TheSabre.com's Hoo Preview Returns

Each August, TheSabre.com rolls out its "Hoo Preview" for football season and the 2011 edition begins today! Nearly every day for the next four weeks, we'll have articles on your Cavaliers as we preview the 2011 season, Mike London's second year at the helm. The "Hoo Preview" features position-by-position breakdowns, schedule analysis, interviews, columns, and more!

So if you're tired of newspapers in your area barely paying attention to the Hoos or the short write-ups by national media, the Sabre EDGE is the place to be in August. And it costs less to join the EDGE for one month than to buy a preseason magazine. For just $5.99, you have access to the EDGE throughout August and our entire EDGE archives! Subscribe here.

On tap for this week are "By The Numbers", "Take Five", Editor Kris Wright's column on the season, and a look at the running backs. Plus, The Sabre will be at media day on Wednesday and open practice over the weekend to keep you in touch with what's going on with the Hoos.

This Week In Recruiting

Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, VA) defensive end Eli Harold, one of the state's top 2012 class prospects, will announce his college choice Tuesday at a 5 p.m. press conference at his high school. TheSabre.com will be on hand for complete coverage.

Florida, Penn State and UVa are the finalists for the 6'4", 220-pound rising senior, who boasted offers from more than 20 major FBS-level schools before narrowing the list. Virginia was the favorite back in May and hopes to outlast the Gators and Nittany Lions on Tuesday night. If the Hoos win out, the coaches would have made a big difference.

"He is a great guy. He is a great guy," Harold said of Mike London in a May interview. "Coach West is a great guy. Coach Hanson, great guy. Coach Moore. All them guys, they are just great people to be around. I'm not saying that's where I'm going, but I'm saying they are great people. My brother has a good relationship with them. My mother passed, and he's my older brother. He's my guardian helping me with my recruitment."

Harold's mother's birthday is Aug. 2, so certainly the announcement date carries much significance to the Dolphins star.

With recent commitments from wide receiver/safety Anthony Cooper, tight end/wide receiver Kyle Dockins, and cornerback C.J. Moore, Virginia has 18 commitments heading into this week.

Also this week, we check in with one of UVa's early commits in the class in Norfolk Christian (Norfolk, VA) linebacker Kwontie Moore. The 6'1", 240-pound middle linebacker recruit has enjoyed a successful offseason and is highly confident as he heads into his senior season. Moore talks about the offseason, which included participation in two national events, as well as his teammate, Courtnye Wynn's, recent commitment to the Cavaliers.

Plus, I'll have more on wide receiver target Canaan Severin of Worcester, Massachusetts. The 6'3", 210-pound Severin is considering a handful of schools at this point, including the University of Virginia. Severin was a teammate of Kwontie Moore's at the recent 7-on-7 Gridiron Kings tournament in Florida. He called the Cavaliers' commit a "man-child."

On the basketball front, in case you missed it there is an update on DeMatha (Hyattsville, MD) rising senior point guard James Robinson up on the EDGE (link below). Robinson, who is one of Virginia's top remaining targets left in the 2012 class, gives his thoughts on the Cavaliers and more in this latest update. We'll have more on the basketball front as well this week, so stay tuned.

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 ...

Harold Decision One Week Away
One week from today, Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, VA) rising senior defensive end Eli Harold will reveal his college choice at a 5 p.m. press conference at his high school. The University of Virginia, one of three finalists for the 6'4", 220-pound prospect, hopes to add to a defensive haul that already includes highly regarded prospects such as Kwontie Moore, Michael Moore and Courtnye Wynn.

Robinson Talks AAU Play, Recruiting
James Robinson's performance on the AAU circuit this month caught the attention of Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon and UCLA's Ben Howland, the former going so far as to extend an offer to the 6'3", 200-pound DeMatha (Hyattsville, MD) guard. Pitt now joins two ACC schools, including UVa, and one other Big East program as the current main contenders for the talented rising senior.

