varsity.roanoke.com

Eva Russo | Richmond-Times Dispatch

Clover Hill quarterback Joel Caleb has not yet picked a college.

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The college football program that landed a commitment from Eli Harold was getting more than a franchise pass-rusher who doubled as a multitalented offensive player.

It was getting a de facto recruiting coordinator.

When Harold announced his oral commitment to Virginia on Aug. 11, he was following a carefully crafted schedule under which buddies Anthony Cooper and Kyle Dockins had committed to the Cavaliers on July 20 and 21.

Harold played defensive end and wide receiver - with an occasional stint as a "Wildcat" quarterback - for Ocean Lakes High School. Cooper and Dockins played for two other Virginia Beach high schools, Bayside and Landstown.

Cooper and Harold were teammates on a 7-on-7 team that represented the 757 area code in national tournaments.

"We talked a lot," Harold said. "We really didn't like UVa to start out. I'd always be talking about Florida and he'd always be talking about Tennessee."

Cooper's former Bayside teammate, Demetrious "Tra" Nicholson, was a 2011 UVa signee who has started every game at cornerback for the Cavaliers this year.

"We just sat down one day and said, 'Man, we could go to UVa with Tra,'" Harold said. "They're real close. We just said, 'We could go up there, play early and turn things around.' We came to our senses and brought a few other guys with us."

For more than a year, Harold (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) and 6-3, 220-pound quarterback Joel Caleb from Clover Hill in Midlothian have been considered the top two prospects in Virginia, not always in that order.

Harold is this year's choice as the top prospect in Virginia, according to The Roanoke Times' annual Christmas ranking of the state's top 100 senior prospects and the top 25 junior prospects.

Harold is followed by Caleb and Alex Carter, a 6-foot, 195-pound defensive back from Group AA Division 4 state champion Briar Woods of Loudoun County.

Harold and Caleb were rated 1-2 on last year's Top 25 juniors list, but Carter, the son of ex-Notre Dame defensive and Washington Redskins first-round draft pick Tom Carter, did not make that list.

Alex Carter, who committed to Stanford during the summer, was named the Gatorade state player of the year.

Frequently, there are wild fluctuations between the top juniors list one year and the top seniors list the following year, but that is not the case this year.

Four of the players on this year's top five were also among the top five juniors list last year, including 6-foot-3, 245-pound defensive end Ken Ekanem from Centreville High School in Fairfax County and 6-2, 243-pound linebacker Kwontie Moore from Norfolk Christian.

Ekanem joins Caleb and Brookville defensive tackle Korren Kirven, the No. 7-rated player on the list, as the only uncommitted players in the Top 25.

All three have Virginia Tech on their list of finalists, raising the possibility that the Hokies could sign as many as 13 players off the Top 25.

Virginia, still listed by Kirven among the schools he is considering but not viewed as a front-runner, has taken commitments from eight Top 25 players.

The decision to pick Harold over Caleb came after canvassing several analysts, including Mike Farrell, national recruiting editor for rivals.com.

"Eli had one of the best two-way seasons of any player in the country," Farrell said "He was simply dominant."

On the defensive side of the ball, Harold had 28 tackles for loss, including 16 sacks. Offensively, he had 42 receptions for 744 yards and four touchdowns, but he also played quarterback when Ocean Lakes went to a "Wildcat" formation and rushed for 412 yards and 14 TDs.

There is no question that he wants to play defense in college and said he has patterned himself after Brian Orakpo, an All-American defensive end for Texas, who has grown into a 6-4, 260-pound outside linebacker for the Washington Redskins.

The only concern with Harold is whether he will stay academically eligible. He admits that his grades slipped during the 2010-11 school year; a nephew had died during the fall and Harold's mother passed away suddenly in January.

"All that's left is the [standardized] test," Harold said. "I felt pretty good after the last time I took it, but I'm still waiting for the score."

Harold was not named the Tidewater player of the year. That distinction went to quarterback J.J. Williamson, a 5-8 quarterback who put up prolific numbers for Oscar Smith, the Group AAA Division 6 champ.

Neither was Caleb the Richmond Metro player of the year. He was nagged by injury at times but has been defined more by his versatility and athleticism than his numbers.

Still, Caleb accounted for more than 6,800 yards in total offense during his career - more than 3,000 yards rushing and more than 3,000 yards passing.

"He was actually our leading quarterback for three years as a tailback," Clover Hill coach Sean O'Hare said. "He easily had 15 [or] 20 designed runs per night."

Caleb was an All-Richmond Metro defensive back for two years but wants to be a receiver in college. He has an older brother, Brandon, who played wide receiver for Oklahoma.

Caleb "always says he doesn't like defense that much," O'Hare said. "I say, 'If you don't like defense that much, why do you play it the way you do?' He says, 'I just want to get the ball back.'"

O'Hare was the Clover Hill coach when offensive lineman Blake DeChristopher came through the program. DeChristopher, a senior at Virginia Tech, won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy this year as the ACC's top offensive lineman.

"Blake was recruited as a senior," O'Hare said, "but it was kind of a different monster with a skilled player."

Caleb was determined not to make a decision until the season was over and has offered few hints on his destination.

"We kind of joke around that when he stops playing football, he can take up poker," O'Hare said. "He's definitely got a poker face."

VIRGINIA'S TOP 100
The Roanoke Times' annual report of the best high school football players in the state

TOP 25 JUNIORS