Mike London has hit the ground running as Virginia's new head coach -- he has assembled what I believe to be an excellent coaching staff, while at the same time cobbling together a fairly decent 2010 recruiting class. This year's class is especially solid when you consider the fact that UVA spent the bulk of this recruiting season being led by a lame duck head coach. London has stepped in, pumped some fresh oil through the recruiting pipelines, and dug out a few gems. He took Al Groh's shaky start to this recruiting season and guided it to a solid finish. 2011's class is where London will show his true chops, but his first class at Virginia figures to be a solid one.
As we head toward Signing Day (this Wednesday, Feb. 3rd), let's take a quick Wahooze-style peek at Virginia's 2010 recruiting class. The recruits are listed in order of what I believe to be their ceiling of ability and eventual impact in the Virginia Football program.
1) Kevin "KP" Parks, RB, 5-7 / 193, Mount Ulla NC
KP rushed for over 10,000 yards at the high school level. 10,000+ yards... that's six freaking miles! Needless to say, he shattered a bunch of North Carolina high school records. (But for some reason, he still couldn't get over the three-star hump and earn that coveted fourth star.) He's built like a bowling ball, but this guy is a natural runner, a workhorse type of tailback. With a crowded backfield in 2010, he'll probably redshirt during his freshman season. But after that, look out. KP doesn't have gamebreaking speed nor does he possess the size to be a power back, but he's got every tool you could want in terms of being able to avoid and evade tacklers, slip through cracks, and generate yardage. I've heard him compared to Barry Sanders and LaDainian Tomlinson... which is a little bit crazy. I think he's probably closer to Tiki Barber or Pitt's Dion Lewis, which is still pretty damn good. 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: potential starter or two-deep.
2) Michael Strauss, QB, 6-3 / 208, Miami FL
We out-dueled Nick Saban and his national champion Crimson Tide to land this signal caller's services. Strauss' game is said to compare favorably to that of Rich Gannon and Mark Brunell -- guys with good (not great) arms, nice accuracy on their passes, and the wheels to be productive on the move. He was able to enroll in January, so there's actually a decent chance that Strauss will be our starting quarterback this fall, if he's able to battle past the likes of Marc Verica, Ross Metheny, and Riko Smalls. Being here for spring practices should be a big boost to his career at Virginia. 2010 impact: potential starter. 2011 impact: QB of the future.
3) Henry Coley, LB, 6-2 / 230, Virginia Beach VA
Coley fits the profile of being a "prototypical" linebacker for Mike London's attacking 4-3 defense. He's quick, instinctive, is a sure tackler, and has a nose for the football. Many think he is the true gem of this recruiting class. Coley projects to middle linebacker, but is said to have the ability to slide outside if roster numbers warrant. 2010 impact: redshirt, two-deep, or special teams. 2011 impact: potential starter.
4) Christopher Brathwaite, DE, 6-1 / 250, Flushing NY
Switching to the 4-3, one of our biggest needs is for defensive ends with the pass rush ability to attack the edge and make an impact. Enter Brathwaite. He wasn't heavily recruited due to his lack of height for the position, but all reports lead to the conclusion that this guy is a flat-out stud when it comes to rushing the passer. Best of all, he's nasty. We can definitely use some more swagger on defense. 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: potential starter.
5) Rijo Walker, DB, 5-10 / 171, Hampton VA
I always like seeing us land recruits from the 757, and Walker embodies the characteristics that region is known for: toughness, grit, determination, intensity. He's another guy who should add a little swagger to our defense. He projects as a solid cover corner at the college level. 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: two-deep and special teams.
6) Cody Wallace, OL, 6-5 / 285, Moorestown NJ
Wallace was actually a 2009 commit who had to prep and ended up at Fork Union. Following a similar path as UVA great Branden Albert, Wallace was unheralded coming out of high school, but used his prep year to vastly improve his game. He projects as an interior lineman for Virginia -- as either a mobile pulling-type guard or a center. 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: competing for spot on the depth chart and special teams.
7) E.J. Scott, WR, 5-11 / 172, Olney MD
ESPN's ACC blogger Heather Dinich listed "offensive playmakers" as our single biggest need this recruiting season. While this class isn't exactly loaded with gamebreaking offensive talent, Scott is probably second (behind KP) on the list. He's a speedy deep threat type of receiver who should be able to benefit from the play action game Bill Lazor hopes to establish at UVA. Scott's offer list was impressive, as schools (Iowa, Maryland, Pitt, Rutgers, Wisconsin, among others) were lined up to land his legit 4.4 speed and big play ability. 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: competing for spot on the depth chart and special teams.
