Christmas came a little early for Wahoo fans, with commitments this week from D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Randy Hand, Ron Morton and Kwakou Robinson. For information on all of Virginia's commitments, see Football Commitments.

This is our last SabreMail before Christmas, so I thought I'd share with you some comments I received from several of UVa's recruits.

Here's wishing you a save and happy holiday season. Enjoy!

So what's the news on Michael Johnson, Jr., the five-star running back from Newport News? Rumors lately say that he's coming to Virginia, but Johnson isn't ready to make that statement, at least not publicly.

"Miami, Tennessee , Florida, Michigan State and Virginia - those are my top five and the ones I'm really interested in," Johnson told TheSabre.com on Tuesday. "All of them are holding a scholarship for me. I'm still going to wait until the end. I really don't have a leader. The only place that I've taken a visit to, that I feel comfortable with, was Miami. I'm not waiting until signing day to decide. I'll probably commit about a week before signing day."

Johnson is well aware of the recent commitments to Virginia, and the chance that the Cavaliers could have a great class. He says that it's helped that the Cavaliers recently landed the best offensive lineman in Florida (Randy Hand) and the best offensive lineman in New York (D'Brickshaw Ferguson).

"It helps me a lot. That's the main thing I said - for me to stay in state and go to Virginia. It's helping me to narrow down my choices, but I have to go where I think I should go, not go somewhere just because everyone else is going there."

What's it going to take for a college to sign one of the nation's best all-purpose running backs?

"The way I'm treated and the people I'm around, and to make sure I've got people to look after me and make sure I don't lose focus with my academics."

Some have said that Johnson wouldn't commit to Miami because of the distance, but Johnson says that's not a concern.

"I lived in Florida for a few years. My mom lives down there. Wherever I go, my dad is going to take his job there."

Playing time is one thing that Virginia has to offer, and is just one of the reasons the Cavaliers have landed many of their recruits thus far. Johnson is one of those that will be looking for early playing time.

"It's pretty important. I've got a few buddies that are in the NFL. I've talked to them and they tell me it's better to play early so you can get better exposure, especially in an up and coming program like Virginia."

Many of Virginia's top in-state recruits have been talking to one another about their possible destinations. Johnson is no different.

"I've talked to Kai Parham and Marcus Hamilton. I've talked to a lot of the guys who have already committed to UVa, like [Anthony] Martinez. I've talked a lot of them at the games. When me and Marcus [Vick] went up to a game, I got the chance to meet Kwakou [Robinson] and a few of the other guys."

Johnson is a versatile back, but his strongest assets are his speed and his moves.

"I make [defenders] miss and then I run away from them. The first time I ever ran the forty, I ran a 4.3. Every time since then, I've run around 4.3. But, at the UVa camp, I ran a 4.24 and a 4.27 [on the Astroturf]. That's the first time I've ever run a 4.2, but I'm a consistent 4.3. My junior year I ran a 10.5 in the 100-meters."

Johnson had a marvelous career at Heritage High School in Newport News, Virginia. He rushed for 4,310 yards in three years and scored 95 touchdowns.

"My junior year I had 52 touchdowns. It would have been more, but seven or eight of them were called back. The one that really hurt was like 96 yards. This year, a lot of teams were running eight-man fronts [against me], and some of them didn't even have a safety."

Johnson played most of the season with an injured ankle, but still amassed 1,312 yards and scored 27 touchdowns. He'll make his official visit to Virginia along with good friend Marcus Vick, and in-state superstars Marcus Hamilton, Ahmad Brooks, Jonathan Lewis, Kai Parham and a host of committed UVa recruits.

Marcus Hamilton says UVa leads, slightly

What's the status on the best cornerback in the state of Virginia?

"Virginia has a slight lead over Maryland right now," Marcus Hamilton said. "I visited Maryland on the 7th. I wasn't really too interested in them at first, but when I went on my visit, everything about it impressed me. I didn't see much that was negative. [As for Virginia], I've been waiting to see the area and the campus before I make my decision. I'll probably wait until my official visit [the weekend of January 18th] before I decide. It will more than likely be the 21st, that's like the day after I get back home. I'll get back on the 20th and have a day to think about it, and the 21st I'll make my decision."

Hamilton is another recruit who keeps tabs on the others in state.

"I just got off the phone with Mike [Johnson]. He's a good guy. I talk to [Ahmad] Brooks all the time. I talk to Stefan [Orange], Brooks and Mike Johnson the most. I think Brooks is taking his time with his decision too."

Hamilton got to know most of the in-state recruits on his visit to UVa for the Tom Lemmings photo shoot.

"When I was at UVa for the Tom Lemmings picture, Stefan and I were the corners down there, so we bonded that way. I knew Keenan [Carter] before, but we got closer after the picture."

Several players from that photo shoot have already committed to the Cavaliers, and many more have UVa in their top two. What kind of affect did the photo shoot have on Virginia's recruiting efforts.

"I think it's had a big affect on it," Hamilton said. "It did help."

So what's the chance that all of these recruits commit before signing day?

"I don't think any of those players [Brooks, Parham, Vick and Johnson] are going to commit anytime soon. But, I think what is going to happen is that all of them are going to commit at the same time, as one big commitment. Their decisions will affect mine a little bit, but ultimately, it's going to have to be where I feel comfortable."

Hamilton, 6-1, 180, is listed as the best cornerback in the state of Virginia and is rated four stars and listed as the #11 player at his position nationally by Rivals100.com

"My best asset is my ability to cover. I've got good hips and I can turn - that's what I've been told by all of the coaches who have seen me play."

UVa Coach Al Golden has been assigned to recruit Hamilton. So far, Hamilton likes what he sees.