London, West Sold Cooper On UVa
Bayside (Virginia Beach, VA) rising senior Anthony Cooper, one of the University of Virginia's most recent commitments, kept it simple at his July 20 press conference. "I just thanked everybody," Cooper recalled. "I thanked all the schools that had given me a scholarship offer. Then I said where I was going." The decision itself, Cooper says, wasn't as simple. Many observers pegged the 6'0", 180-pound wide receiver/safety as UVa-bound, but the final decision only became clear hours before the announcement.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

CapTech Ventures is an information technology consulting firm that manages, designs and integrates systems. With practice areas in IT management consulting, systems integration and data management, CapTech consultants work on projects and programs across a range of industries.

Contact them today for more details on consulting services and/or employment opportunities.

Meet the Team Day Set for Aug. 14

UVa Athletics Media Relations, Official Release

The Virginia football team will hold its annual "Meet the Team Day" this year on Sunday, Aug. 14. Cavalier fans will have the chance to interact with the players on Virginia's 2011 squad, head coach Mike London and the other members of the UVa coaching staff. Meet the Team Day takes place at the Carl Smith Center, home of David A. Harrison III Field at Scott Stadium. Players will be available for photos and autographs from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Gates to the stadium open at 1:30 p.m.??

"Our team looks forward to this event every year," London said. "This is a fun day for our players and it's a great break during preseason camp. Our fans have been very supportive and I know everyone's looking forward to the start of the season on Sept. 3 against William & Mary."

Fans will be able to pick up copies of the 2011 Cavalier Football schedule poster, schedule magnet and schedule cards. Tours of the locker room will take place and concession stands will be in operation. The first 500 youth in attendance will receive a free UVa-Nike mini football. All fans in attendance also have the opportunity to win door prizes.

There will be plenty of activities for young Cavalier fans. A kid's zone will feature inflatable games and other activities. The Cavalier and his horse, Sabre, will be in attendance along with members of the Virginia spirit team.

Parking is free for the event in both the East and West lots adjacent to Scott Stadium.

The football program also has announced open practice dates for the public:

• Open Practice: Friday, August 5 - 3:50 p.m.
• Open Practice: Saturday, August 6 - 3:50 p.m.
• Open Practice: Sunday, August 7 - 3:50 p.m.
• Open Practice: Monday, August 8 - 3:50 p.m.
• Open Practice: Tuesday, August 9 - 3:50 p.m.

Five Hoos Sign Undrafted Free Agent Contracts

UVa Athletics Media Relations Official Release

Three Virginia Cavaliers signed free agent contracts with NFL teams on Tuesday, the first day undrafted free agents were able to do so after the end of the lockout. Danny Aiken (Buffalo Bills), Dontrelle Inman (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Zane Parr (Houston Texans) all signed free agent contracts. Keith Payne (New York Giants) became the fourth former Cavalier to sign a free agent contract when he inked his deal on Thursday morning. Marc Verica (Washington Redskins) became the fifth to sign a free agent contract when he signed on Saturday morning. Stay tuned for updates as more Cavaliers sign free agent contracts.

Advertise With The Sabre!

Our advertising approach is different in that we make it abundantly clear in a direct and honest way that your company's commitment of sponsorship dollars is what enables the site to continue existing and improving into the future.

To learn more, please contact [email protected].

To view a list of our sponsors, please visit our Sponsors Page.