8) Khalek Shepherd, RB, 5-8 / 166, Brandywine MD
If KP is #1 and Scott is #2, then Shepherd is a close #3 on the "offensive playmakers" list for this class. He's an explosive jitterbug type of runner who projects as a nice change of pace back, slot receiver, and return specialist. He's tiny, but could be extremely effective if placed in the correct roles. His game compares favorably to that of Ole Miss standout Dexter McCluster. 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: change of pace back and full-time kick/punt returner.
9) Conner Davis, OL, 6-5 / 280, Glen Allen VA
He's an offensive tackle prospect, all the way. Considering that we beat out offers from Virginia Tech, Boston College, Clemson, and West Virginia, I think it's a safe bet to say that this kid has legit FBS-level talent. He'll require some development before he can see the field, but you have to like his upside with good athletic ability and a huge frame. 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: competing for spot on the depth chart and special teams.
10) Zachary Swanson, TE, 6-6 / 225, Katy TX
A latecomer to the Virginia commitment list (he committed last night!), Swanson is a well-rounded tight end prospect. He's a good in-line blocker with nice receiving ability. I was worried about the future of the TE position, with Lazor guiding the offense back toward a more traditional pro-style system. Swanson fills a big hole in this class. 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: potential starter, or two-deep.
11) Pablo Alvarez, DB, 6-3 / 190, Miami FL
Perhaps lost a bit in the flood of talent in South Florida, Alvarez comes to Virginia as an underrated guy with "serious playmaking ability, " according to recruiting analysts. He projects to safety within the UVA system, and is a run-and-hit type of player with good ball skills. 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: competing for spot on the depth chart and special teams.
12) Mike Rocco, QB, 6-3 / 205, Lynchburg VA
Danny Rocco's nephew is a guy who has recently gained some serious momentum in the recruiting world. Coach London and new OC Bill Lazor stole Rocco away from his prior commitment to Mike Groh and Louisville. (For those of you who didn't know, Mike Groh is now the QBs coach under Charlie Strong at Louisville.) Rocco reportedly has a big arm and the instincts to succeed as a pocket passer. With the QB talent layered in this class, he'll need to beat out several other talented players in order to see the field at Virginia. (For the record, my money is on Mike Strauss.) 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: QB competition.
13) Miles Gooch, QB, 6-4 / 215, Decatur GA
He's been compared to former Wahoo Aaron Brooks, as a scrambling-type QB with good ability in the passing game. He runs a legit 4.6, and may project to a different position at UVA. For now, he starts at QB and faces a battle royale with Strauss and Rocco at the position for the next four or five years. (I secretly hope Gooch ends up being our next great QB, as I would highly enjoy screaming GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCH every time he makes a play.) 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: QB competition or a position switch.
14) Ryan Cobb, LB/FB, 5-11 / 216, Ramsey NJ
Cobb is a decent linebacker prospect, but it might be his ability to play the fullback position that earns him playing time as a true freshman. 2010 impact: potential starter (at fullback). 2011 impact: starter (at fullback), or competing for spot on the depth chart and special teams (at linebacker.)
15) Kyrrel Latimer, S, 5-10 / 205, Hyattsville MD
A centerfielder-type free safety, Latimer is said to have plus coverage ability and a nose for the football. He enters a fairly crowded defensive backfield here at Virginia, and will probably see work on special teams long before he tastes action in the base defense. 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: competing for spot on the depth chart and special teams.
16) Jake McGee, TE/QB, 6-5 / 210, Richmond VA
London hand-picked McGee to be his quarterback of the future at Richmond, but after he accepted the Virginia job he pursued McGee as a tight end prospect for the Hoos. With Zach Swanson filling the hole at TE in this class, McGee might get a chance to battle Strauss, Rocco, and Gooch at the QB position before he's slotted elsewhere. This guy has plus athleticism for the QB position, but would need to pack on some weight before playing tight end at the college level. At this point, I'm assuming he switches to tight end fairly early in his UVA career. 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: competing for spot on the depth chart and special teams.
17) Stephen Lawe, OL/DL, 6-5 / 285, Norfolk VA
Lawe fits the mold of "jumbo athlete," capable of playing any position on either line... once he's spent some time developing in a FBS-level strength and conditioning program. He's raw, but he could end up filling in at either offensive tackle, offensive guard, or defensive tackle later in his career. You can never have enough depth up front, so Lawe is a good recruit to be able to add to the roster in an attempt to stockpile talent along the lines. 2010 impact: redshirt. 2011 impact: competing for spot on the depth chart and special teams.
Why no mention of massive offensive lineman Morgan Moses? Because I have my doubts on whether or not he'll end up signing with UVA. And even if he does become a Hoo on Wednesday, I have my doubts on whether or not he'll ever be able to get and stay eligible here. He's clearly the most talented player in this class, but I don't see him making it to or being able to stay afloat at Virginia.
If I'm wrong and Moses does make it Virginia and qualifies to play this fall, I think he'll be our starting right tackle and a future star at the position.
