Football Practice, Hoo Preview

The Virginia football team opens practice for the 2013 season this week. The Cavaliers are holding open practices for the public on Monday, Aug. 5, Tuesday, Aug. 6 and Wednesday, Aug. 7. Those practices start at approximately 3:40 p.m. and will last approximately two hours. Fans attending those practices can park in the University Hall and John Paul Jones Arena parking lots.

There is another public event as well. The annual Meet the Team Day event is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 18 at the John Paul Jones Arena. Players and coaches will be there from 2 to 3:30 p.m. for photos and autographs. The first 500 youth in attendance receive a free Nike mini football. All fans in attendance also have the opportunity to win door prizes. The Cavalier and his horse, Sabre, will be in attendance along with members of the Virginia spirit teams.

The Sabre's annual "Hoo Preview" already began its August run to get fans ready for the season. Every week day this month, make sure to tune in to the site for articles about the team as the Hoos gear up for the Aug. 31 opener against BYU. That game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

This Week In Recruiting With Chris Horne

Football Recruiting

Last week was a rough one for the Virginia football program, which saw two of its top remaining targets in the class of 2014 head to arch-rival Virginia Tech. DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD) wide receiver Cam Phillips pledged to the Hokies over UVa, Rutgers, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Greg Stroman, a cornerback recruit out of Stonewall Jackson (Manassas, VA), announced for Tech this past Saturday. Duke and Virginia were the finalists for the star athlete, who many felt was a UVa-lean heading into his press conference.

At receiver, Bishop Sullivan (Va. Beach, VA) star Jamil Kamara continues to be one of Virginia's top remaining targets in the class. At this point I still consider the Hoos to be the favorite with the 6'2", 200-pound prospect. Upland (CA) athlete Jeffery Farrar has UVa high on his list as well. Head coach Mike London and company like Farrar as an athlete with the ability to play receiver, corner, or safety on the major college level.

Kamara still wants to take official visits before committing. Farrar, however, will announce his decision this week. Per Twitter, he revealed that he will be making his college choice on Wednesday, August 7, and the finalists are Arizona, Arizona State, California, Miami, and Virginia. I see the choice coming down to Cal and UVa, but we will find out for sure in just a few days. A commitment from the California native would be a nice way for the Hoos to rebound after last week's losses.

On Friday of last week, EDGE subscribers were able to read the latest on Cavaliers commitment Jordan "JJ" Jackson, my pick for super sleeper in Virginia's class of 2014. The Woodgrove (Purcellville, VA) star discusses his upcoming senior season and what his future role - outside linebacker or defensive end - may be at the University of Virginia.

This week I'll have more preseason reports on Virginia football's class of 2014 commitments, so stay tuned.

As I'm sure you know, Virginia preseason practice gets underway this week. I'll be catching up with the freshmen for my annual true freshmen report. For those on Twitter, I'll post nuggets from my interviews from my account, @ChrisHorneSW, so be sure to check it out.

Basketball Recruiting

AAU season is now over. UVa extended new scholarship offers during the action-packed month of July, and this week I'll have an update on those prospects the staff is targeting in the class of 2014. First, I'll have a full report up on 6'5", 190-pound shooting guard Jalen Hudson, a recipient of one of those new offers.

Hudson attended Benedictine High School (Richmond, VA) for two years before transferring to St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, OH) for his junior season. He is known for his athletic ability and ability to get to the basket. Arkansas, Tulane, and VCU have also come through with offers recently for Hudson, who discusses his recruitment and more in the update.

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.

More recent Sabre recruiting updates ...

WR Quincy Watts Boasts Five Offers
Quincy Watts' sophomore season didn't go as planned, as he was hampered by an ankle injury that sidelined him for several games. Now healthy, the 5'11", 170-pound rising junior is anxious to show what he can do for Beach District powerhouse Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, VA), which reached the Group AAA, Division 6 state championship game in 2012.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Preseason Report: DE/LB Jordan "JJ" Jackson

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Jenkins Named ACC's Top Male Athlete

UVa Athletics Media Relations Official Release

Virginia senior tennis player Jarmere Jenkins (College Park, Ga.) was named as the 2013 recipient of the Anthony J. McKevlin Award, given annually to the top male athlete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Jenkins is the fifth Virginia athlete to receive the honor and the first since 2003.

The Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA) votes on the McKevlin Award, as well as the Mary Garber Award for the top female athlete in the ACC, given this year to North Carolina women's soccer player Crystal Dunn.

Jenkins is the fifth Cavalier to receive the McKevlin Award. He joins football star Frank Quayle (1969), basketball legends Barry Parkhill (1972) and Ralph Sampson (1983) and lacrosse standout Chris Rotelli (2003).

For the full news release, click here.

Reynolds Showing Well In Camp

From Jaguars.com

LaRoy Reynolds keeps showing up. The linebacker from Virginia has had an impressive camp, and he continued to impress Saturday. Official statistics aren't kept in scrimmages, but Reynolds was around the ball and active and he'll almost certainly have a role.

12. And, oh, yes, don't forget ... it's just a scrimmage. There will be conclusions drawn from Saturday, and teeth will be gnashed. The Jaguars have been in training camp for about a week, and a half and five weeks remain before the regular-season opener. This wasn't supposed to look perfect yet.

