10-Day Hoo Preview Rolls On

The Sabre 10-Day Hoo Preview started on Wednesday 8/15 so we're roughly half way through our preseason outlook for the Cavs. So far, we've covered the offense and special teams with the defense on deck. Make sure to pick up an EDGE subscription today so you don't miss the Hoo Preview! Sign Up Today! Subscribers can read any of our archived content as well.

Here are some samples from the Hoo Preview to date:

• A Hybrid Hoo?
• The Cavaliers are looking for big things from Mikell Simpson, even developing a hybrid receiver-running back role as Groh mentioned for the Pennsylvania native. The genesis of that concept took root during a summer 2006 trip to Florida where the UVa staff visited Urban Meyer's program. The Cavaliers borrowed bits and pieces from the Gator program, building a variety of plays and wrinkles into their existing offensive system. Last year's offensive line struggles and inexperience at quarterback kept those changes from fully joining the playbook, but the plan is for that to change this fall with Simpson playing in the Percy Harvin role frequently.

  Simpson believes he can deliver.

  "Basically, we're kind of running Florida's offense a little bit and kind of put me in that role that he used and excelled in a lot last year. I'm just trying to do the same thing, if not better," Simpson said.

• Running Backs Preview
• Cedric Peerman will likely to continue to return some kicks this year. But it is at running back where he is expected to make game-changing plays. By all accounts, throughout spring and summer practice Peerman has displayed a previously unseen level of confidence and head coach Al Groh is excited about Peerman's potential contributions.

  "[Cedric] is Chris Long, he is Clint Sintim, he is Vic Hall, he is Antonio Appleby," Groh said of Peerman's competitiveness and work ethic during Sunday's news conference. "We're looking forward to giving [the ball] to him quite a bit. His performance has been excellent. ... He's got a very good confidence level. He's running instinctively. He's running in his own way, he's not trying to be anyone else other than Cedric Peerman. We've tried to assure him that a good Cedric Peerman is all we need."

• Special Teams Preview
• In 2007, Virginia's special teams will take the field approximately 400 times - and Vic Hall will join them approximately 260 times. He's a gunner on the punt coverage team, he plays on Virginia's kickoff coverage unit, he's the holder for PATs and field goals, and he plays on the punt return unit. When Hall's not busy running fake field goals and knocking punt returners to the ground, he's also the starting cornerback and plays the slot position on the sub-passing defense.

  Last season Virginia's punt and kick coverage units were among the best in the ACC. Virginia allowed just 2.7 yards per punt return in 2006. By season's end, scouting reports were noting that punt coverage gunners Mike Brown and Hall might require frequent double teams to slow their progress to the return man. That puts added pressure on the return team, who also must cover the players off the line of scrimmage (unlike in the NFL, college players can release with the snap of the ball).

  When asked what type of player it takes to be a gunner, Groh says, "There's got to be a little bit of daredevil in those guys."

  For Hall, he calls it a "go get it mentality".

  "You've got to have a go get it mentality because when that ball is punted you've got to get off the line and be disruptive," says Hall.

The Hoo Preview continues all week on The Sabre. Sign Up Today so you know all about your Hoos.

Kris Wright
Editor
TheSabre.com

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Football recruiting ...

The University of Virginia football program lost one verbal commitment but immediately gained another this past weekend. Matt Zubyk, a 6-4 punter prospect out of San Diego, California, de-committed from Virginia and committed to Stanford according to reports. While the loss of Zubyk - considered one of the top punters in the country - is significant, it was significantly lessened by the addition of Klinton "Buddy" Ruff.

Ruff, a 6-4, 290-pound defensive lineman out of Norview (Norfolk, VA), decided to commit to Virginia Saturday morning. He named Virginia as his leader last weekend, but he was leaning toward waiting to make a decision after official visits. He changed his mind, though, and pledged to primary recruiter Mike London.

