Wishlist Update

Just wanted to give an update to the wish list. As you know, you can see our constantly updating list by clicking the logo on the right side of the page, but for now here is an update on where we stand.

UVA received its 9th commitment last night when linebacker LaChaston Smith jumped on board. Smith is listed at 6'-0" 205 and was sought after by some big names, specifically Florida and Tennessee. Smith is yet another example of how UVA is starting to make some serious noise on the recruiting trail.

Right now UVA has 8 commitments for the 2013 class. They are:

QB Brendan Marshall - Good Counsel

OT Sadiq Olanrewaju - Salisbuy School (Connecticut)

WR Andre Levrone - Good Counsel

FS Tim Harris - Varina

WR Zack Jones - Oscar Smith

LB Micah Kiser - Gilman School

QB Corwin Cutler - Ocean Lakes

CB Hipolito Corporan - Westside (Texas)

LB LaChaston Smith - South Iredell (North Carolina)

My thoughts exactly

These are all very good players. In what is expected to be a smaller class, it is important to get quality guys and the staff has done just that. These players are full of under the radar guys that could prove to fly up the rankings as their senior seasons progress. Players like Corwin Cutler, Andre Levrone, and Zack Jones have a chance to grab a ton of people's attention with their play this season. UVA also has landed two 4 star recruits in Tim Harris and Micah Kiser, both of whom are huge gets from a reputation stand point, as well as their playing ability.

But where are we going from here? Well that's a good question. Virginia could very well be close to done on the offensive side of the ball at the skill positions, with the exception of one name which most Wahoo fans should know. And that name is Smoke.

Bayside running back Taquan "Smoke" Mizzell is long considered to be a heavy UVA lean, and one of the top speed backs in the country. But to label Mizzell a pure speed back is to vastly overlook his completeness as a running back. Think of Mizzell as a faster, strong, and more elusive Perry Jones. The Mizzell-Jones comparison is the perfect example of the change from the players Mike London brings in versus the players Al Groh brought in. That should not be viewed as a slight on Perry Jones, Mizzell is just that good.

That being said there are two targets UVA wants quite badly for the offensive line. After losing out on in-state prospects Braxton Pfaff and Parker Osterloh, the names that have emerged as top o-line targets are Massachusetts OL Jack McDonald, and New Jersey OL Brad Henson. Both are solid 3-star recruits who UVA appears to be in very good shape with. In fact, McDonald could very well be pulling the trigger soon.

Let's shift the focus to the defensive side of the ball, where UVA is again looking to load up with playmakers. After signing Mike Moore, Eli Harold, and Kwontie Moore in 2012, the front 7 again appears to be the focal point of the 2013 class.

Wyatt Teller

UVA's top target on defense appears to be Wyatt Teller, a defensive end from Liberty High School in Bealeton. Teller has all the makings of a Chris Long type player. High motor, strong character, and relentless pursuit. He has the frame to pack on pounds and shift inside, but Teller to me seems destined to hold down the edge for the Hoos. Staying in Virginia, the next commit could very well come from Donta Wilkins, a defensive tackle from Potomac in Woodbridge. Wilkins is highly sought after by schools like Miami and Penn State, but could see his recruitment end this weekend on a trip to Charlottesville. UVA also would love to get a commitment from Maurice Hurst, a defensive tackle from Massachusetts whose father played with Vincent Brown. Hurst is the top player in Massachusetts and would solidfy a very strong future defensive line. Should UVA survive an upcoming trip to Michigan, we should be in pretty good shape.

Larenz Bryant

The list of linebacker recruits is long, as this seems to be the top priority for this recruiting cycle, but my favorite of all of them is Peter Kalambayi. Kalambayi exemplifies everything UVA should look for in a football player - smart, driven, athletic. It appears to be down to a two horse race between UVA and Stanford for his services. Another top target at linebacker is South County's Oren Burks, who currently sports interest from 14 schools and was offered most recently by Penn State. The real crown jewel of this cycle would be to snag Larenz Bryant from North Carolina. Bryant is the number 42 player in the country according to 247 and recently has put UVA in his top 5 and gave us a very realistic shot at landing him. It will take a very strong year on the field to keep this momentum up, but it certainly appears to be building in the right direction.

But what about our still-crispy secondary? I'm glad you asked! UVA has already gotten commits from Tim Harris and Hipolito Corporan, but is by no means done. The top target appears to be Krik Garner, a 3-star safety from Good Counsel, which has already produced two commitments for the Hoos in the 2013 class. Good Counsel also has second DB prospect in C.J. Jones, but as this class grows he could become the odd man out.

We expect this class to be around 20 people. The way you should read the wish list is the players ranked up to 20 are those we realistically think we have a chance at landing. There will be players listed outside of the top 20 that we think are in the mix should the chips fall differently but the top 20 are who we think are realistically going to land in this class. With every bit of news that breaks we update the list so if you want up-to-the-minute details, check it out! As of now the rest of our list looks like this:

10. RB Taquan "Smoke" Mizzell - Bayside
11. DE Wyatt Teller - Liberty
12. DT Donta Wilkins - Potomac
13. OG Jack McDonald - Boston Collegiate Charter School (Massachusetts)
14. OG Brad Henson - Monsignor Donovan (New Jersey)
15. DT Maurice Hurst - Xaverian Brothers (Massachusetts)
16. DB Kirk Garner - Good Counsel
17. LB Peter Kalambayi - Butler (North Carolina)
18. LB Oren Burks - South County
19. DT Tevin Montgomery- Tabor Academy (Massachusetts)
20. WR DaeSean Hamilton – Mountain View
21. LB Larenz Bryant - Zebulon Vance (North Carolina)
22. LB Buddy Brown - Williamstown (New Jersey)
23. LB Doug Randolph - Woodberry Forrest
24. ATH Myles Nash - Timber Creek
25. LB Marcel Ngachie - Good Counsel
26. DB CJ Jones - Good Counsel
27. DT Henry Poggi - Gilman School
28. DT Demetri McGill - Ocean Lakes

Now let's go get 'em!


GO HOOS!