Holding onto old recruits can be worrisome for schools undergoing a coaching change. And so when Mike London signed on as Virginia's new head coach, he and his new assistants immediately went to work confirming recruits who had signed with former coach Al Groh. Only one of Groh's 12 recruits decommitted from London's squad, and 23 new high school students have signed with the Cavaliers since London's arrival - including 17 during Wednesday's Signing Day.
"I had a chance to talk to [recruits] on the telephone, visit with them out at their schools," London said. "It kind of reiterated and bolstered all those decisions why they chose [Virginia] in the first place."
Four of London's signees are quarterbacks and are expected to compete for the starting job during training camp. Included in this group is the highly-touted Michael Strauss, who comes to the Cavaliers from Gulliver Preparatory located in Miami-Dade County, Fla. Strauss, London's first new commitment to Virginia, led his team to the state championships as a junior and threw for 2,714 yards and 28 touchdowns during his senior campaign. The incoming quarterback already is attending classes at the University and is expected to begin practicing with the team this spring.
London also signed the highly-touted running back Kevin Parks, who hopes to contribute immediately to the Virginia running game, which averaged only 99.1 yards per game and 2.9 yards per rush last season. Throughout his high school career, KP - as London refers to him - rushed for 10,895 yards, ran for more than 100 yards in 55 games and earned a plethora of personal accolades, including Old Spice Red Zone National Player of the Year honors.
"I think KP is a phenomenal talent, and better than that, a great young man with a great family," London said. "Everyone looks at his on-the-field accomplishments: rushing yards, Parade Magazine All-American, National Player of the Year awards, MVPs, All-Star games. Even more than that, he's a great young man [with] an infectious smile. He's going to be one of those guys that's going to rally people around him because of his demeanor and his ability."
The one knock against Parks may be his small stature. But the Virginia coaching staff believes Parks will be able to use his size to his advantage, as it will allow him to more easily sneak behind his linemen and find gaps in which to run.
"He's 5 feet 8 inches-and-a-half on his tippy toes but he plays like a giant," London said. "Can't wait to get him out there and show people what he has."
Meanwhile, Morgan Moses will try to bolster the offensive line, which is losing senior Will Barker. Moses, a 6-foot-6, 347-pound offensive tackle, was rated as the sixth best player at his position by ESPN.com and the best run blocker in June 2008 Rivals.com rankings. Moses also considered signing with Ohio State and LSU before ultimately deciding to join the Cavaliers.
"He's a great young man," London said of Moses. "[He was] very highly recruited. Teams [were] still talking to him, trying to get him to change his mind up until the last hour. I think his parents decided this was the best fit for him; this was the best place, surrounded by a great group of people, coaches, administrators, academic support people."
The tight end position, London hopes, will remain strong, as the Cavaliers have produced successful pro stars, such as Steeler Heath Miller and Cowboy John Phillips, in past seasons. Signees Zach Swanson and quarterback Jake McGee have the potential to contribute at this position, especially in terms of the run block.
Overall, London expressed that he is looking forward to what the team will bring this season.
"Excited about the opportunity. Excited with the young men that are going to be members of this program," he said. "They sound like they're ready to go"
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