Cavaliers place focus on defense
Logging on to one of the relationship matchmaking websites wasn’t a thought Bronco Mendenhall could’ve fathomed a few decades ago before he met his wife, Holly, but he got a feel for something resembling that realm while recruiting Virginia’s 2021 class.
With the coronavirus pandemic placing significant restrictions on the level of contact college coaches could have with recruits, Mendenhall and his staff became adept at forging connections through video conferences with the 24 players they signed Wednesday on the first day of the early signing period.
Perhaps to Mendenhall’s surprise, he and his staff ended up finding out all they needed to know about the players they recruited, without ever having five of them on the Charlottesville campus for an official or unofficial visit.
“Not having grown up in the virtual dating world, this would probably be the closest thing we’ve had to that,” Mendenhall said. “What we have lacked in terms of in-person communication, which was pretty limited by NCAA rule, I never felt like there was quite enough. We now have had more opportunities than were needed in terms of accessibility. It just
has been virtual.”
Some of the players in the class managed to find their way to Charlottesville on their own during the spring and summer-long recruiting dead period. Mendenhall said incoming linebacker signee Josh McCarron from Mukilteo, Washington, helped organize the trip to U.Va., which took place in August and involved 10 of the eventual signees.
“We start getting texts and guys saying, ‘Hey, we’re (on campus)’” Mendenhall said. “We were, ‘How could you be (on campus) when you’re from Washington, Texas, and what do you mean you’re (on campus)?’ They unofficially organized it themselves. As some of these classes do, they start texting in text threads and Snapchats and Instagrams and whatever else they do, and they started this bond, and they kind of formed their class without it being formed by us.”
Despite the dearth of in-person contact, Virginia still managed to put together a class that as of Wednesday afternoon was ranked 28th in the nation and fifth in the ACC by 247sports.com’s composite rankings. It could end up being the highest-rated class in Mendenhall’s head-coaching career, which has stretched a combined 16 seasons at Brigham Young and U.Va., which finished 5-5 this season.
Defense was a big point of emphasis for U.Va., which added five defensive backs and five linebackers in the class. Defensive lineman Bryce Carter from South Chesterfield ended up being the highest-rated signee, turning down scholarship offers from Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, Florida, Penn State, Michigan State and others to sign with the Cavaliers.
He’s one of nine players in the class from Virginia, which represents the largest number of in-state signees Mendenhall has ever garnered in a class.
Linebacker Mike Green from Lafayette is the lone representative from Hampton Roads.
“It’s been a point of emphasis since I arrived, even though the numbers haven’t always reflected it,” Mendenhall said regarding Virginia’s in-state recruiting efforts.
“We start every single year, and have since I’ve been the coach, in-state. It has taken time to gain traction. It’s taken time to build relationships. It’s taken time to build credibility. It’s taken time to establish momentum, but each year it becomes better.”
Virginia signees
Javin Burke, DB, 6-0, 195, Cleveland, Tennessee/Bradley Central
Bryce Carter, DL, 6-3, 250, South Chesterfield/Life Christian Academy
Jesiah Davis, WR, 6-3, 180, Huntersville, North Carolina/Hough
Michael Diatta, DL, 6-5, 265, Antioch, Tennessee/Cane Ridge
Malachi Fields, WR, 6-4, 205, Keswick/ Monticello
Amaad Foston, RB, 6-0, 210, Milledgeville, Georgia/John Milledge Academy Ty Furnish, OL, 6-4, 250, Woodstock, Georgia/Blessed Trinity Catholic
Micah Gaffney, DB, 6-0, 170, Spanish Fort, Alabama/Spanish Fort
Mike Green OLB, 6-4, 215, Williamsburg, Lafayette
James Jackson, OLB, 6-3, 200, Pulaski/ North Cross
Noah Josey, OL, 6-5, 280, Brentwood, Tennessee/Brentwood Academy
Hugh Laughlin, DL, 6-5, 280, Athens, Georgia/Athens Academy
Langston Long, ILB, 6-2, 215, Woodbridge/ Christ School (North Carolina)
Josh McCarron, OLB, 6-4, 215, Mukilteo, Washington/Archbishop Murphy
Charlie Patterson, OL, 6-7, 285, Roswell, Georgia/Fellowship Christian
Jacob Rodriguez, QB, 6-1, 200, Wichita Falls, Texas/Rider
Aidan Ryan, DB, 6-1, 185, Fredericksburg/ James Monroe
Jonas Sanker, DB, 6-0, 185, Charlottesville/ The Covenant School
William Simpkins, DB, 6-1, 170, Gaithersburg, Maryland/Quince Orchard
Logan Taylor, OL, 6-7, 295, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia/Episcopal (Alexandria) Lorenz Terry, DL, 6-5, 260, Sandston/ Varina/Fork Union Military Academy
West Weeks, ILB, 6-2, 205, Watkinsville, Georgia/Oconee County
Jack Witmer, TE, 6-6, 225, Cypress, Texas/ Cy-Fair
Jay Woolfolk, QB, 5-11, 190, Chesterfield/ Benedictine