Ruff is an important recruit on two fronts. For one, he is Virginia's first commitment from the state of Virginia. TheSabre.com rates Ruff, who is a 3-star recruit, as the No. 13 overall player in the state. Secondly, he is Virginia's first defensive line recruit. A versatile prospect, Ruff could see time at defensive end or nose in UVa's 3-4 defensive set.

For more on Ruff's commitment, check out the EDGE.

UVa has 12 verbal commitments heading into the season. Unless Wayne Valley (Wayne, N.J.) standout TE/DE Chris Pantale - a prospect who was favoring Boston College and Virginia over Maryland and Michigan at last check - makes an early decision, no other decisions seem likely to come any time soon.

This week, we will continue to follow up with prospects to see which kids plan to visit Charlottesville either prior to the season or in September. Virginia continues to be in good position heading into the fall, which is the beginning of the final big stretch on the recruiting trail.

2007 class revisited ...

Want to know how the incoming freshmen class is preparing for their first season at the University of Virginia? Stay tuned this week, as we will release an article focusing on some of these freshmen including QB Peter Lalich, WR Dontrelle Inman, LB J'Courtney Williams, CB Chase Minnifield, and many more.

Basketball recruiting ...

De Smet Jesuit (St. Louis, MO) rising senior center John Brandenburg had a terrific visit to Stanford earlier this month. He greatly enjoyed getting to know Stanford's players and says that Virginia "has its work cut out" to impress him next month.

The 6-11, 235-pound Brandenburg narrowed his list to Stanford and Virginia at the end of July. Up next for the talented big man is a trip to Charlottesville next month, when he will make an official visit to UVa. The visit will come on the weekend of September 8th and a decision should come within a week after the trip.

Virginia plans to host several recruits this month. 6-5 Holy Cross (N.Y.) guard/wing forward Sylven Landesberg plans to be in Charlottesville later this month and will stay for five days. That certainly isn't a bad sign for Virginia, which is in Landesberg's final five along with Georgia Tech, Kentucky, St. John's, and Texas. Landesberg, rated a 5-star prospect by Scout.com, plans to make a decision by the end of September.

Stay tuned for more on Sylven later Monday on the EDGE.

Chris Horne, our resident recruiting expert, provides updates throughout the week for Edge subscribers about UVa's commitments and recruiting targets in football and men's basketball. To sign up for an Edge subscription, please check out the Sabre Edge Sign Up and Information Page. If you're already on board as an Edge subscriber, click the links below to catch up on recruiting.

Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week ...

Virginia Scores In-State Standout
The University of Virginia staff knocked out two birds with one stone this morning, when 6-4, 290-pound Norview (Norfolk, VA) defensive lineman Klinton "Buddy" Ruff verbally committed to the 'Hoos. Ruff is Virginia's first defensive line recruit as well as its first in-state recruit of the 2008 recruiting class.

McLeod Striving for 5th Straight DeMatha Title
DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD) started preseason practice last Wednesday, beginning the challenging road to a fifth consecutive WCAC title. 5-10, 180-pound cornerback/wide receiver Rodney McLeod, a rising senior committed to the University of Virginia, is anxious for what will be a bigger role this season, his third on DeMatha's varsity squad.

Player Profile: UVa RB Commit Torrey Mack
6-0, 190-pound Stratford (CT) running back Torrey Mack committed to the University of Virginia on June 16th, which of course was UVa's Elite Junior Day. TheSabre.com caught up with Stratford head coach Duane Shirden for more on the talented back, rated a 4-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com.

Other updates since the last SabreMail ...

• Does Norview DL Have a Leader?
  
