It's funny what happens when you rest your hopes on the whims of eighteen-year-old boys. Most of these boys have been the center of attention for years. Reporters write about them, college coaches swoon over them and the moods of thousands of men fluctuate over their word choice to reporters.
For those that followed Virginia's recruiting, the events of the past year were an emotional rollercoaster. The Cavaliers got their first commitment in October of 2003. Before Virginia opened its 2004 campaign, it had 22 oral commitments, garnering praise from pundits as the nation's top class. The question went from who Virginia would get to who they would be able to fit into their class (25 is the maximum). Players jumped on the train as juniors, eager to come to Charlottesville and take their spots before they filled.
Since then, however, the good news has not exactly rolled in. Three players of those 22 have since decommitted, one of whom, Lamont Robinson, was a four-star linebacker. Again, the Cavs were left playing bridesmaid to a conference foe on a number of top targets, losing five-star defensive back Victor "Macho" Harris to Virginia Tech and five-star tailback Toney Baker and four-star linebacker Kyle Newell to N.C. State.
In fact, Virginia has gotten just one commitment since October, four-star tailback Mikell Simpson. The earlier concern of having a class that was too big has shifted to the reality that the Cavs won't use their entire scholarship allotment.
With that in mind, it is quite easy to look down on the way that Virginia closed out its class, which again glaringly lacks a star receiver. But to do so would be to ignore the outstanding foundation that Groh and his staff put in place all of last year. Without a doubt, this will be the second-best of Groh's five classes, trailing only his outstanding 2002 crop featuring National Defensive Player of the Year Ahmad Brooks. But, top to bottom, this could be a better class, and given recent defections, could even produce more stars.
Groh continues to fulfill his plan to get his team bigger, stronger and faster, which begins in the trenches.
Talk of the class has to start with the crown jewel, Eugene Monroe. Monroe is the nation's best offensive lineman. At 6'7" and 320-pounds, he boasted over 40 offers when he committed in June. Monroe has great footwork and could start at tackle as a true freshman; one recruiting analyst said NFL scouts are already drooling over him.
Another mammoth tackle, Branden Albert, will enroll this fall after committing last January and spending the year at Hargrave. Albert was a surprise commitment last year, as Virginia was the only school to extend an offer to the raw lineman, who only had two years of playing experience. He will come to Virginia as a four-star recruit.
Groh has expressly mentioned in the past few years the need to get faster at the skills positions, and his class this year reflects that. Though smallish, Mike Brown is a consensus top-15 cornerback with sub-4.40 40 speed. At tailback, Simpson has similar speed and could be the featured back here as early as 2006.
The fastest recruit, however, could be the first one who committed for this class. Quarterback Vicqual "Vic" Hall set a state record for total offense, throwing for 2769 yards and running for 1665 with 56 total touchdowns as a senior. A four-star recruit with a cannon, Hall is somewhat undersized at 5'11", much like current signal-caller Marques Hagans, but extremely athletic. Though recruited at quarterback, he could eventually switch positions to better utilize his athleticism.
Much could be said about each of the new Cavs. I think one of the three big receivers will contribute this fall, and corner Chris Cook could be a sleeper. Rashawn Jackson could be a bruising tailback or a ferocious linebacker. The list could go on and on.
Top to bottom, this class is filled with athletes. There are three quick linebackers, three jumbo athletes and six more linemen. Ranking-wise, this class will still be a top-15 class.
The fact that any fan could be upset with this speaks volumes about the strides Groh has made at Virginia. For a program yet to take the jump into the elite on the field, Groh has made Virginia an elite recruiting school. He knows the players to fit his program, many of whom might be lower-rated but more important at Virginia. Recruiting is as much about finding two-star diamonds in the rough like Chris Canty as it is about five-star guys.
This year, Groh will not have as much momentum. At this point last year, he had two commitments; he has none for 2006 as yet. And that's the thing about recruiting. There is little time to enjoy this year's class because they are already working on 2006 prospects.
Kids that are just 17, kids that can change their mind eight times a day. Such is the world of recruiting -- a world that Al Groh and his hard-working staff have come to understand.
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