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Coach Al Groh stated in his first UVa press conference that he expected the Cavaliers to compete for the ACC Title and beyond. The first real step toward that goal was established yesterday, when UVa signed all 26 of its football commitments for the 2002 class.

This class included some late commitments from nationally recognized players, like Wali Lundy, Marcus Hamilton, Michael Johnson, Jr., Kai Parham and national defensive player of the year Ahmad Brooks.

Other top players who signed earlier in the recruiting process were Virginia's Anthony Martinez, Ohio's Tony Franklin, New York's Kwakou Robinson and D'Brickashaw Ferguson, as well as North Carolina's Willie Davis. Those players helped to attract many other top recruits to Virginia. In fact, it would be safe to say that there aren't many 'projects' in this class, as there have been in previous classes. Not one recruit holds a rating less than two stars according to the recruiting site Rivals100.com.

Tom Lemmings ranks the class 5th nationally, with many other recruiting services giving the Hoos a nod for Top 10 status. Rivals100 currently ranks the Cavalier class 12th, but that's against teams who signed many more than 25 players. The NCAA only allows a maximum of 25 scholarships to be awarded from each institution every year. Several Top 10 recruiting classes currently have between 27 and 32 commitments.

Coach Groh expects many of these incoming freshmen to play right away next season. With a 13th game recently added to next season's schedule, as well as the possibility of a 14th game in the post-season, the Cavaliers will need as many bodies as the can get.

Major credit was given to the staff, current players and faculty by Groh, for their support and energy throughout the recruiting practice. As you'll see later in this update, Groh says, 'The chase is never over until the Waffle House closes,' which is to say that recruiting never stops. Regarding that statement, while many college coaches across the country will be taking a week or so vacation, this staff will already be recruiting the nation's top juniors. Virginia hosts a junior football recruit day this weekend, and many of the players will be taking in the Virginia basketball game this Sunday, February 10th against Clemson.

Coach Groh Talks About the Class

Opening comments

We announced today a class that most of the analysts around the country are rating as one of the top five classes in the country. We're very excited about the infusion of this young talent onto our team. This is the result of a tremendous effort on the part of our coaches, who really went out and put forth a lot of energy in terms of establishing raport with the coaches and the players throughout the state of Virginia and along the East Coast.

[We couldn't have done it] without their tireless effort and the support of our players, faculty and staff who did such a good job with these players when they were on campus.

I think it's a very exciting group. There's certainly plenty of room for another class of outstanding players on our roster. We're actively in pursuit of those players as we speak.

On Braden Campbell

There were a lot of features that attracted us to him, but I'd say the thing that stood out immediately was that he's our kind of guy. He's rugged. He's a very physical player. He's got a real passion for football. And, his academic achievements are superlative to go along with his football ability. He certainly fits the standards and criteria of this University.

Commenting on size and speed of the class

When the roster is all in place next year, when these players are on grounds with our current players, I think this will be the biggest class that we have in terms of size, and it will also be the fastest class. I think we've made significant progress toward our objective, in terms of how we want the team to look and be able to perform. This is one very good class. I think we're going to need two or three more classes like this one to eventually make the team look exactly the way we want it to look.

Did your NFL ties influence the recruits' decisions?

I won't try to interpret that myself. I'll just go on some of the statements that have been attributed to some of these players. They make mention of the fact that it was certainly very attractive to them. Not just the fact that I had experience in the league, but the majority of our coaches all have experience in the National Football League. That's significant. Not only do they have experience in it, but they're recent participants. They also can relate to the players of that age. I'm sure it's something that the players all aspire to. I think it's a goal that most competitive people aspire to.

On Ron Morton fitting into the offense

[Morton's] got dramatic speed - sudden speed - long distance speed. That was one of the things we had our eye on right away. I'm very excited about getting his speed on the team. I really like him. He's a kid of real ambition and determination and I think he's going to fit in right away with the way we want to do things.

On Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham, and the high-risk nature of recruiting only a select few at the LB position

Both of them are great players. We had a picture in mind of what type of player we wanted to have on the team, and we decided to go for it with those guys. I think, when you go after this type of player, there's a great value in being able to say, 'You're our guy. You know we're not recruiting four or five guys for the position. You're our guy and you have what we want and we're going to hold out for it.' Fortunately it worked out positively for us. These are the guys that we thought could really do what we want to get done with our defense.