• Brandenburg Discusses Trip to Stanford
  

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Virginia-VCU Men's Soccer Exhibition Halted by Weather: The Virginia men's soccer team's exhibition contest with VCU Sunday night at VCU Sports Backers Stadium was halted due to weather. The game was scoreless in the 30th minute when lightning entered the area and play was stopped. The game has been rescheduled for 5 p.m. Monday and will be restarted from the beginning.
• 2007 Virginia Men's Soccer Season Preview: Last season, a NCAA record 43,183 fans packed Klöckner Stadium to see the Virginia men's soccer team play. And the Cavaliers didn't disappoint the home fans, posting a 14-1-0 home record en route to a 17-4-1 season and the program's first College Cup appearance since 1997. Nineteen players from that squad, including six starters, return this season looking to build upon last year's national semifinal run.
• Virginia-Virginia Tech Women's Soccer Game to Air on Fox Soccer Channel: The Virginia women's soccer game against Virginia Tech at Klöckner Stadium on October 18 will be televised nationally by the Fox Soccer Channel. The game is one of eight women's contests selected to air as part of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's College Match of the Week series.
• Shannon Davis: My Third Preseason: Shannon Davis knows what to expect when it comes to preseason. This August has been particularly hot for the Cavaliers, but they are focused on working through the heat to prepare for their season opener, scheduled for next Friday, Aug. 24.
• Lauren Dickson: My Second Preseason: Lauren Dickson had a solid rookie campaign a year ago for the Virginia volleyball team, earning a spot on the All-Atlantic Coast Conference freshmen team. A year later, Dickson reported for preseason workouts knowing what to expect and is happy to pass on any advice to the five newcomers.
• All-American Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn on Preseason 2007: Virginia's Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn was named a first team All-American for the 2006 season after helping the Cavaliers advance to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time since 2001 and a final ranking in the top 10. Kaars Sijpesteijn, who earned All-ACC honors along the way, returns for the Cavaliers as they enter the 2007 campaign. As one of the veterans on the side, she offers her thoughts on the preseason.

For more Hoo news or to read full releases, check out Virginiasports.com.

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Issue No. 106 - September 26, 2003

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Virginia hosts three basketball prospects for official visits this weekend - UVA verbal Sean Singletary, Brewster Academy (NH) 6-7, 200 pound wing forward Adrian Joseph, and 6-9, 225 pound Davis Nwankwo from Georgetown Prep (MD). Nwankwo is likely down to Stanford and Arizona, according to sources, while Joseph has the Cavs as one of his favorite schools along with Maryland, Pittsburgh, Villanova, and Penn State.

UVA football hosts at least two recruits on official visits this weekend - JH Rose (NC) running back Andre Brown and Pottstown (PA) cornerback Chris Gorham. This will be the first visit for Brown, who is also considering Tennessee, Miami (FL), Nebraska, and NC State. Gorham, who visited Notre Dame last weekend, will likely decide among the Irish, Cavaliers, and Georgia Tech.

Another Cavalier target visited Notre Dame last weekend, and that was West Charlotte (NC) cornerback Rod Council. Council enjoyed his visit and now lists Notre Dame as his favorite over UVA (10/18/03 visit), Michigan, and Virginia Tech. He has offers from all four and will visit all four before deciding.

The Cavaliers have still not offered Eddie Royal, the outstanding wide receiver from Chantilly, VA. Royal set his first official visit recently, with the lucky team being Tennessee on December 12th. He will likely make official visits to Virginia Tech and Marshall as well and hopes to use up all five visits. UVA is still heavily recruiting him although he is growing frustrated with no offer.

UVA may be on the outside looking in for Dwayne Hendricks, the talented defensive end from Millsville HS (NJ). Hendricks plans on visiting UVA unofficially for the Virginia Tech game, which is some good news. Miami (FL), Iowa, and Michigan are three schools that will definitely receive official visits.

Montgomery Bell Academy (TN) tight end Tom Santi will visit UVA for the Virginia Tech game on November 29th. Santi likes the Cavs a lot and, though he mentioned that he has not narrowed his list down, was really enthusiastic about Coach Ross and Coach Heck. Santi expects to receive an offer on his official visit. Tennessee and LSU headline the list of teams that have offered so far.

Coming Soon

The Sabre has you covered when it comes to Hoo news. Here are a few of the articles to expect on the site in the coming days:

• 10-Day Hoo Preview The Sabre's 10-Day Hoo Preview rolls on!
  

