UVa Football Practice Starts

The Virginia football team has started practice with three open sessions over the weekend. The next two practices - Monday and Tuesday - are open as well and begin at approximately 3:45 p.m. The Sabre has been following practice and sharing notes on the EDGE board for subscribers. Here are a couple of highlights for Hoo fans ...

Coach Mike London said before Sunday's practice that he'd prefer for depth to develop on defense to avoid the "Iron Man" routine that played out defensively at times in the past few years: "You want that to happen because if you're a get off [the ball] and attack team, you want to be able to keep fresh bodies in there. I think that speaks to whoever the two's or three's are [on the depth chart] that at any given time you could be put in the game so you have to have your A game going. Even if you're a back-up or a third-team player that makese the travelling squad, we're counting on you to give two, five, six reps - whatever you're called upon - and go in there, be aggressive, and attack the line of scrimmage."

London also indicated that running back Keith Payne likely will be with the team this fall: "I believe ndications are that Keith Payne is going to be alright academically so he'll be in the mix."

Sabre Editor Kris Wright shared some thoughts on the EDGE about practice Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A couple of highlights:

Kicker Chris Hinkebein looked as consistent/good as I've ever seen him on field goals [Sunday]. Robert Randolph looked fine too, but Hinkebein was just more consistent than I remember.

Instead of watching 7 on 7 today, I went over and watched the defensive line work during its breakout session. The defensive line looks good to me and I don't think that should be surprising with Jim Reid and Jeff Hanson doing the coaching. Those two guys have coached forever and you can see it in their coaching - confident, demanding and praising all at the same time. Really detailed coaching too. I enjoyed watching that segment.

While I was over there, they were watching on using their hands to knock off the blocker and then tackle/strip sack the QB. Nick Jenkins, Will Hill, Cam Johnson, Zane Parr, John-Kevin Dolce and Chris Brathwaite all were impressive with knocking away the tackle dummy with aggressive hands.

Speaking of Nick Jenkins, he looks as good as I've ever seen him. Still thick, but muscular looking and aggressive. He's going to be solid in the middle.

The Sabre's annual "Hoo Preview" is taking an August-long look at the football team. The Sabre will have stories every week day through Friday, Aug. 27. The Hoo Preview includes exclusive position-by-position analysis, columns, features, and interviews about the Cavaliers. Make sure you have an EDGE subscription so you can follow the action. The Sabre's regular game week coverage begins on Monday, Aug. 30 for the Richmond game.

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

"Each year he has stepped up. As a freshman, he was decent. As a sophomore, he was better. As a junior, he was pretty darn awesome. I can't wait to see what he'll do as a senior." - Green Run (Virginia Beach, VA) head coach Shawn Wilson on rising senior defensive tackle David Dean.

This month, I will spotlight a number of UVa's 2011 class commitments in a segment called "Preseason Report." David Dean, one of the first commitments in Coach London's first full recruiting class, has truly become a leader for Coach Wilson's squad this season.

"There are a couple of new kids, but I'm trying to teach them the way the system runs," Dean said. "In the weight room, I've tried to get them to work hard and do the things I do. I tell them where to go and what to do. I kind of like it. I like to teach younger kids. When I was young, people would tell me what to do. I like to have that role."

For more on the 6'2", 285-pound defensive tackle prospect, including how solid he is in his commitment to the Cavaliers, be sure to read the EDGE.

And in case you missed it last week, DeMatha head coach Bill McGregor reflected on the offseason of Virginia commitments Jordan Lomax and Kelby Johnson.

"In our 7-on-7 competitions, he has done outstanding," McGregor said of Lomax, a speedy prospect who is part of DeMatha's 4X100 relay team in track. "I don't think he'll come off the field for us this season. I've got to play him offensively. He's like Rodney [McLeod]. Jordan's athleticism is like Rodney. He could be either a corner or a safety.

"Kelby is about 295, maybe 300 pounds. He had a great offseason lifting weights and working out. This is what he really needed. Cyrus [Kouandjio] will be our left tackle and Kelby will be our starting right tackle."

You can read more on these two and more from DeMatha on the EDGE as well.