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Virginia Places 250 Student-Athletes on ACC Academic Honor Roll: ACC Commissioner John D. Swofford released the 55th annual ACC Academic Honor Roll, which notes academic excellence by student-athletes for the 2010-11 academic year. Virginia placed 250 student-athletes on the Honor Roll. The Honor Roll is comprised of student-athletes who participated in a varsity-level sport and registered a grade point average of 3.00 or better for the full academic year.
• Minnifield Selected to the ACC Preseason Team: Virginia senior cornerback Chase Minnifield has been named to the Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Team in voting conducted by the media at the annual ACC Football Kickoff. Minnifield's 38 votes registered as the most at the cornerback position.
• Virginia Picked By Media to Finish Fifth in ACC Coastal Division: The Virginia football team was picked to finish in fifth-place of the ACC's Coastal Division, which was announced during the 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Kickoff. The media voted Florida State as the league's favorite to win the 2011 ACC Football title.
• McCarthy Leads Maryland Team to Mid-Atlantic Junior Title: Led by incoming Cavalier freshman Denny McCarthy's final day competitive course record of 5-under-par 66, the team from Maryland posted a wire-to-wire victory at the third annual Mid-Atlantic Junior Invitational.
• Devvarman and Huey Reach First ATP Final: Virginia alumni Somdev Devvarman and Treat Huey reached their first career ATP doubles final at the Farmers Classic at the LA Tennis Center. No. 3 seeds Xavier Malisse and Mark Knowles edged past the UVa duo, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10) as each side broke the other a total of four times each during the match.
• Past, Present and Future Cavaliers Compete Successfully At Under-23 World Championships: Highlighting a group of six with Virginia rowing ties, class of 2011 graduate Christine Roper and rising junior Susanne Grainger won a gold medal with Canada's women's eight at the 2011 World Rowing Under 23 Championships. Former Cavalier rower and member of the 2010 NCAA Champion squad Inge Janssen won the bronze medal with The Netherlands in the pair race. Rising senior Martha Kuzzy finished fifth with the United States' women's four and rising junior Kristine O'Brien finished seventh with the United States' women's quad. Rounding out Virginia's presence at the championships, incoming graduate student Sarah Cowburn finished fourth for Great Britain in the double.
• United States Earns Bronze in 4x100-Meter Freestyle Relay: The United States 4x100-meter freestyle relay team earned bronze at the 2011 FINA Long Course World Championships. Former Cavalier swimmer Scot Robison competed for the United States during the preliminary event, where the U.S. squad clocked a time of 3:13.50, the second-fastest time of the prelims.

To read the full stories or gather more information on Virginia athletics, check out Virginiasports.com.

UVA Bookstores Football Fan T-Shirt

The 2011 UVA Bookstore Football Fan T-shirt features a full-front design. A two-color football with the V-Sabre is "flying" past the stacked Go Hoos Go! imprint and V-Sabre logo. Virginia Football is underneath with a stylized line graphic below.

Get Spotted To Win! Wear your UVA Bookstore Football Fan T-shirt to a home football game for your chance to win a $25 UVA Bookstore Gift Card. Click here for details.

And don't forget about "Orange and Blue Football Fridays" at the UVA Bookstore. Save 25% in-store only on the Fridays before home football games (9/2, 9/23, 9/30, 10/14, 10/21, 11/11, 11/25)! For more information and restrictions, click here.

Issue No. 36 - May 9, 2002

Football gets two commitments

Last week, Virginia football received commitments from two players, Marvin Richardson of New Jersey and Conner Hughes of Virginia.

Richardson is the first commitment for the 2003 class and was under the radar screen for most colleges. Richardson, a 6-4, 210-pound linebacker from Bishop Francis Essex Catholic High in East Orange, N.J, was impressed with Virginia during an unofficial visit during the Spring Football Festival in April, and committed shortly after. Richardson has good speed at 4.5 in the forty and is a versatile athlete. He's not only a standout in football; Richardson plays on the varsity basketball team and participates in track and field events, such as the high hurdles and 4x100 relay. Richardson received his first scholarship offer from UVa but has received many others since his early decision to commit to the Cavaliers. Richardson is the first of about 20 recruits Virginia can take for the 2003 recruiting class.

Hughes is one of the state's best kicking prospects and chose Virginia over Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech apparently offered Hughes a partial scholarship for soccer, with the intent on letting him try out for football next spring. The Virginia coaching staff is taking Hughes as a walk-on with the intent on using him solely for football. Hughes will have the opportunity to receive a full scholarship at UVa if he performs well. Hughes played for Lafayette High in Williamsburg and was named first-team Group AA as a senior. As a quarterback and kicker, Hughes helped lead Lafayette to a win in the Group AA Division IV state championship game. In that game, Hughes rushed for 169 yards, threw for one touchdown and kicked two field goals, one of which was 49 yards and tied an earlier record he set in the semifinals.

