National Signing Day 2011: DE Rob Burns Signs with Virginia

6'8" / 226 lbs / 4.8  Video: [ESPN]

Rankings:
- ESPN:  3* / 77 Rating / #80 DE
- Rivals: 3* / 5.6 Rating / #16 State
- Scout: 3* / #84 DE
- _247: 3* / 85 Rating

Other Offers: Boston College, Duke, Maryland, Penn State, Rutgers, Stanford, Syracuse, Wake Forest

Notes: Academics was a huge factor for Burns, who had a 4.01 GPA after his junior year, and even with Stanford listed as a final four, Burns picked Virginia both for its academics and because he felt Coach London's passion for improvement was contagious. He's a little taller than you'd expect from a defensive end, but he fights hard to stay low and tries to use his longer reach to keep his man at bay. He can move front and back, left and right, but diagonals can be a bit tricky for him. To add some extra bulk, Burns has hired Mark Nemish, strength coach for the Washington Capitals.

Quotables: 

"It is hard not get excited when listening to Coach Hanson talk about the defense and how they are setting it up. I like the aggressive approach and think I could fit right into what they are trying to do at Virginia." -- to CavsCorner.com