Also this week, we'll check back with Manchester (Midlothian, VA) offensive lineman Jake Goins for more on where he is with respect to a decision. The 6'5", 285-pound rising senior is deciding between Virginia and Virginia Tech. Point Pleasant (N.J.) tight end Ryan Malleck could also have a decision soon and, at last check, Virginia remained in the running.

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 ...

FB Recruiting Notes: DeMatha H.S.
The University of Virginia football program has enjoyed success when recruiting DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD) over the past several years and Mike London has continued the run, scoring commitments from offensive tackle Kelby Johnson and defensive back Jordan Lomax in the 2011 class. Stags head coach Bill McGregor updates the latest on those two prospects and more, including whether 2010 class commit Kyrrel Latimer still plans to play for the Cavaliers.

Preseason Report: RB Clifton Richardson
Menchville (Newport News, VA) opens preseason practice today, the beginning of what star rising senior Clifton "Doodie" Richardson hopes will be a stellar season. The Monarchs finished with a 2-8 record last season despite Richardson rushing for 1,268 yards and 11 scores, but expectations are high as a new season is underway.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Nicholson Will Make Official Visits
• Star Athlete Jennings To Cut List To 10

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UVa Football TV Series Continues

The "Virginia Football: The Building of a Program" television show's next episode airs tonight at 9 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. It also will be posted online at VirginiaSportsTV.com and VirginiaFootball2010.com. The show airs each Monday on Comcast Sportsnet at 9 p.m. and is available online at VirginiaSportsTV.com on Tuesdays at 8 a.m. For more information, click here.

Blog Banter: Leftovers ... SOP: Football

As always, not everything makes the story for The Sabre's "State of the Programs" series. The most recent piece focuses on football so here are some leftover thoughts from Cavalier coach Mike London. Enjoy!

On whether he has anything up his sleeve for fans on game day ...

"Let's put it this way, there are a few things in the works that I want to initiate and it will involve the team, the fans, the students, and what we do on the sideline and I'll just leave it at that."

On alumni of the program and their support ...

"Without a doubt. We are in contact constantly with former Virginia football alumni and I think that's important, that you never lose contact with guys that have bled on the field, won on the field, lost close games, and gone on to great things either in the world or in the NFL. It's been really neat to see the different generations of Virginia football contact us or we've contacted them and they've come back. It's really neat. I think what happens a lot of times, players of today really have a disconnect of the history of Virginia football. Who's AB? Not everybody knows AB is Aaron Brooks. I think reconnecting the history of some of our younger guys to some of the guys that played before them is important. They all know the Heath Millers of the world and Chris Long and D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Eugene Monroe and Branden Albert, but think about it they were in middle school or high school. Any names before those guys, they were watching Teletubbies or something like that. The pictures in and around McCue Center, in the media room at Scott Stadium, and you see all of those names, I think it's important that guys and our team understand that there's a connection to the players that played before them."

Read more news in this post here and follow the Hoos every day on The Good Ol Blog.

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Virginia To Play Washington In Maui Invitational: Virginia will play Washington in the first round of the 2010 EA SPORTS Maui Invitational Tournament at the Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii, on Nov. 22. The Virginia-Washington game is the last of four games on the opening day of the three-day tournament. The game is scheduled to begin at midnight eastern time (7 p.m. Hawaii time) and will be televised by ESPN2. The three-day tournament continues through Nov. 24. The winner of the Virginia-Washington game will play the winner of an opening round game between Oklahoma and Kentucky in the tournament semifinals on Nov. 23.
• Jenkins Wins Doubles Title on USTA Futures Tour: Virginia rising sophomore Jarmere Jenkins won his second career doubles title on the USTA Futures Tour with a victory at the event in Decatur, Illinois. Jenkins teamed with former Wake Forest All-American Todd Paul to win the title at the $10,000 pro event. In Sunday's final, Jenkins and Paul won 6-2, 7-5 over Daniel Nguyen, a rising junior at USC, and his partner Michael Grant.
• Robison Takes Sixth in 100 Free; Naurath Seventh in 200 Fly: Two Virginia swimmers made appearances in the finals of the ConocoPhillips National Championships Friday night as day four of the event continued from Irvine, Calif. Rising senior Scot Robison placed sixth in the 100-meter free, clocking a mark of 49.36. That time bested his preliminary mark of 49.56. Incoming freshman Rachel Naurath also swam her way into the finals of the 200-meter fly. She placed seventh with a time of 2:11.80.
• Altomare and Brightwell Finish Fourth at Collegiate Team Championships: The Virginia duo of Brittany Altomare and Elizabeth Brightwell finished fourth at the Women's Collegiate Team Championship. Their final score was 281. Wake Forest's tandem of Cheyenne Woods and Michelle Shin won the tournament with a score of 273.
• Randy Bird Named Director Of Sports Nutrition For Virginia Athletics Department: Randy Bird, sports nutritionist at the University of Kansas the last five years, has been named director of sports nutrition for the Virginia athletics department. Bird created and implemented the first sports nutrition program at Kansas where he provided nutrition education and counseling for the Jayhawks' 18 intercollegiate athletics teams. Bird will be responsible for the development and coordination of optimal nutritional services at Virginia and for the nutritional development and care of student-athletes.
• UVa Publications Staff Wins National Awards: The Virginia Athletics Media Relations department has been honored by the College Sports Information Directors of America, winning nine awards in the 2010 CoSIDA Publications Contests. The department received five Best in the Nation certificates for media guides or media guide cover design.

