June is normally a dull month in Virginia athletics. All the spring sports are over. Football season is three months away. On the fields and in the arenas, nothing is going on except summer conditioning. But for those who follow football recruiting, these are exciting times.

Historically, most recruits make their college choices in the fall after taking official visits to campuses and getting wooed for months by various suitors. This year, however, the Cavaliers have sped up the process. With four more commitments this week, including two by a pair of the nation's top prospects, Al Groh and company have gotten 17 players -- a full two-thirds of their 2005 class -- to say "I do" (or at least "I will") in response to their overtures. That's an amazing number for this time of year, and the quality of recruits is rapidly becoming as extraordinary as the quantity.

For that reason alone, a Sabre Edge subscription is a nice thing to have right now, as any of our current subscribers can tell you. If you want updates on prospects, interviews with commitments, columns on what it all means, then the Edge is a great source of information. The Edge message board also is a perfect place for intelligent, well-informed discussion of recruiting issues and all things Wahoo by UVa's most avid and knowledgeable fans.

So if you're not a subscriber yet, please consider signing up. (Father's Day gIft, perhaps?) Besides recruiting info, we're planning an in-depth look at Virginia athletics in the coming weeks, including an interview with athletic director Craig Littlepage. We'll also have plenty of football coverage to get you ready for the 2004 season, plus more columns, features and analysis than ever. Suffice to say the summer won't be dull at the Sabre. Hey, our Waffle House is always open, too.

Football recruiting...

What a week for the Cavaliers.

On Sunday, Plainfield (N.J.) offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, who is one of the top players in the country, committed to UVa. The 6-6, 330-pound tackle had received over 40 Division I-A scholarship offers. Monroe is ranked as a five-star player and the No. 11 overall prospect in the country by Rivals.com.

The next day, UVa added speedy and talented wide receiver Kevin Ogletree to the mix. The 6-1, 185-pound Ogletree runs a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash. As a junior last season for Holy Cross High School in St. Albans, New York, he caught 40 passes for 1,027 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Commitment No. 16 came on Wednesday from Salem (Virginia Beach) standout Antonio Appleby. The 6-4, 230-pound Appleby is a star defensive end and tight end for coach Vincent Pugh but was recruited as an outside linebacker by UVa. He chose the Cavaliers over offers from Virginia Tech, Maryland and UNC, among others.

UVa received another commitment from Salem High School on Thursday, only this time it was Salem High School in Salem, New Jersey. 6-2, 225-pound Lamont Robinson, also rated in the Rivals.com top 100 (No. 89), is a standout inside linebacker prospect. He has played inside linebacker for Salem since his freshman year and was recruited to play inside by UVa. Robinson, who made 91 tackles, had five fumble recoveries and three interceptions last season as a junior, is a four-star prospect by Rivals.com and one of the top defenders in the state of New Jersey.

All of the prospects who committed this week will easily qualify academically.

This weekend.

The first session for UVa's summer camp begins this weekend. A few players UVa has offered will be there - Paterson Catholic (NJ) safety Kitt Pommells and Irvington (NJ) wide receiver Todd Dorcelus. Sources are reporting that Dorcelus, who had not received an official offer from UVa last month, now has one.

In-state players expected to attend UVa's camp include Hermitage QB Jameel Sewell and DE Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Varina NT prospect Joseph Johnson. I will report more names as I get them.

For more recruiting information and updates, please see Sabre Edge.

For a column on UVa commitment Eugene Monroe, Edge subscribers can check out this link.

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Ryan Zimmerman

He'd rather be playing in the College World Series right now, but Virginia third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is doing the next-best thing. He's trying to make his country's national team.

The rising junior, who led UVa with a .361 average and helped the Cavaliers make the NCAA tournament, is one of 36 players participating in the USA Baseball National Team Trials, starting Sunday in Durham, N.C. The official 20-man roster will be determined June 27. Though the United States did not qualify for the Olympics, the team will play in the World University Baseball Championships in Chinese Taipei from July 23 to August 1.

"Just being mentioned with the players trying out for the team is a great, great honor," Zimmerman said. "Making the team would be a great experience."

Sabre Edge subscribers can look for a profile of Zimmerman next week.

In other UVa baseball news, head coach Brian O'Connor hired J.J. Brock as the team's volunteer coach. Brock played under O'Connor at Notre Dame and has been an assistant at St. Mary's University the past three years. Also, O'Connor's name has surfaced as a candidate for the head coaching job at Auburn. Stay tuned.

For more information on UVa baseball, please see the link below.

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In addition to the latest recruiting news, Sabre Edge subscribers can check out the links below for last week's stories. To become a subscriber, see sign-up information below.

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