Approach to recruiting in Virginia this year

We're the University of Virginia, and this should be our home base. On top of that, the fact that it's a substantial high school football state. Not only with a high population of players playing, but very well coached. We couldn't ask for a better state to be working from. I thought it was vital that we really got into the hunt for the very, very best players in Virginia, and it's worked out very well for us. I think, from my consideration, the majority of the best players in the state are coming to the University of Virginia.

On Stefan Orange and his qualities/attributes that interested Groh

There were many of them, but I would say the thing that caught my eye was that almost every game that Stefan has ever played in, his team has won [44-6 over four years]. If you want to have fast guys, recruit fast guys. If you want to have big guys, recruit big guys. If you want to have winners on your team, then recruit guys who know what it takes to win. That's what he's shown. He knows what it takes to win, and he knows how to make it happen.

On Willie Davis being projected as a DB instead of RB

He's got the athletic skills and talent to be a very productive player [on offense]. I'm aware, not only of his yards from scrimmage, but over the last few years he's returned a number of kicks for scores. I've looked at all of those tapes, but one of the things that really caught my eye was that this kid is a physically tough player who really comes up and smacks them. That kind of athletic ability, along with that contact mentality - which is what top safeties have to have - that's why I'm projecting him at that position.

How many of these recruits will likely play as freshmen?

I couldn't pick a number right now, but a significant number of them will play next year. There's a lot of talent in this class. There's a lot of energy put forth to bring this talent on the team. And the team is going to get better when this talent starts playing. We're going to play these players early. I understand that there will be some transition involved in that. That doesn't mean that things are instantly going to make themselves apparent. The way we're going to get better is to put these players in the game and play them. I think, at some point, we'll maybe be one of the younger teams in the country. I think there will be a significant infusion of football talent onto the team.

Is today the best day since Groh got the job?

Nah, nothing beats winning. Those five times we won last year were pretty good days. I always keep in mind that the whole purpose of recruiting is just like the Draft in the NFL. The purpose of it is to put your team together so that you're in the best position to win. Certainly, it's a very exciting day from the standpoint of - you know, we brought some significant talent on this team. The National Defensive Player of the Year. Another great linebacker on the team. Some of the best running backs in the country. Four great linemen. We're very excited about it. It's as exciting as picking the player off the draft board that we really wanted. We knew that we had made our team better at that moment, and we couldn't wait to start coaching him. I think that's the attitude of the staff right now.

Does this team accomlish the goals of getting bigger, faster, winning guys?

Yes, that was the criteria. You really have to fit into that criteria as a prospect, and that was part of the plan. That was the standard by which everybody that went through the filtering process was evaluated.

Was there celebration when Brooks, Johnson and Parham committed?

There were a lot of guys running up and down the hall in the offices when those phone calls were coming in. I know that Mardi Gras follows the Super Bowl down there this weekend - it kind of looked like Mardi Gras in that corridor - a lot of celebrating going on. Those were, obviously, three significant gets - not just in terms of the talent they bring onto the team, but they portray a sense of confidence and are part the plan that we have to make this a championship team.

Specific needs for the class?

We certainly wanted to bring more speed on the team. Now, that's not just speed at the wide receiver or running back positions, that's speed at a lot of different spots. Speed at defensive end. Speed at linebacker. Speed at offensive guard. I wanted to bring size onto the team, and I most particularly wanted to bring players with a demonstrated level of toughness on the team.

Did Martinez and other early signees contribute to getting the top players late?

I think that was very positive. Those are the players who had the confidence in us to cast their lot early. I think, then, that other players could see what was happening here. A lot of players were able to see the potential for what we could accomplish in terms of winning championships. I think it's certainly a reinforcing thing.

On Kai Parham

He and Ahmad together really look a lot like what we want these linebackers to look like. They're physically tough players. They've got athletic ability. They have instincts for the ball. Kai's got a very strong strength level right now for a high school level, which should give him a head-start on earning some P.T.

Which running backs will definitely play tailback?

