After a dismal 2013 campaign, the Virginia football team found itself boasting the No. 25 incoming recruiting class Wednesday, fourth in the ACC according to ESPN. The Cavaliers inked 15 players to National Letters of Intent on Signing Day in addition to two recruits who enrolled at the University in January.
Nine players of the 17-member class hail from the state of Virginia, including five from the Tidewater region. The team’s seven offensive signees include one quarterback, one running back, two receivers, one tight end and two linemen. On the defensive side of the ball, Virginia snagged 10 players: four linemen, three linebackers and three defensive backs.
Bayside safety Quin Blanding headlined the day for the Cavaliers. Blanding is the No. 10 recruit in the nation and top-ranked safety, one of two five-star recruits committed to play for Virginia in 2014. Blanding is the latest in a string of Cavaliers from Bayside, including senior linebacker Henry Coley, senior cornerback Demetrious Nicholson, sophomore safety Anthony Cooper and freshman running back Taquan Mizzell.
Virginia’s other five-star recruit, Gatorade National Player of the Year and No. 5 overall recruit Andrew Brown, is already enrolled and will participate in spring practice. Brown led Oscar Smith to the 2013 VHSL 6A state championship game and is considered the top defensive tackle prospect in the nation.
Offensive lineman Jake Fieler, a three-star recruit, also enrolled early after spending a postgraduate year at Fork Union Military Academy. At Fork Union, Fieler was teammates with fellow Virginia signee Corwin “Turtle” Cutler. Cutler is a four-star quarterback recruit who spent his postgraduate year recovering from a knee injury suffered during his senior year at Ocean Lakes.
In addition to Cutler, Virginia nabbed three other four-star recruits Wednesday. The program signed four of the top 10 in-state recruits, including Brown, Blanding, wide receiver Jamil Kamara from Virginia Beach and offensive guard Steven Moss from Fredericksburg. Kamara and Moss are ranked the No. 9 and No. 10 prospects in the state, respectively. The six remaining top 10 recruits from Virginia did not sign with an in-state school.
Rounding out Virginia’s four-star recruits is athlete Jeff Farrar from Upland, Calif. The No. 22 prospect in his home state, Farrar is the first Virginia scholarship recruit from the Golden State since 2005 and is slated to play cornerback for the Cavaliers.
Virginia opens the season Aug. 30 at Scott Stadium against UCLA, the first of seven home games in 2014. Ten of the team’s 12 opponents went to a bowl game last season.
—compiled by Zack Bartee
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