For a brief instant it appeared Virginia had lost out on another star recruit, when Mikell Simpson initially announced live on ESPNNEWS that he was heading to the "University of Alabama." But Simpson corrected himself a second later and said, "Virginia," and confirmed his intentions by pulling a Cavalier hat out of his bag, the Richmond Times Dispatch reported.
Simpson, a 6-foot-1-inch, 195-pound tailback who attends Harrisburg High in Pennsylvania, is ranked No. 13 in the country among running backs, according to SuperPrep.
The senior took official visits to Virginia, Alabama, Michigan State, UCLA and Florida, before announcing that he will become a Wahoo -- giving Virginia a total of 22 commitments before national signing day on Feb. 2.
Simpson said he was wavering between Alabama and Virginia, but chose the Cavaliers because of the distance from his home, the Virginia offense and running backs coach Anthony Poindexter, who made a lasting impression on him.
Simpson rushed for 862 yards on 88 carries for a 9.8 yards per carry average and tallied 21 touchdowns his junior season, when he was named all-conference on both offense and defense. His senior year was cut short by an MCL injury, but Simpson still produced 456 yards and notched eight touchdowns in five games. He has since been declared 100 percent recovered and his sub 4.4 timing in the 40-yard dash since the injury helped to confirm that.
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