Nine prospects signed with the University of Virginia football program during the Early Signing Period. Tony Elliott, less than a week into his new job as UVA head coach, used the ensuing days to determine the positions he would need to recruit in January, ahead of the Regular Signing Period.

“Definitely, (Thursday, December 16) is going to be a different day because we’re going to have to step back and see the numbers positionally,” Elliott said on the first day of the Early Signing Period. “I know right now there’s some guys that are kind of making decisions on whether they are going to stay or whether they are going to transfer out. So, definitely gotta make sure that we protect the program by having the right numbers of scholarship players at each position to have the appropriate depth to go out and prepare for the season. Don’t know what that combination will be. Obviously now it’s kind of my vision going forward, so it’s going to be fun to try to piece that together.”

Some significant transfer decisions did not go Virginia’s way. Full-time starters including center Olusegun Oluwatimi and tackle Ryan Swoboda, and multigame starters Bobby Haskins and Joe Bissinger transferred out after the Early Signing Period. Versatile full-time starter Ryan Nelson opted not to use his free COVID year. Those five departures left a major void in the offensive line.

Facing the prospect of having only nine scholarship offensive linemen in 2022, Coach Elliott and staff targeted the offensive trenches in a major way in January. Houston Curry was the first high school prospect to commit to UVA in the Tony Elliott era. A fitting pledge as Curry hails from South Carolina, the state where Elliott spent his entire playing and coaching career, including the past 11 seasons at his alma mater, Clemson. The Hillcrest (Simpsonville, S.C.) senior was the first of seven high school prospects UVA would land post-Early Signing Period. Six of those recruits are projected offensive linemen, while the other, Terrell Jones, is a defensive line recruit.

“We were able to fill some needs, in particular on the offensive line,” Elliott said. “With the transition we lost several guys. That really, really hurt our numbers, so that was our primary focus.”

All seven commits signed letters of intent on the February 2 National Signing Day for the Regular Signing Period, giving UVA 16 signees in total in this class. Virginia has also added five graduate transfers this offseason, including January enrollees Devin Crawford (WR, Wisconsin) and Jack Camper (DL, Michigan State) and three student athletes who will graduate from their respective schools this spring – Paul Akere (DE, Columbia), John Paul Flores (OL, Dartmouth) and Mac Hollensteiner (OL, Georgetown).

Virginia Football’s Class Of 2022: An Overiew

BY POSITION

Quarterbacks (2)

Virginia signed two quarterback prospects in Davis Lane Jr. and Delaney Crawford. Lane enrolled on Grounds in January.

“Davis is a guy that I’m excited about. I think he has some potential that he hasn’t tapped into,” Elliott said.

Running Backs (1)

UVA’s lone running back signee is Xavier Brown. The 5’11”, 175-pound standout out of Kentucky is an all-purpose performer capable of impacting the game as a rusher and receiver. Brown is the lone Gatorade Player of the Year in this class.

If the current scholarship numbers stand, Brown could have an opportunity to contribute next season. The Hoos return Mike Hollins, Ronnie Walker Jr. and Amaad Foston, but that’s it. Coach Elliott mentioned that he could add a running back via the transfer portal, though, so keep an eye out for that this spring.

Wide Receivers (2)

Dakota Twitty is a physical wide receiver prospect with size. The 6’5”, 213-pound senior is also UVA’s most highly rated prospect, earning a .9007 mark in 247Sports’ Composite rankings. Since the 2017 Class (Bronco Mendenhall’s first full class), UVA has signed four prospects with a .9 or higher ranking by 247Sports – Jowon Briggs, Andrew Gentry, Bryce Carter and Twitty.

New York native Sean Wilson signed early with Virginia too. He has great size as well at 6’5”, 214 pounds. Wilson is very intriguing because of his size and athleticism. He missed his entire senior season with a leg injury, so a redshirt seems likely, but when healthy he appears to be an explosive athlete.

Tight Ends (1)

Karson Gay is a highly regarded tight end prospect with high upside because of his size and speed. He suffered a knee injury early in his senior year, though, so a redshirt may be likely here too.

Offensive Linemen (6)

Virginia loaded up on the offensive line, landing six recruits led by consensus 3-star interior offensive lineman Tapuvae Amaama. Joining the 6’4”, 330-pound prospect out of Utah are ...

- Dawson Alters, 6’2”, 275 pounds, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
- Mckale Boley, 6’6”, 305 pounds, Oak Grove (Hattiesburg, MS)
- Houston Curry, 6’7”, 265 pounds, Hillcrest (Simpsonville, S.C.)
- Noah DeMeritt, 6’6”, 345 pounds, Camden County (Kingsland, GA)
- Blake Steen, 6’5”, 318 pounds, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Alters is a center prospect. Amaama, DeMeritt and Steen project as interior line prospects. Boley and Curry look like tackle prospects. Alters and Steen played on the same high school team, the powerful St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Defensive Line (1)

Terrell Jones is the lone defensive line signee in this class. The Hoover (AL) product has good size at 6'5", 260 pounds, and could play end or on the interior defensive line. Jones gives UVA another athletic, versatile young lineman in the fold, similar to current first-year players Bryce Carter, Michael Diatta and Lorenz Terry.