"I'm very impressed with his athletic ability. He was an All-State kicker and kicked for us for four years," Head Coach Paul Wheeler said, "He was the best kicker I've been around in 22 years. By the end of the year, he proved to be one of the best athletes in the state. He quarterbacked our football team to the state championship, and had never played quarterback before. He took on the responsibility right before the first game. He took the football team through some rocky times early and did a great job. He's a fine young man and a very good student. Conner proved he was a winner by leading a team to the state championship that was probably not expected to be there.

"The thing that makes him an excellent candidate to be a very fine college kicker is the fact that he is a very good athlete, and he hasn't even hit his ceiling yet. I think, with maturity and strength training, he's going to get better because he has athletic ability in him. He's a very fine soccer player. I think that his best kicking is ahead of him. He holds the state playoff record with 49 yards. He set it in the state semifinal game and did it again the next week in the final. His longest in practice is around 60 yards. [In terms of confidence in his ability], I felt that we had a chance at any time, and of course that made us a much better football team."

Check Out SabreMail #36.

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:

• Hoo Preview 2011: TheSabre.com previews the Virginia football team for most of August. Get an EDGE subscription for position previews, schedule analysis, columns, interviews, and more!
• Pro Hoos: TheSabre.com is debuting a new series in August too. Stay tuned!

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

JHoo's Summer Reading 2011: Corners
Last week's column on the safeties probably did not leave most readers with warm and fuzzy feelings. This week's column on the cornerbacks, however, is likely to elicit different emotions. Why? Because the unit has star power and, while it is not exactly clear how everything will line up in the end, there clearly is talent. With that in mind, let's close out the Summer Reading series for 2011.

Gelnovatch's Hoos Hope For Strong Season
Twelve players on the 2011 Virginia men's soccer team will have experienced, in just two years, more emotional extremes than most college athletes experience during a complete four-year career. The Cavaliers will attempt to utilize this bevy of experiences from the last two years, including come-from-behind wins, underperformances and unexpected losses, and a wealth of tightly contested conference games, to return to 2009 form.

Swanson's Club Eyes Sustained Success
Eleven seasons at the helm of Virginia's women's soccer program has provided coach Steve Swanson with tremendous perspective. While others may lament the graduation of a record-breaking class including the outstanding goal-scoring duo of Meghan Lenczyk and Sinead Farrelly, Swanson focuses fully on the season ahead and he feels good about the Hoos.

UVa Faces Mixed Bag In ACC
With football practice starting in a few short days, the road to the ACC Championship begins its paving process. Preseason predictions have pegged Virginia Tech and Florida State as the division front-runners for 2011 and the media ultimately expects FSU to take home the ACC title in December. TheSabre.com takes a look at the rest of the conference as practice looms on the calendar.

FanWatch: Galileo24 Sees Stars At UVa
From University Hall to the John Paul Jones Arena, Brett Wood, or Galileo24 to message board fans, has followed the Virginia basketball team. It started at just 11 years old when Wood was drawn to Barry Parkhill and the Hoos. Those UVa roots have extended for decades and grown well beyond the basketball court as Galileo24 cheers the Cavaliers year round.

Get your Wahoo fix. Subscribe to Sabre Edge!

Every week, Sabre Edge provides you with exclusive articles, columns, special features, interviews and recruiting news, including daily recruiting updates. There's even a special message board just for subscribers. And to top it off, you get 10 percent off all of your UVa Bookstores purchases during your subscription.

All of the great Sabre Edge content can be yours for the price of $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. Try it for a month and cancel if you like. But we think you'll get hooked on the Edge and find out for yourself why the most knowledgeable Cavalier fans are Edge subscribers.

If you're a true Wahoo, then the Sabre Edge is right for you. Check it out!

• Sabre Edge Info and Sign Up