verbal commitments, including three four-star recruits according to Rivals. ESPN currently has Virginia ranked as a Top-25 recruiting class, but the outcome of the next four days will determine the true value of the new class of Cavalier freshmen.
Of the four remaining targets for Mike London, the most prized possession is linebacker Curtis Grant from Hermitage High School in Richmond. Listed as a five-star recruit by Rivals, Grant is widely considered to be the best player in the state of Virginia and is the second ranked linebacker nationally. Grant has the size and strength to be an elite college player with the potential to play at the professional level. London met with Grant during his official visit on January 21st, and Grant is in Chapel Hill today making his final stop before signing day. Though he has received over twenty scholarship offers, most experts believe Grant has narrowed his list of schools to four- Ohio State, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia. It has been speculated that Grant is leaning toward committing to Ohio State, though there is no solid confirmation of these reports. Going into the final weekend of the recruiting weekend, UVa is very much in the mix for one of the elite players in the country. The decision now belongs to Grant: will he join an established football power or make a name for himself at an up and coming school?
Next on Virginia’s wishlist is Darius Jennings, a multi-threat athlete from the Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland. As a senior at Gilman, Jennings showed ability at quarterback, running back, and receiver. In January, he trimmed his official list to Wake Forest, Ohio State, and Virginia. He has expressed an interest in playing quarterback early at college, something that only Wake Forest has promised. Though undersized, Jennings’ speed makes him a dynamic offensive player whenever he touches the ball. Jennings is ranked as a 4-star recruit by Rivals and is in ESPN’s list of the top 150 high school players in the country.
Another in-state target for the Cavaliers is athlete Dominique Terrell. A 4-star recruit from Osbourn High School in Manassas, Terrell played both offense and defense as a quarterback and cornerback. Because of his speed and size (at 5’11”), his game best translates to a slot receiver, cornerback, or wildcat quarterback at the collegiate level. Though several teams have offered him a scholarship, Terrell is said to be choosing between West Virginia, Miami, Virginia Tech, and UVa. A couple reports out of Charlottesville indicated that Virginia has the inside track coming out of his most recent visit last weekend. Terrell will make his final official visit to Miami tomorrow.
Finally, Virginia is looking to steal away a valued recruit from rival Maryland. Jeremiah Hendy, a 3-star recruit from Bowie, committed to the University of Maryland last fall, but opened up his recruitment following the firing of Terrapins head coach Ralph Friedgen. Hendy met with Randy Edsall after his hiring and was impressed, but has continued to go on official visits to other schools. Hendy went to Charlottesville last weekend and also is considering Iowa.
Virginia is a longshot to land most of these recruits, particularly Grant. However, even getting one or two commitments from this list will cap off a very successful first recruiting class for Mike London.