We'll bring them all in and find out. This is how you get a really good team. You have a number of these type of players who have tremendous athletic ability, who can do a lot of different things. They play at different spots because they are really talented players, not because they couldn't play someplace else. [Things change] when those players get on a college level. As high school players, they played the most dominant positions - or, the position that has the biggest factor on the game. If you have a lot of former tailbacks playing on your team in college, then you probably have a very athletic, very dynamic team. I think we have a lot of players who will fall into that category, and we'll let the circumstances sort all of that out.

Feelings on the week where UVa lost Randy Hand and Maurice Stovall

Not any different than when you're playing a game and not every play goes right for you. You just pick up and move on and address the situation as it presents itself. I thought we had a significant succes rate on the number of scholarship that we offered. We didn't offer very many scholarships to get this amount of players. We knew the kind of player that we were in with and that the competition was going to be very stiff. I thought that our success rate was very high, yet I didn't think that it was going to be 100 percent.

On Darryl Blackstock as an impact player right from the start

I think he's going to be an impact player here. I don't know about it being from the word go. I think that would be unfair to him to say that it's going to happen instantly like that. But, I think he's going make a dramatic impact. In the last two years he's played football, he's had over 50 sacks. You know, that got my attention, that's for sure. I'm very exciting on what that will translate to for him as a college player. He's got the kind of skills that I envision an outside linebacker in this system, and be a dominant player.

On the running backs in the class

They've all got speed. This would be some race if we lined them all up abreast and told them to hit the finish line first. They've all got speed, and they've all got verifiable production. They've all been touchdown scorers. They've all been long range touchdown scorers. Tony Franklin, from Clevelend, has four games over 300 this year. Ran for 393 yards in the state championship game. There's a guy that showed up big in the biggest game of the season. Michael Johnson's got documented production. Everybody in the state of Virginia knows about him. He's a dramatic player. Great speed. Great acceleration. I think he can do some dynamic things. He's another long range striker. Wali Lundy, the same thing. He's a bigger back than those other guys, but he's got multiple skills. He was an All-State receiver as a junior. He was an All-State running back as a senior. I think we'll be able to get him the ball in and out of the backfield, as we will with those other guys. Kenneth Tynes is another guy who played on a state championship team. There's four guys that all played on state championship teams. The fact that they played on winning teams - big time winners - they're used to playing in big games, important games.

On Martinez possibly redshirting

I think he'll certainly be in the top three [on the depth chart at QB]. Whether or not we use him will depend on games circumstances and what the top two will do. In all fairness to Anthony, he's going to come in like all of the other freshmen. I said that we're going to be very willing to interject this young talent into the lineup. I've also said on other occasions while I've been here, that we're going to play the players that we feel will give us the best chance to win. And if he demonstrates that, then he's no different than any other player. He'll get that opportunity. By the same token, we have a player returning that saw a lot of time last year in Matt Schaub, and a very exciting young player that we're anxious to get into spring practice with in Marques Hagans.

Did Groh think that UVa could compete at the top level before coming here?

I came here with the intention of competing, first for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship on a yearly basis. That's our goal - to compete for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship every year. And in doing so, put ourselves in position to compete for the national championship. I'm sure some there were some people who snickered when we said that, but those are probably most of the same people who never thought that this would be one of the top five-rated recruiting classes in the country. I came here because there was certainly a great potential to turn that into reality. [Virginia is] an Internationally-renouned University, in terms of the type of education the player's going to get. [It's] school with a great stadium and excellent facilities. [It's a] wonderful environment to go to school. I think we have a dynamic young coaching staff to whom players can relate. I thought all of the elements were in place to attract quality players, provided we were willing to go out and provide the energy and all of the work that was necessary to get these players. I thought our coaches did a great job of doing that.

On the seemingly never-ending recruiting process

The chase is never over until the Waffle House closes. It's still on.

More on Ahmad and Kai and how they were recruited

We concentrated on each one of them individually - that's what they deserved. They weren't a package, although it's very exciting to think of them playing side-by-side. We always envisioned the possibility of that. Ahmad is a marvelous player. He's got great potential. I think he could be a tremendous, superior player. I think the two of them are going to be a great combination. I'm really excited about coaching them. I've had the opportunity and good fortune in my career to be able to coach some marvelous linebackers, and I'm really excited about the opportunity to coach these two players.

