The following Virginia football recruiting primer for National Signing Day 2012 is provided by SB Nation’s excellent Virginia site, Streaking The Lawn.
Virginia Football Recruiting: National Signing Day 2012 Commitments, Needs & Targets
Virginia is bringing an impressive class under Mike London.
Anybody who has been a Virginia football fan for a while knows the significance of the name Moore. When Virginia football was putting itself on the map, the QB-WR combination of Shawn Moore and Herman Moore was leading the way. With the 2012 recruiting class, the Hoos have a new Moore combination to look forward to, this time on defense. DE Michael Moore and LB Kowntie Moore lead a class that most rank among the nation’s top 30. A third Moore, CB C.J., is also joining the Hoos.
While the Moores will gather some headlines due to the name recognition, the true star of the class is DE Eli Harold. Harold is a 6’4”, 230-pound beast of a pass rusher who should pair up with Michael Moore to form a dynamic combination of DEs in a couple of years.
This class also includes a pair of heralded QBs in Greyson Lambert and Matt Johns. Lambert has, in fact, already enrolled, and will spend the spring semester working out with the team. Lambert claimed offers from such powerhouses as Alabama and Georgia. Both QBs stand 6'5" and have strong arms. With current starter Michael Rocco going into his junior year, Lambert and Johns will have be able to spend a couple of years growing and learning before battling for the starting nod.
One of the biggest positions of need in this class was in the defensive secondary. The Hoos lost 75 percent of their starting secondary, so bringing in some quality DBs was an absolute necessity. As previously mentioned, C.J. Moore will be slotted at CB, as will 6'1", 175-pound speedster Kelvin Rainey. Beyond that, there are a couple of athletes who may end up at either safety or corner. This includes Adrian Gamble, a UVA commit last year who spent the season at Fork Union Military Academy. Anthony Cooper, Maurice Canady, Max Valles, Wil Wahee and Demeitre Brim are all candidates to end up in the secondary, although Cooper and Canady may stick on offense.
The class includes a number of players who could end up playing at just about any skill position. This flexibility will be key as the team tries to fill some holes left by graduating players. One thing this class lacks is a playmaking TE. The team will lose its top two TEs after next year, and there remains only a converted QB and a converted DE at the position. TE will be a position of need for the 2013 class.
