Friday, September 12, 2008
Latest on Division I-A signees: 2009 list could top 60 in Virginia
What about signs at Tech, UVa football games?
Doug Doughty
Doug Doughty's College Notebook Plus is exclusive to roanoke.com and is posted by 5 p.m. Fridays.
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One of the few promises I’ve made of late was to prepare a printable list of the roanoke.com preseason list of the state’s top 40 football prospects, so, before I set the cruise control for my trip to Connecticut, here it is.
The list originally appeared in the Aug. 15 edition of Notebook Plus, which was exactly four weeks ago, so you would think there might have been some commitments – even some decommitments – over that time.
Not so.
From all indications, there will be more Division I-A signees out of Virginia than ever, but there’s been a lull since mid-August, at which point 31 players off the top 40 had made oral commitments.
Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised.
In 2007, Virginia Tech had 21 commitments as of Sept 17 and didn’t get another commitment until Nov. 24, when wide receiver Jarrett Boykin made up his mind.
Virginia, which had a smaller class, did not have a commitment between Aug. 18 (Buddy Ruff) and Oct. 9 (Jimmy Howell). Then, the Cavaliers’ next commitment was from Rod Wheeler on Dec. 12.
Almost nobody commits in September.
A Division I-A commitment that has not appeared in roanoke.com or The Roanoke Times was the pledge that Marshall received from James Rouse, a 6-foot-6, 213-pound defensive end from Harrisonburg High School.
The Rouse commitment took place in late July, although rivals.com had a story this week in which Rouse reiterated his commitment to the Thundering Herd.
Normally, a player is assured a spot in the top 40 if he has committed to Virginia Tech or UVa, but the Cavaliers have two recruits (LoVante’ Battle and LaRoy Reynolds) who did not make the roanoke.com preseason top 40 and the Hokies have one (Giles place-kicker Cody Journell).
That will be revisited before the final list that comes out in December, as will the position of Tech recruits Theron Norman and Duan Perez-Means at No. 27 and No. 33, respectively. If a player has offers from both Tech and UVa, as was the case with Hermitage teammates Norman and Perez-Means, that generally correlates to a spot in the final Top 25.
This year will be different. We already know that. Add Rouse, Battle, Reynolds and Journell to the 31 committed players on the preseason top 40 and that makes 35 Division I-A bound players.
Throw in the nine uncommitted players on the top 40, all of whom have I-A offers, and that puts the number at 44.
Wake Forest has taken commitments from two Virginians outside the top 40 (Matt Muncy and Mike Olson), Duke has one (Garrett Patterson), North Carolina has one (Curtis Campbell) and Louisville has one (Mike Privott).
That puts the number at 49 and there’s another group of players outside the top 40 who have Division I-A offers, including the likes of Brookville offensive lineman Devin Bolling, Western Branch “athlete” Javanti Sparrow, Ocean Lakes safety Shamarko Thomas, Centreville tight end Zach Glatter and Woodbridge offensive lineman Jay Weatherington.
That doesn’t include the fourth-year, high-school seniors playing on the postgrad teams at Hargrave and Fork Union Military Academy and you’re easily looking at 60 or more I-A signees from Virginia this year.
AS THE DRIVE TO Connecticut awaits, without directions to Mohegan Sun at this point, we’ll turn to the poll.
Thanks to the 532 readers who responded last week. The response was split almost evenly between UVa fans (273) and Tech fans (259).
I was surprised to learn that 76.6 percent of the Virginia fans said they liked the color, orange. I would have thought the number would have been lower, but only because I have always liked the color, blue. Maybe the question for UVa fans should have been, “Do you prefer orange or blue?”
Along the same lines, I’m not sure how to interpret the Tech vote: 44.8 percent said they liked orange, as opposed to 55.2 percent who disliked orange.
“Tech fan who likes orange but loves MAROON,” probably sums up the Hokies’ opinion.
Some other good answers:
“Syracuse lost to Akron this past week. Uh … Behold the Power of Orange.”
“Auburn also wears orange and I would say they are a successful team.”
“Actually, I dislike the “blaze” orange the Hokies wear. The actual color – burnt orange – looks much better. I think Jim Weaver must have banned burnt orange along with the “stick it in cheer.”
“First “Cav Man,” now “Power of Orange.” What’s next? “The Magnitude of Brie and Chardonnay.” Makes the “Hokies Respect” look like the New Deal.”
“Power of Orange =PoO”
And, from the shoot-the-messenger category:
“orange you gonna ask any relevant questions.”
“You are the worst. Your columns are awful. You have zero talent. You are a
disgrace.”
IN AN EFFORT to engage both Tech and Virginia fans, this week’s poll question involves the recent ban on signs inside UVa Scott Stadium, which has caused ESPN.com’s Rick Reilly and others to criticize Mr. Jefferson’s school for being anti-free speech.
Some Tech fans might not know that signs are also banned at Tech’s Lane Stadium, following a period during the Bill Dooley coaching era when signs had to be approved before entry.
As usual, your comments are welcome.
