Darryl Gresham, an inside linebacker that was at the top of Virginia's recruiting board according to the Charlottesville Daily Progress, became the 19th player to make an early commitment to the Cavaliers. He announced his decision last Wednesday.
Gresham received scholarship offers from Tennessee, Florida, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Maryland, Clemson and Wake Forest, but decided to go with the first team that pursued him: the Cavaliers.
He told the Daily Progress that he chose Virginia because "they have the No. 1 group of linebackers in the country this year" and he wants to carry on that tradition for the future.
The 6'3" 234-pounder from Roanoke recorded a staggering 176 tackles -- including six quarterback sacks -- as a junior last season. He was named first team All-Timesland by the Roanoke Times and was the top-rated player from Virginia at the Nike camp in Charlottesville.
In addition to the 19 early commitments, the freshman class for the 2005 season will include two players who failed to qualify for the 2004 season, linebacker Olu Hall and offensive lineman Branden Albert. That leaves only four more scholarship spots for next season's freshman class.