"[Golden] knows what he's doing. He's a good guy. He knows what he wants and he goes out and gets it."

D'Brickshaw Ferguson Commits to UVa

D'Brickashaw Ferguson, a 6-5, 250-pound athlete, is New York's top offensive linemen. He committed to the Cavaliers this past weekend.

"I think UVa's an excellent academic institution," Ferguson said. "Also, I was very impressed with the coaching staff. I was impressed that I was able to have a relationship with these guys. I was impressed with the plan that they had for me. I just think it was a great fit for me personally.

"I also thought of Virginia as a good University. At the point that I really knew that this was the place for me was probably a few days after my Michigan State visit. I say that because, after I saw what was out there, I was able to make a better decision. I knew that I liked the University, but I wasn't sure whether this was the best possible choice for me. Once I saw what other places had to offer, I realized that those places just didn't compare."

Ferguson's older brother is a fourth year at UVa, and that may have had a little influence on his decision to attend Thomas Jefferson's University.

"It was real nice situation, because I had somebody who was there for the four years to tell me how life at Virginia was."

Ferguson said that he had been to UVa on several occasions to visit his brother. Did that give him enough information to make his decision?

"I want to say yes and no. Yes, I learned more about the University, but no, because I never really had an opportunity to see the football facilities until I was being recruited. That sort of gave me a new outlook."

UVa has several openings to fill on their offensive line do to graduation from four seniors who have all played since they were freshmen. Ferguson will likely get a chance to play early.

"I'd love the opportunity to play as a freshman, but we just have to see how the system goes. I'm going to come in there and try my best and see what happens."

Right now, Ferguson may be a little undersized to play right away at the collegiate level. He's just 250 pounds and knows he cannot play at that weight.

"At that kind of weight, no. But, I'm working out right now, and I'll have until the summer. I think I'll be able to put on some size. Coming in, I'll be a little bit bigger and working with their [strength] program, hopefully I can gain some size and throughout the season I'll be able to contribute."

Ferguson has a couple of assets that make him incredibly tough to get around. He's holds a black belt in Karate and has an 86 inch wingspan. For a guy that stands 6-5, that's pretty amazing, and it definitely gives him an advantage.

"I would say so. When I have the opportunity to block somebody, if they can't put their hands on me, they're pretty much defenseless. I feel very confident that once I get onto the person, I can do what I need to do."

Ferguson said that his recruiting experience with UVa went well, and credits Recruiting Coordinator Danny Rocco.

"He knows what he's looking for. He knows how to get his point across. He didn't try to B.S. me or anything. He came with what he wanted and laid it out on the table. He allowed me to choose from there."

So, what's the plan for Ferguson at UVa?

"At Virginia, I'd definitely like to make a nice impression there. I'd like to do the best that I can on the field, my goal being to go to the NFL. But, if Im not given that opportunity, I'd would like to major in financing and either go down to the market or become a sports agent. Because of Virginia's wonderful academics, especially in the field of business, it will be a win-win situation for me."

Ferguson took an extensive tour of UVa's academic village and came away impressed with the Comm School.

"Downstairs is the place. 'Wall Street' itself was really nice - one of the better things I've seen in a while. College wise, I've never seen something that up to date in terms of technology. That's a program that's driven, and anyone involved with that will definitely succeed.

"They have a lot of computers - flat screen computers. It's a really high-tech set up. If you've ever watched C-SPAN or any of those programs that sometimes show the market, they have that big screen with the stock quotes - well, UVa has one of those across the room. It's a place that you really have to see. It's really nice."

Well, that sums up the athletics and academics, but what fans really want to know is where the name D'Brickashaw comes from.

"My name actually comes from the Thorn Birds. That's the name of the book. They had a priest in the book with that name. My father was impressed with how he dealt with situations that he was put in, so he decided that he wanted to name me after that guy, but change the spelling to be a little bit more unique."

Martinez Update

Anthony Martinez was one of the first big name recruits to commit to the Cavaliers this season. We caught up with him and asked how he feels about the class that's shaping up around him.

"I'm excited that we've got quality players coming in," Martinez told TheSabre.com. "They're going to help the program and help the team. That's what we need."

Martinez probably expected a good class, but did he expect something like this?

"That was their thing from the beginning. Coach Groh and [the rest of the staff] were recruiting players that want to play the game. They're doing a good job with that - recruiting players that want to win. I had a pretty good idea they'd get the job done, but not this good."

Martinez has been one of UVa's best recruiters since committing over two months ago. He's kept up with several recruiting targets.

"I talked to Ron Morton a few weeks ago at the Florida State game, before he committed. I talk to Jonathan Lewis a lot, since he lives only 25 minutes away. We've been friends for a really long time, so I try to keep in touch with him. I've talked to Maurice Stovall."

Speaking of Maurice Stovall, what's Martinez's impression of this possible future wide receiver target?

Virginia defeats Charleston Southern

The Cavaliers remained undefeated by beating Charleston Southern Monday evening by a score of 74-54. Earlier in the day, the Hoos moved into a solid 5th place in both the AP and Coaches Polls. For info and stats from the contest, please seePost Game Reports.

When is the next basketball game?

Virginia tips off again Thursday night in the John Thompson Classic against Georgetown. Game time is 8:00 and will be played at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. This game will be televised by TBS. You can listen to the radio broadcast locally, or tune in to www.virginiasports.com or www.wina.com and listen over the Internet.

A limited number of tickets remain for the event. Call the Virginia ticket office at 800-542-UVA1 (800-542-8821) or Ticket Master at 800- 551-SEAT or in the D.C. Area 202-432-SEAT.

Click here for a preview of the game.

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