Linebackers (2)

Stevie Bracey, who hails from the same school that produced Nick Jackson, has enrolled on Grounds. Just like Jackson, Bracey is accomplished on and off the field. He is likely to be an inside linebacker for the Hoos. Meanwhile, UVA also signed Baylor School (Chattanooga, TN) prospect Trey McDonald in December. McDonald has good size at 6’4”, 212 pounds, and the previous staff felt he could play inside or out.

Special Teams (1)

UVA signed one of the best placekickers in this class in Gulliver Prep (Miami, FL) standout Will Bettridge, who joins an accomplished kicking unit that includes sophomore Brendan Farrell and junior Justin Duenkel. Farrell served admirably as UVA’s primarily placekicker in 2021. The competition for the starting placekicking job should be a good one. The biggest question is who will punt.

RANKINGS
247Sports
According to 247Sports’ Composite rankings, UVA’s 16-prospect haul is ranked 11 out of 14 ACC schools and no. 66 in the nation.

In terms of individual rankings, 247Sports has the following definitions:
Four-stars (90-97 rating): These are players that we believe are the most likely to produce college careers that get them drafted. By National Signing Day, this number is typically in the range of 350 prospects, roughly the top 10 percent of prospects in a given class.
Three-stars (80-89 rating): This is where the bulk of college football prospects are found and it incorporates a large range of ability levels, all of whom we consider as possible NFL players long term.
A high three-star (87-89): is considered a player with significant NFL upside who we expect to be an impact college football player.
A mid-three-star (84-86): is a player that we consider to be a capable starter for a Power Five football team and an impact player at the Group of Five level.

Dakota Twitty is the most highly rated recruit in this class with a 4-star ranking and a 90.07 number from 247Sports Composite. Gay is on the fringe of being a “high three-star” with an 86.26 number, followed by Amaama (86) and Brown (85.8).

Eleven UVA signees are ranked in the top 100 at their respective positions according to 247. They are: Bettridge (no. 3 placekicker), Twitty (no. 42 wide receiver), Gay (no. 47 tight end), Amaama (no. 47 interior offensive lineman), Lane (no. 64 quarterback), Brown (no. 74 running back), Bracey (no. 90 linebacker), Crawford (no. 92 quarterback), DeMeritt (no. 96 IOL), Alters (no. 99 IOL), Boley (no. 100 OT).

RIVALS
Rivals ranks UVA’s class no. 11 in the ACC and no. 64 in the nation. Before looking at individual notables, here is a look at how Rivals defines its player ratings:
6.1 = Five-star prospect
6.0-5.8 = Four-star prospect
5.7-5.5 = Three-star prospect
5.2-5.4 = Two-star prospect
6.1 Franchise Player: considered one of the elite prospects in the country, generally among the nation's top 30-35 players overall, a potential first-team All American candidate and a player deemed to have first round NFL potential.
6.0-5.8 All American Candidate: considered one of the next-tier elite prospects in the country, generally among the nation’s top 300-325 prospects overall, a national All American candidate and a player deemed to have first to third round NFL potential
5.7-5.5 All Region Selection: considered among the region’s top prospects and generally among the nation’s top 800-850 prospects overall, a potential All-Conference candidate and a player deemed to have mid to low-end pro potential and ability to impact at the college level.
According to Rivals, Twitty is UVA’s top recruit, coming in with a 5.7 player rating. Gay, Brown, and Amaama each come in with a 5.6 mark.
From 2017-2022, UVA has had seven recruits with a 5.8 or higher ranking. Three (Bryce Carter, Noah Josey, Josh McCarron) were from the 2021 Class, one (Andrew Gentry) was from 2020, and three (Jowon Briggs, Ja’Quay Hubbard, Hunter Stewart) were from the 2019 Class.

Virginia Football Class Of 2022: Takeaways

In-State Emphasis Is Real

We saw Coach Elliott and his assistant coaches traveling to all parts of Virginia in January, getting to know in-state high school coaches. During his February 2 press conference, Elliott caught my attention by acknowledging that only two in-state recruits were signed in 2022.

“We talked a lot about in-state recruiting,” Elliott said. “Definitely going to make sure that we sign more than two guys from Virginia going forward, but, considering the circumstances, we had to go where the availability was.”

From the January efforts and the comments on National Signing Day, the statement is clear: UVA is going to make in-state recruiting a priority. How? Well, Elliott addressed the how and the why on February 2.