More on Martinez

He's a good size quarterback, 6-3 plus, 217 [pounds]. He's got a live arm. He can really get the ball up the field with very good velocity. But, he's got two things that I think are foremost in being a good quarterback that transcend size, speed, escapability, velocity and all of that business. He's got phsical toughness in the pocket, and he's got competitive poise under pressure.

Summary of the class

I'll sum up by saying that this is a really good class. I think we need to have a couple more behind it to have the kind of team that we want to have. We didn't win any games yet, but I think we got some of the people on hand that should help us do that. We're anxious to start coaching them.

2002 Virginia Football Signees

Robert Armstrong

Nose Tackle, 6-3, 286
Washington & Lee High School
Arlington, Va.

Rated #31 prospect in Virginia by SuperPrep . outstanding athlete and is also a star heavyweight wrestler for Washington & Lee High School . finished fourth in state wrestling championships as a junior and is currently ranked #2 as a senior . parents are Kathy and Willie Armstrong.

Defensive End, 6-4, 285
Caesar Rodney High School
Camden, Del.

Listed as the 11th-best player in the Mid-Atlantic Region by SuperPrep . two-way standout . first-team All-State at offensive tackle and second-team All-State at defensive end . All-Conference player on both offense and defense as a senior . second-team All-State in 2001 . preseason All-American by Tom Lemming . three-star player by Rivals.com . three-year starter . quick and powerful (350-pound bench press) . parents are Shirley and Thomas Bell, Sr.

On Virginia: "I loved the campus, the coaches, the people. I just felt in my heart it was the place for me."

Outside Linebacker, 6-4, 224
Fork Union Military Academy
Fork Union, Va.

Played high school football at Heritage High School in Newport News, Va. . Heritage won the state championship in his senior year in 2000 . recorded 28 sacks as a high school senior . prepped at Fork Union Military Academy in 2001 where he totaled 19 sacks . his coach at Fork Union tabbed him as one of the best players ever at the school . mother is Linda Williams.

Linebacker, 6-4, 242
C.D. Hylton High School
Woodbridge, Va.

USA Today's Defensive Player of the Year . Tom Lemming's Defensive Player of the Year . also listed as the sixth-best player in the country by Lemming . Parade All-American . five stars by Rivals.com . Washington Post All-Met and the Washington Metro Defensive Player of the Year . first-team All-State linebacker and second-team All-State as a running back . had 207 tackles, including 144 solos, 34 for losses, five forced fumbles, three sacks, one interception, two fumble recoveries, and 16 QB pressures as a senior . also rushed for 848 yards and 10 touchdowns, while averaging 12.6 yards per carry . helped lead Hylton to semifinals of the state playoffs . selected as the defensive captain of the East squad in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas . is the son of former Washington Redskins defensive tackle Perry Brooks.

Offensive Lineman, 6-8, 268
E. C. Glass High School
Lynchburg, Va.

Listed as the 22nd-best player in Virginia by SuperPrep . first-team All-State . first-team All-Northwest Region . first-team All-Central Virginia by the Lynchburg News & Advance as a senior . first-team All-District on both offense and defense as a senior . second-team All-District offensive lineman his junior year . has also lettered in basketball and track . voted his team's most outstanding defensive player in his junior year . student athlete honor roll for three consecutive years.

Defensive End, 6-5, 255
Slippery Rock High School
Slippery Rock, Pa.

Prepstar All-Region . #15 player in Pennsylvania by SuperPrep . played offensive tackle and tight end . first-team All-State tight end as a senior . projected to play defensive end at UVa . had 26 sacks combined in his sophomore and junior years . a Top-25 defensive end by Rivals.com.

Nose Tackle, 6-1, 299
Potomac High School
Dumfries, Va.

Prepstar All-American . listed as the 18th-best player in Virginia by Superprep . four-star defensive tackle by Rivals.com . expected to play nose tackle in UVa's 3-4 defense . first-team All-State as a senior . recorded more than 300 tackles in his career, including 42 tackles for loss and 38 sacks . seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss as a junior . team won district championship as a junior and advanced to state playoffs as a senior . first-team All-Met, District, and Region as a junior and senior . 405-pound bench and 600-pound squat.