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

10-Day Hoo Preview '07: Q&A - Danny Aiken
Virginia coach Al Groh said this week that two true freshmen - receiver Dontrelle Inman and snapper Danny Aiken - have started to press for early playing time this fall. In Aiken's case, he could be a vital part of the field goal and punting units on special teams as he competes for the starting long snapper position vacated by two-year starter Tyrus Gardner.

10-Day Hoo Preview '07: Special Teams
How important are special teams? One of Virginia's most talented players, Vic Hall, serves on four different special teams' groups. Every player that wears a starters' "Orange Crush Defense" jersey plays on at least one special team unit. Last season, special teams accounted for 23-28% of the plays in every game. Let's just say, special teams are pretty important.

10-Day Hoo Preview '07: Keys to the Season
The top priority for Virginia in 2007 is to control what it can control, exceed where it was average - at best - last year, and as football goes, hope that the intangibles, such as health, fall in its favor. But what are each unit's Keys to the Season? ESPN 840 AM's Wes McElroy breaks down the Cavs' secrets to success.

10-Day Hoo Preview '07: A Hybrid Hoo?
Al Groh looks for certain traits in his players, instilling the 'smart, tough, focused' mantra from his first days on the Virginia job. Unquestionably one characteristic he prizes is versatility. He has a certain soft spot for those players who can fill multiple roles, who can help their team win in more ways that one. There's no wonder then that Groh sounds a bit upbeat when he speaks about Mikell Simpson.

10-Day Hoo Preview '07: WRs & TEs
Consider the contrast between Virginia's wide receiver position and the tight ends. The receivers are a collection of unproven and inexperienced players with noticeable potential. The tight ends, like Jonathan Stupar, are battle-tested and successful contributors. Can both groups help the Hoos win in 2007?

10-Day Hoo Preview '07: Horne Eyes Shot
Wide receiver Maurice Covington says he's "looking forward to seeing who steps up at the running back spot." So is everyone else. One of the prime candidates is redshirt freshmen tailback Raynard Horne. At 6'0", 205 pounds and possessing sub 4.5 speed, Horne is among the new breed of backs that possess both power and raw speed.

10-Day Hoo Preview '07: Running Backs
The running back spot is one that is oozing with potential for Virginia. Yet, with perhaps the exception of wide receiver, it is also the position with the least proven talent. Heading into the season, junior Cedric Peerman is secure atop the depth chart while several others are in the mix for playing time. How will the running backs play following a year where Jason Snelling shouldered the load?

10-Day Hoo Preview '07: By The Numbers
You've read all the previews already. The safe bets that we'll win a certain number of games, finish at a certain spot in the standings, and blah blah blah. Those previews are all fine, but let's approach this whole genre a different way so that you guys won't stab out your eyes to avoid reading yet another expert explaining that the season hinges on Jameel Sewell's wrist. No kidding. Let's take the season and break this baby down by the numbers. And let's start at the beginning ...

10-Day Hoo Preview '07: Q&A - Zak Stair
Entering the 2007 season, one thing Virginia expects is improved production on offense. One reason for that is the fact that all five starters return on the offensive line. Or should we just call it six? Zak Stair started seven games last season and he is one of the most experienced reserves on the entire roster. The Sabre sat down with the Osbourn Park High School product after a recent practice for a quick Question & Answer session. From Philosophy to extra practice, here's what he had to say.

10-Day Hoo Preview '07: Offensive Line
Much of the criticism for Virginia's 2-5 start last season was laid of the feet of the five men that comprised the Cavalier offensive line. The 99.9 yards rushing per game was the lowest total in almost three decades for a Virginia club and the 15.1 points per game was the program's lowest total in 25 seasons. As the front line gelled midway through the campaign, however, the Cavalier offense improved and the squad finished the season with a 3-2 mark.

Photo Gallery: Meet the Team Day
Scott Stadium buzzed in the Sunday afternoon heat as fans got a chance to mingle with the 2007 Virginia football team. Of course, the annual Meet the Team Day event was the first chance to meet the freshmen - including wide receiver Dontrelle Inman, who has created a bit of a buzz in the early days of practice. Check out these images from Sunday's festivities.

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