Virginia Football Recruiting 2013 Updates: Cavaliers Stay Hot

Taquan Mizzell signs with Virginia: 5-star's highlight video, ratings and more

Mizzell is one of the best running back prospects in the class of 2013, and he'll be staying in-state to play for the Cavaliers. Follow @SBNationCFB Follow @SBNRecruiting

Taquan Mizzell arrested: 5-star Virginia recruit allegedly underage drinking

Elite running back recruit Taquan Mizzell got into trouble this past weekend, as the Virginia commit for underage possession of alcohol while visiting Charlottesville.

Virginia Football Recruiting Interview: Mike London Steadily Improving

Recruiting analyst Justin Ferber of SB Nation's excellent Virginia site Streaking The Lawn joins SB Nation Recruiting to talk UVA football recruiting.

Virginia Loaded With Talented Recruits For The Class Of 2014

With nine months left in the class of 2013, Virginia recruiting analyst Justin Ferber, of SB Nation’s Streaking The Lawn is already taking a look at the class of 2014. And the early returns are quite good in the Commonwealth, including defensive Da’Shawn Hand:

Da’Shawn Hand, Defensive End, Woodbridge (Woodbridge)

Offers: Virginia, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Miami, Michigan, NC State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Carolina, South Florida, Stanford, Syracuse

Hand could be the top player in the nation in the 2014 class. He’s that good. His offer list tells the story, as Hand holds offers from teams that have combined for 9 national titles since 1997. Hand, like the other two projected 5-stars in the 2014 class, is projected to play on the defensive side of the ball in college. Both UVA and Virginia Tech are in the mix for Hand, but he is more likely to go out of state than Quin Blanding or Andrew Brown are. It’s going to take a lot of work for the Virginia staff to get a commitment from Hand, but that certainly won’t stop them from trying. In the end, I see Hand ending up at an SEC school, where he certainly belongs from a talent perspective.

Ferber profiles 10 other recruits, so be sure to check it out.
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Virginia Lands A Commitment At Linebacker: Micah Kiser Brings Inside Presence To Charlottesville

It’s no secret that linebacker is one of Virginia’s greatest recruiting needs. On Monday, Virginia took step toward filling that need with the commitment of linebacker Micah Kiser.

Here’s Kiser’s film:

Kiser looks like a stout run stuffer, but he does make a few nice plays in coverage. That said, this is high school competition, and he likely won’t be asked to handle a lot of coverage responsibilities.

Kiser seems very willing to take on blockers, and engages them with great physicality. But at the college level he will need to more consistently bring his hands, instead of his shoulder, when attacking a blocker. Kiser also appears to be a bit on the short side, so technique will be especially important so that he does not get engulfed by blockers at the next level.

Overall, Kiser looks like a solid linebacker recruit for the Cavaliers.

For more on Hoos football recruiting, visit Virginia blog Streaking The Lawn.

Virginia Finding Recruiting Success At Bayside High School

One of Mike London’s keys to bringing UVA back to respectability is for the Cavaliers to hold their own in the fertile grounds of the 757 area code. Virginia recruiting analyst Justin Ferber penned an article on Bayside High School, a football factory at which the Cavs are having a lot of success. Here’s an excerpt:

Bayside High School in Virginia Beach is that school. The Marlins have sent players to Virginia in all three of the recruiting classes that Mike London has completed at UVA (although Al Groh and his staff recruited many of the commits in the 2010 class, London had to keep them in the fold.) In 2010, Henry Coley started the Bayside run for Virginia, by signing with the Cavaliers to play inside linebacker. Then in 2011, Virginia reeled in the Gatorade State Player of the Year, defensive back Demetrious Nicholson, from the school. The run of Marlins committing to Virginia continued in the 2012 cycle, when athlete Anthony Cooper signed with the Cavaliers.
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Everyone knows that the “757” is rich with talent. Year after year programs from outside the state and region flood the area to offer kids scholarships, in hopes of luring them away from the Hoos and the Hokies. If Mike London and his staff can keep up their recruiting efforts and on-field results follow, expect those players to leave the state less and less often. Building relationships with coaches and players in the area goes a long way, and when you can set up a pipeline at a school like Bayside, you can set yourself up to replenish your roster with talent year after year.

Make sure to check out the rest of Ferber’s look at the 757 at Streaking The Lawn.
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Virginia Football Recruiting: Safety Tim Harris Commits

UVA lands a commitment from a top safety recruit.

A Look At Virginia's 2013 Recruiting Needs