Offensive Lineman, 6-4, 315
Glen Burnie High School
Glen Burnie, Md.

MARS Report Blue Chipper . listed as the #30 player in the Mid-Atlantic region by SuperPrep . Tom Lemming Preseason All-American . first-team All-Anne Arundel County as an offensive guard and nose tackle . played in 2002 U.S. Army High School and All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas . as a defensive lineman, he had seven sacks and 15 tackles for losses as a junior . parents are Regina and Roy Darden.

Defensive Back. 6-2, 182
Laney High School
Wilmington, N.C.

Prepstar All-American . listed as the #12 player in North Carolina by SuperPrep . Tom Lemming Preseason All-American . two-way player who saw time at tailback, wide receiver, and safety . as a senior he rushed for 900 yards, returned two kicks for touchdowns and caught five touchdown passes . made 68 tackles and had three interceptions on defense as a senior . team was state runner-up that season . rushed for 1200 yards and averaged 10 yards per carry his junior year . is also an outstanding player on Laney's basketball team.

Defensive Back, 6-4, 201
Eastern High School
Voorhees, N.J.

SuperPrep All-American . #27 defensive back in the nation by SuperPrep . the 11th-best player in New Jersey by SuperPrep . Prepstar All-American . All-Area by the Philadelphia Inquirer . All-South Jersey by the Philadelphia Inquirer and by the Camden Courier Post . second-team All-State . 86 tackles, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles his senior year . had 16 tackles in one game . a hard hitting safety who recorded 55 tackles and five interceptions as a junior . decided on UVa over Penn State and Boston College . standout on the basketball team, he recently scored his 1000th career point.

Offensive Lineman, 6-4, 265
Freeport High School
Freeport, N.Y.

Rated by SuperPrep as top offensive lineman in New York and the state's #2 player behind future classmate Kwakou Robinson . listed 36th on SuperPrep's Elite 50 list . third-best offensive lineman in the nation by SuperPrep . Prepstar All-American . received the Thorp Award as Nassau County's top player . is the first lineman to win the award since 1979 . has a 87-inch wing span . recorded 55 tackles, six sacks, and eight quarterback hurries as a defensive end his senior year . three-year starter . has an older brother who attends UVa . committed to UVa over Michigan State and a long list of others . parents are Rhunette and Edwin Ferguson.

Running Back, 5-11, 177
Saint Peter Chanel
Bedford, Ohio

Prepstar All-American . listed as the #85 player in the Midwest by SuperPrep . his team posted a 15-0 record and won the state championship in his senior season . first-team All-State in 2001 after rushing for 2206 yards on 203 carries and 29 touchdowns as a senior . rushed for an Ohio record 393 yards in the state final . also rushed for 323 yards in the state semifinals . as a junior, he earned first-team All-State honors after rushing for 1400 yards and 18 touchdowns . his team was state runner-up in 2000.

Place Kicker, 6-2, 175
Cave Springs High School
Roanoke, Va.

Prepstar All-American . listed as the 25th-best player in Virginia by SuperPrep . first-team All-State punter as a junior and senior . averaged 43+ yards per punt and booted 26 of 35 kickoffs for touchbacks . set a state record with a 52-yard field goal in the state playoffs in 2001 . recorded two interceptions in his team's loss in the state playoffs in his senior year . also an All-District defensive back . is a highly touted baseball player who batted .575 with 11 home runs as a junior.

Cornerback, 6-0, 177
Centreville High School
Clifton, Va.

Prepstar All-American . named the 10th-best player in Virginia by SuperPrep . preseason All-American by Tom Lemming and a 4-star player by Rivals.com . first-team All-District in 2001 . second-team All-Met as a senior . second-team All-District as a junior and sophomore . recorded more than 30 career pass breakups . opposing Quarterbacks completed only eight passes against him during his senior year . his team reached the state finals his junior season . high school teammate of fellow UVa recruit Kenneth Tynes.

Offensive Lineman, 6-4, 280
Columbus High School
Nassau Community College
Bronx, N.Y.

Prepped for one season at Milford Military Academy in Connecticut before enrolling at Nassau Community College . was a standout center at Nassau C.C. . recorded a career-high 11 pancake blocks vs. Lachawanna Community College in 2001.

