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This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Happy Holidays from TheSabre.com!

In case you missed it, check out the latest on Sherando (Stephens City, VA) quarterback Ross Metheny in our "Postseason Update" series. The 6-3, 190-pound lefty signal caller discussed his knee injury, his future at Virginia, UVa's coaching staff chances, his fellow 2009 classmates, and more.

In addition to Metheny, we have caught up with Clearwater Catholic (Belleair Beach, FL) tight end Paul Freedman, Oscar Smith WR Tim Smith and Lorne Park (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) defensive end Brent Urban in the "Postseason Update" series. We'll continue to catch up with UVa's commitments from now through Signing Day.

Speaking of quarterbacks, Phoebus (Hampton, VA) 4-star signal caller Tajh Boyd continues to list Virginia as a potential option according to a report in the Daily Press. Boyd, a 6-2, 200-pound prospect, is also considering Boston College, Ohio State, and Oregon according to the report. UVa may be listed, but unless the Cavaliers get an official visit, it is tough to get too excited about its chances here. Boyd has expressed an interest in leaving the state from early on in his recruitment, so even if he does visit it may be tough to get excited. An official visit, though, would at least seem to give Virginia a better chance.

UVa would like to add at least one more top outside linebacker to its 2009 class. The staff already has a verbal from 6-3, 220-pound Charlotte Catholic (N.C.) standout Tucker Windle. Brooke Point (Stafford, VA) star Lanford Collins and St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH) standout Luke Kuechley have been offered and appear to be top priorities, but a new target emerged last week.

6-3. 244-pound DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD) senior standout Jeremiah Mathis was scheduled to be in Charlottesville on an unofficial visit over the weekend. Mathis, who has been offered by Kansas State, Maryland, New Mexico, N.C. State, and Syracuse according to head coach Bill McGregor, is being considered for an offer by the Cavaliers.

Coach McGregor told TheSabre.com last Friday that Mathis would be "very, very, very interested" in Virginia if Al Groh were to offer. We'll follow up on the latest with Mathis' recruitment this week.

Also stay tuned for more on 6-4, 240-pound Lanford Collins later today.

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 ...

Postseason Update: QB Ross Metheny
6-3, 190-pound quarterback Ross Metheny is the latest subject of "Postseason Update." A 4-year starter on the varsity level, the lefty signal caller led the Sherando Warriors (Stephens City, VA) to 38 wins to only seven losses as the starting quarterback, including a Group AA, Division 4 state championship game appearance last season as a junior.

Recruiting Recap
The news certainly wasn't light on the recruiting trail this week, so here is a recap of some of the latest developments with Virginia football recruiting. The news has been good and bad, from Virginia being eliminated by a top OL/DL recruit to a current commit reaffirming his decision and more.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Mathis Set to Visit UVa
• Postseason Update: TE Paul Freedman
• Mark Shuman Continues to Add Offers
• Star OL Enjoys UVa Official Visit
• Hill Remains Solid in his Commitment

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Blog Banter: Regarding Brandon, and my thoughts on his hiring

By Rob Mahini of The Good Ol' Blog at TheSabre.com

There's a lot that could be said about Al Groh's decision to hire Gregg Brandon as UVa's offensive coordinator. I'll do my best to cover some ground here and in subsequent posts this week, but I'm sure I'll be missing something.

First, this hiring has to mean that Groh is going to take a new hands-off approach to the offense, right? Choosing (and courting) Brandon had to include an understanding that he would be installing and running a vastly different offensive system without micromanaging from the head coach. Brandon probably wouldn't have taken this job over interest from Illinois and Mississippi State without such assurances from Groh. Honestly, hiring Brandon without such an understanding wouldn't make much sense - what does Groh know about installing and running the spread offense? Not much, and that's why he brought in Brandon.

And this new approach to the offense would be a good thing. As we all know, Groh is a defensive mind, especially focused on his linebackers. With undeveloped OCs like Ron Prince and Mike Groh, he probably felt a need to get involved in the offense to help these guys along. But that was time spent away from Al Groh's strength and instead on the part of the game where he doesn't have nearly as much to contribute. So, by bringing in (finally) a plug-and-play ready OC, Groh now has the ability to delegate where needed and focus his own expertise on where it best fits.

So, the stage is set for such an approach. The question now is on how easily Groh will slide into his new role.

More thoughts later ....

Read The Good Ol' Blog!

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Issue No. 280 - Feb. 19, 2007

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Men's basketball ...

Jeff Jones

Congratulations go out to Monsignor Bonner (Drexel Hill, PA) guard Jeff Jones, who, with a 36-point performance in a 79-64 win over West Catholic, became the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Philadelphia Catholic League.

The 6-4 senior, who signed with UVa last November, was 29 points short of the record heading into the game. He now has 1,903 career points in the Philadelphia Catholic League.

Monsignor Bonner's win was a big one, as it clinched a playoff berth and fourth place in the Catholic League Southern Division.

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 soon:

• Basketball Returns: The basketball men's basketball team is back in action this week and The Sabre will have coverage of the Cavaliers.
• Jed Williams: Columnist Jed Williams is working on his next article for the site.
• Looking Back At Football Season: JHoo and Greg Waters look back at the 2008 football season with their exclusive Sabre features plus we have a jam-packed roundtable in the works.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Auburn Defeats Virginia
It doesn't take a basketball guru to figure out what went wrong in Virginia's 58-56 loss to Auburn on Saturday. Despite five lead changes and some roller coaster momentum swings, it all boils down to several key things for the Hoos. Quite simply, UVa shot 20 % in the first half, was out-rebounded 44-30, and was victimized by big shots at big moments.

Jones Shows Improvement Against Longwood
After finding himself on the bench for all of Virginia's loss to Minnesota two weeks ago, sophomore guard Jeff Jones dedicated the next two weeks of practice to elevating his game. His effort showed in Virginia's 90-61 stomping of Longwood on Wednesday night.

Jed Williams: Making A List ...
While the past 12 months have offered up heartwarming stories and exemplary student athletes, 2008 has been a big bah humbug on the playing fields, with the lumps of coal pelting Wahoos on the very first day of the New Year in the Gator Bowl. Virginia fans, bless your aching hearts, 2008 has been difficult to digest. This Christmas, ask for more. Want more. Expect more. Here is my lengthy-yet-realistic Christmas wish list to be dropped at the doorsteps of Craig Littlepage, Al Groh, Dave Leitao, and others.

Cavaliers Crush Longwood
The Virginia men's basketball team had struggled against some more talented in-state teams earlier this season, even losing to Liberty 86-82 nearly a month ago. On Wednesday night against lesser talented Longwood, however, the Cavaliers wasted little time in showing their supremacy while shaking off the rust of an extended exam break. The Hoos bolted out to a 7-0 lead in two minutes, an advantage that eventually ballooned to 31-14, 42-27, 62-39, 76-47, and the 90-61 final score. UVa coach Dave Leitao said the in-game success is hopefully a point the team can build upon.

Cavs Return To Action Against Lancers
After a 15-day hiatus for exams, the Virginia men's basketball team will return to the hardwood Wednesday night for an in-state match-up with Longwood. The Cavaliers have been inactive since a 10-point loss at Minnesota on Dec. 2.

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