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

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Issue No. 325 - January 21, 2008

London Takes Richmond Job

Last week, SabreMail told you that Mike London was interviewing with the University of Richmond about its head football coaching vacancy. Less than one week later, London accepted the position - which he interviewed for in 2004 but was not hired - at his alma mater. He was officially introduced at a news conference on Saturday.

"I'm excited about the opportunity that has been presented to me," London told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "I've walked the grounds here. I've been on the football field and the practice field. I know what it takes to be a student-athlete at this school. Things didn't work out the first time, but I firmly believe that things happen for a purpose. I needed more training, and now I've come back and I'm ready."

London's departure marks the fourth time during Al Groh's tenure at UVa that an assistant has been hired by another school to be its head coach. Al Golden (Temple), Danny Rocco (Liberty), and Ron Prince (Kansas State) are still head coaches at those schools today.

Of course, this also means that Groh will have to find a replacement yet again. The key for him will be to not only find a capable coach, but a capable recruiter. London was one of the top assistants on the UVa staff on the recruiting trail; high school coaches and players routinely praise London for his genuine interest in recruits.

Check Out SabreMail #325.

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:

• State of the Programs: The Sabre plans to take a look back at a historic sports year for the Hoos, who locked up a record third place finish in the Director's Cup. Where do the various programs stand right now? We'll let you know!
• Annual Hoo Preview: The Sabre's annual "Hoo Preview" for UVa football is roaring along!

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Hoo Preview 2010: New Era, New Verica?
The newest Marc Verica era of Virginia football will officially begin this Friday, August 6 when the Cavaliers open practice. The question is which Verica is Virginia going to see this season: the efficient leader or the erratic back-up turned starter?

Hoo Preview 2010: By The Numbers
When the Virginia football team starts its season on Sept. 4 with 6 p.m. game against Richmond at Scott Stadium, it will be the first game under new coach Mike London. It is also the first chance for the Cavaliers to show off their new 4-3 defense and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor's new offense. The Sabre helps you gear up for the first kickoff with a "By The Numbers" look in the Hoo Preview.

State Of The Programs: Football
"Very busy and very proactive." That's how Mike London described the first several months on the job for Virginia's new football coaches. Why so busy? London, hired in December to revive a program struggling for the latter part of the decade, made it a mission to start the rebuilding effort with an unending outreach program. Fans, recruits, high school coaches. Really, anyone interested in listening. That's because London believed the first step in the rejuvenation project started with re-energizing UVa football.

JHoo's Summer Reading 2010: Safeties
For the last analysis of the summer, we have the last line of defense: the safeties. And in 2010, the last line of defense is going to be key, given the new, more aggressive defense as well as the young linebackers playing in front of the safeties. Fortunately, the Hoos are not without talent on the back line, even if some more depth would allow everyone to sleep a little easier in 2010.

State Of The Programs: Field Hockey
When the Virginia field hockey program held its camp in early July, the field tucked behind University Hall baked beneath an unusually - yes even for Charlottesville - hot summer sky. The sweltering heat did nothing to oppress the enthusiasm, though. And why would it? The campers, and undoubtedly prospects, are part of a growing group that is excited about the UVa program.

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