Running Back, 5-10, 187
Heritage High School
Newport News, Va.

Parade All-American . SuperPrep All-American . Prepstar All-American . Prepstar Top-125 Dream Team . 12th-best running back in the nation by SuperPrep . #37 prospect in the nation and seventh-best running back by Tom Lemming/ESPN.com . nation's 14th-best player and second-best all-purpose back by Rivals.com . 5 Stars by Rivals.com . rushed for 1312 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior . rushed for 2028 yards as a junior to become the first Peninsula District player to rush for 2000 yards . rushed for 284 yards on nine carries and six touchdowns in one game . his team won the state championship in his junior year.

Running Back, 6-1, 204
Holy Cross High School
Florence, N.J.

SuperPrep All-American . Prepstar All-American . rated 5 Stars by Tom Lemming . Prepstar Top-125 Dream Team . nation's 95th-best player by ESPN/Tom Lemming . listed as the 19th-best running back by Lemming . rushed for 2,030 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior . also caught 29 passes for 411 yards and six touchdowns that season . first-team All-State as a senior for the second year in a row . versatile athlete who caught 50 passes for 1,002 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior in 2000 . also rushed for 750 yards and 11 touchdowns, returned a kickoff and two punts for touchdowns and earned All-America and All-State honors as a wide receiver that season as his team won the state championship . 1,000 point scorer in basketball.

Quarterback, 6-3, 217
Patrick Henry High School
Ashland, Va.

SuperPrep All-American . Prepstar All-American . listed as the #91 player in the country by Rivals.com . #4 quarterback by Tom Lemming . #19 quarterback by SuperPrep . listed as the 12th-best player in Virginia by SuperPrep . received the Richmond Touchdown Club's offensive player of the year in the state as a senior . all-state as a senior . led his team to the state finals his senior season . completed 104 of 202 passes for 1912 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2001 . completed 63 of 117 passes for 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions as a junior . 5010 yards passing and 47 touchdowns in his career . considered a top pitcher in baseball who throws 94 mph . parents are Anita and David Martinez.

Wide Receiver, 6-1, 178
Hamilton West High School
Hamilton, N.J.

Prepstar All-American . 3-star performer by Rivals.com . rated as the #38 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals.com . listed as the 15th-best player in New Jersey by SuperPrep . averaged over 20 yards per catch and over 7.0 yards per rush in high school career . also a standout track athlete has been timed at 10.7 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash . long jumped 23.1 feet in indoor track as a senior.

On UVa, Ron explains, "I just felt Virginia had the most to offer me-the academics, campus, coaches-everything just stood out."

Defensive Back, 6-2, 181
Culpeper County High School
Culpeper, Va.

SuperPrep All-American . Prepstar All-American . Preseason All-American by Tom Lemming . rated as one of the Top-25 defensive backs in the country by Lemming .4-Star player by Rivals.com . 17th-best cornerback in the country by Rivals.com . nation's 18th-best defensive back by SuperPrep . ranked ninth in Virginia by SuperPrep . listed as the 10th-best player in Virginia by the Roanoke Times . first-team All-State as a senior . first-team All-Metro, District, County, and League in both 2000 and 2001 . a four-year starter with 21 career interceptions . also quarterbacked his team to a state championship in 2000 and the state semifinals in 2001.

He says, "Through the recruiting process they've (UVa coaches) have been real loyal to me. I feel real comfortable there (at UVa)."

Linebacker, 6-3, 233
Princess Anne High School
Virginia Beach, Va.

Parade All-American . SuperPrep All-American . Prepstar All-American . ESPN/Tom Lemming All-America . #6 linebacker in the nation according to SuperPrep . Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia . rated the 13th-best player in the country and third-best defensive lineman in the country by Tom Lemming . a 5-Star player and 10th-best player in the nation by Rivals.com . Prepstar Top-125 Dream Team . listed as the fifth-best player in Virginia by SuperPrep . chosen to play in the U.S. Army High School All-American Bowl in San Antonio . 152 tackles, 19 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and five interceptions as a senior . recorded 140 tackles, 20 sacks, and six interceptions as a junior.