“I want to reestablish relationships for all the schools in-state,” Elliott said when asked about UVA’s recruitment of Tidewater. “Because, like I said before, I grew up in South Carolina, had an opportunity to play in the rivalry at Clemson, and I understood what it meant. And then I got to go to work and work near Clemson to see the impact that that game had on the fans and their commitment. It just means a little bit more when you’ve got guys that understand exactly what it means to be part of that rivalry, and then that resonates to the rest of the guys that you supplement on the roster. The Tidewater historically has been a talent-rich area. We’ve got to do a great job of identifying the guys that fit the profile for us, both academically, character-wise, and from a scheme standpoint. I just believe in an inside-out mentality. That’s the focus there.”

Recruiting, he said, is “not as much area recruiting” recently. It’s “more about position recruiting,” he said.

“I want both,” Elliott said.

Elliott emphasized treating the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) and Virginia like in-state, making sure [high school coaches] see [UVA coaches] at least once, maybe twice a year, “and then do whatever we have to do position-wise.”

What I like is having a consistent presence throughout the state regardless of if a potential recruit is in play. Coach Elliott has made it clear that developing, maintaining and growing relationships are paramount to him and will play a key role in recruiting. There are other factors in recruiting obviously, but being visible on a consistent basis will help put UVA in good position when recruits do surface at in-state schools.

Offensive Line Numbers

Elliott and company did well in addressing future numbers on the offensive line. UVA currently projects to have 17 scholarship players on the offensive line in 2022, 11 of whom will be first or second-year players. The question is, will the unit be up to par in 2022, when UVA features record-setting quarterback Brennan Armstrong and a top-flight receiving corps? I’m not sold yet.

I like the class of 2021, and they will have had one full year in a college strength & conditioning program. The group of Josey, Logan Taylor, Charlie Patterson, Ty Furnish, and now Hugh Laughlin is more highly rated than UVA’s 2017 Class, which included Ryan Nelson, Chris Glaser and Ryan Swoboda. How many of the 2021 Class will be ready to contribute at a high level next season is the question.

Flores and Hollensteiner seem to be quality additions via the transfer portal, although we truly won’t know how they’ll fare against major FBS competition until the preseason. They do provide experienced players who have performed well at their previous stops.

I view most of the incoming OL class as developmental players, meaning I don’t expect them to be ready to contribute right away. There is opportunity for sure, and perhaps someone emerges (Snoop Amaama would be my best bet), but I think they all could use a redshirt year.

Coach Elliott will have a better idea of what is needed on the O-line after spring practice, but at this point I think the Hoos need a few more seasoned performers, ideally with major FBS experience. Washington State center Brian Greene and Vanderbilt tackle Tyler Steen (Blake’s brother) would be outstanding pickups and may be must-gets for UVA's offensive line to be where Elliott wants it to be.

Stars & Sleepers

Offense Star Twitty would be the easy choice. I like his physicality, toughness, and motivation to succeed. Plus, I think he is in a great position to develop and learn without having to be a primary contributor his first year. However, I’ll go with Xavier Brown. He’s only 5’11”, 175 pounds and he does not have blazing speed, but I love his production. He’s a good runner, tougher than his size would indicate and very productive on the high school level. He may be a better receiver. He’s not as quick and elusive as Smoke Mizzell, but Brown could be a similar player in terms of his ability as a runner and receiver.

Offense Sleeper Mckale Boley comes from a football background. His father, Michael, starred at linebacker at Southern Miss and played in the NFL. But the younger Boley did not focus full on football until his sophomore year, and he did not play on the offensive line until his senior season. He has a lot of room to grow, and with his size and athleticism (a standout soccer player from age six through high school), there is a lot to like in terms of upside.

Defense Star Trey McDonald plays an aggressive brand of football and showed good versatility at the high school level, playing near the line of scrimmage at times and sometimes playing in space lined up as a safety. The Wisconsin native has played ice hockey and lacrosse as well as football, so it’s clear he does not shy away from contact. He shows good determination in tracking down ballcarriers. The main question is whether he will play inside or out. I think inside could be his ultimate landing spot.

Defense Sleeper Never underestimate a linebacker out of the Lovett School. Stevie Bracey follows in Nick Jackson’s footsteps, and he has already impressed Coach Elliott with his character on Grounds. He may need some time to bulk up, but ultimately I think Bracey will be a quality contributor for the Hoos.

Final Thoughts

With the Early Signing Period in place and the majority of prospects signing early, new Virginia football head coach Tony Elliott did not have a large pool of prospects nor much time to work with in closing out this class. Still, he and his staff filled a major need and stockpiled offensive linemen. The Hoos need more transfers to address the immediate need, but there are now a lot of young players in the pipeline. During the Early Signing Period, UVA added promising prospects at every offensive skill position, highlighted by securing more talent to an already gifted wide receiving corps.

Virginia did not address the defense much, so look for the Hoos to try and do so through the portal in the coming months.

The class of 2023 will be Virginia’s first full class of the Elliott era. This time next year, we’ll see how the in-state efforts paid off, especially with Virginia Tech reemphasizing recruiting the Commonwealth as well. Also, will the recruiting experiences Elliott had at Clemson translate well to Virginia in terms of bring in higher talent?