To read the entire article on the Jaguars, click here.

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Brian and Steinlage Earn TopDrawerSoccer.com Preseason Honors: Two members of the Virginia women's soccer team were honored Wednesday as TopDrawerSoccer.com announced its Preseason Best XI teams. Junior midfielder Morgan Brian was named to the first team and senior defender Annie Steinlage was named to the third team.
• Virginia Soccer Meet the Team Day Set for August 18: The annual "Meet the Team Day" with the Virginia men's and women's soccer teams will be held Aug. 18 at 4 p.m. at Klockner Stadium. The free event is the first chance for fans to meet the 2013 Cavalier squads. It runs immediately after the 2 to 3:30 p.m. "Meet the Team Day" for the football team at the JPJ.
• McCarthy Cruises to U.S. Amateur Qualifying Spot: Virginia junior golfer Denny McCarthy earned a spot in the field for the USGA's 2013 U.S. Amateur Championship by winning a qualifying tournament in his hometown of Rockville, Md. McCarthy shot 131 to win the 36-hole event by seven strokes.
• Women's Tennis Adds Three Student-Athletes: The Virginia women's tennis program has added three student-athletes for the 2013-14 season.Rachel Pierson and Marie-Ambroisine Faure have inked National Letters of Intent, while Danielle Collins has transferred to Virginia from the University of Florida.
• 2013-14 Virginia Women's Basketball Season Tickets On Sale Monday, Aug. 5: Season tickets for 2013-14 Virginia women's basketball home games are on sale beginning Monday, Aug. 5 at 9 a.m. Season tickets are available in reserved and general admission seating areas for UVa's 14 home women's basketball games.
• McLean Earns Gold at FINA World Championships: Former Virginia swimming standout Matt McLean won gold as part of the U.S. men's 4x200-meter freestyle relay Friday at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. McLean swam as the leadoff of the American relay that posted the fastest time in prelims Friday morning in 7:08.05. This is McLean's fifth international gold medal.
• Solis-Cohen Wins Gold at International Maccabiah Games: Virginia rowing rising sophomore Hannah Solis-Cohen earned two medals, including one gold, at the 19th International Maccabiah Games in Israel. Solis-Cohen earned gold with the U.S. women's quadruple sculls and bronze with the U.S. women's double sculls. The Maccabiah Games is an international Jewish athletic competition held in Israel every four years. Maccabiah is open to Jewish athletes as well as Israeli athletes regardless of religion. Virginia senior golfer Portland Rosen won two silver medals in the open golf division at the 2013 Maccabiah Game.

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

Goodnight Cavaliers Book

Written by two alumni, Catherine Jennings Davis and Traci Shirley Thompson, this charming bedtime story is a tribute to all of the remarkable people, landmarks, and traditions of the University of Virginia. Captivating illustrations by Charlottesville native, Madeline Mae Bowden, accompany this heartfelt ode to Mr. Jefferson's University. Goodnight Cavaliers (Officially licensed by the University of Virginia) hopes to bring back fond memories of the University and inspire future Wahoo fans everywhere.

Issue No. 62 - Nov. 22, 2002

Virginia Football defeats NC State

The Cavaliers secured themselves a postseason bowl with their seventh win of the season last Saturday by knocking of nationally ranked NC State. The win makes Virginia bowl eligible, and their apparent destination could be either the Peach Bowl or Gator Bowl depending on how they fare against Maryland this Saturday.

The win over NC State gave Virginia a clean sweep of the Carolinas. In addition to NC State, the Hoos have defeated North Carolina, Wake Forest, Duke, South Carolina and Clemson. This is the first time in school history that the Hoos have swept all major conference teams from both of those states in one season.

With only two games left in the season, the Cavaliers have already shocked most of the preseason predictors by securing a winning season with perhaps the youngest major college football team in the nation. What makes this even more remarkable is that the Hoos have done this with a rash of injuries, especially on the offensive line, where top linemen Elton Brown and Kevin Bailey have been sidelined.

Read SabreMail No. 62 here.

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: TheSabre.com's annual preseason look at the football team comes your way throughout August.

In Case You Missed It

Recent Sabre articles ...

Hoo Preview 2013: Media Day Notes
The Virginia football program checked off another preseason ritual on Friday when it held Media Day at the John Paul Jones Arena. The new coaching staff under Mike London remained among the main themes of the day as the Cavaliers prepare for their first season with three new coordinators in place. Steve Fairchild will guide the offense and Jon Tenuta will lead the defense, while Larry Lewis has taken over the special teams.

Hoo Preview 2013: By The Numbers
August has arrived on the calendar and that means the Virginia football team opens practice in a few short days. Before the Hoos hit the field on Monday, however, TheSabre.com is kicking off its annual "Hoo Preview" so fans can begin their preparations for the 2013 season. The Cavaliers open with BYU on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m.

Summer Reading 2013: Specialists
Over the last several weeks, TheSabre.com's "Summer Reading" series has looked at the UVa football team. The articles went position by position to analyze the roster and the likely contributors on offense and defense for Virginia in 2013. The series wraps up with this final piece on the specialists. Who will handle placekicking, punting, snapping, and return duties for the Hoos?

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