Defensive Lineman, 6-4, 303
Brooklyn Poly Prep
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Parade All-American . SuperPrep All-American . Prepstar All-American . Prepstar Top-125 Dream Team . listed as the #10 defensive lineman in the nation by SuperPrep . preseason All-American and #18 defensive lineman by Tom Lemming . 4-star player and #17 defensive lineman in the country by Rivals.com . listed as the top player in New York by SuperPrep . Gatorade player of the year in New York . played in U.S. Army High School All-American Bowl in San Antonio . recorded 13 sacks as a junior.

Fullback, 6-1, 221
L.C. Bird High School
Chesterfield, Va.

Rated the 17th-best fullback and a 3-Star player by Rivals.com . Prepstar All-Atlantic region . listed as the 24th-best player in Virginia by SuperPrep . a ferocious downhill runner and blocker who gained over 3300 yards in his high school career . rushed for 1,444 yards and 14 touchdowns during his senior season . All-Richmond Metro as a senior . rushed for 1,689 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior . All-Metro, All-District, and All-Region his junior year.

Offensive Lineman, 6-3, 284
Liberty High School
Montvale, Va.

Prepstar All-Atlantic region . 33rd-rated player in Virginia by SuperPrep . four-year starter on the offensive line . three-time All-Seminole District choice . two-time All-Region and All-Roanoke Times . first-team All-State as a senior . according to Liberty coach Scott Abell, "(He's the) best all around lineman to come to Liberty in the school's history" . also lifeguards at a community pool . benches 350 pounds and squats 500 pounds.

Offensive Lineman, 6-6, 272
Pulaski High School
Green Bay, Wisc.

A three-year starter and two-way standout . All-State his senior year . started for the basketball team as a sophomore and junior . heavyweight wrestler his senior year.

Running Back, Defensive Back, 6-0, 186
Centreville High School
Clifton, Va.

Prepstar All-Atlantic region . 3-Star player who is ranked as the 50th-best running back in the country by Rivals.com . listed as the 16th-best player in Virginia by SuperPrep . Washington Post Honorable Mention All-Met . second-team All-State . rushed for 1,198 yards on 173 carries for 20 touchdowns, averaging almost 7 yards per carry, as a senior . 99 carries for 704 yards and nine touchdowns in his junior year. a versatile athlete who can play running back, wide receiver, or defensive back . helped lead his team to the state playoffs.

Virginia Football Spring Practice

Coach Groh announced in a teleconference yesterday that 2002 Spring football practices will begin on March 27th. The Spring Game is tentatively scheduled for April 20th. No time or location has been provided as yet.

Virginia Football adds 13th game

Sources have confirmed that Virginia will be playing the first game of the season against Colorado State. The game is scheduled for Thursday, August 22nd, 2002 and will be televised by one of the ESPN networks. Details on time and specific channel have yet to be determined.

2002 UVa Football Schedule

Aug. 22, Colorado State
Aug. 31, at Florida State
Sept. 7, South Carolina
Sept. 21, Akron
Sept. 28, at Wake Forest
Oct. 5, at Duke
Oct. 12, Clemson
Oct. 19, North Carolina
Oct. 26, at Georgia Tech
Nov. 9, at Penn State
Nov. 16, N.C. State
Nov. 23, Maryland
Nov. 30, at Virginia Tech

Virginia's recent basketball games played

The Cavalier basketball program has dribbled into a slump recently. Before the last SabreMail, the Hoos lost two very competitive contests against Duke and Maryland, two of the best teams in the nation. But this past week, the Hoos looked anything but grand in defeats to Missouri and N.C. State. If you dare, check out the stats and post game articles for the past two contests on the schedule page.

When do they play again?

Virginia hopes to break their four-game losing streak this Sunday at 3:30 PM when they host the Clemson Tigers. The Jefferson-Raycom Network will be airing the game regionally. Check your local listings for details. For notes and previews for all Virginia games, please see the schedule page.

TheSabre.com experienced the most three-day traffic in its five-year history. From February 4th through February 6th, the site served more than 1.2 million pages to its visitors. UVa football commitment announcements from Brooks, Parham, Johnson and Lundy, as well as the first day of the national letter of intent signing period attributed to the record numbers.

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