Virginia Signee: Max Valles

Max Valles
Position: Defensive End/Athlete
Hometown (School): Hammonton, NJ (St. Joseph)
Height/Weight: 6’5’’ 208
Committed to Virginia: 6/5/11
Lead Recruiter: Shawn Moore

Max Valles signed with the Cavaliers in 2012, and after a year at Fork Union, re-upped on that pledge. Valles, originally from New Jersey, committed to Virginia almost two years ago, and will finally get his shot in Charlottesville this Fall. An athlete who could play either defensive end or tight end, Valles also held offers from Syracuse, Rutgers and Purdue coming out of high school. Valles is ranked as a low 3-star by 247Sports and a 2-star prospect by Rivals.

Valles was a relative unknown when he committed to Virginia back in 2011. His highlights show a good athlete with great length and an ability to make some plays in space. As a wide receiver at St. Joseph in New Jersey, Valles was tough to guard the perimeter, particularly for smaller defenders. At 6'5'' 208 lbs, Valles is built more like a wide receiver than a defensive end really. Valles has a nice set of hands as well, and you could see why the staff might want to give him a look at tight end. At defensive end, Valles was tough to block because of his speed and athleticism off the edge.

Where Valles is slotted at Virginia is still up in the air. Coming out of high school, it looked like he would be a defensive end. If that's where the Cavalier staff places him, then they will need to bulk him up a bit first. One positive for Valles is that he got to be coached by a great staff at Fork Union, and almost all of the players Virginia gets from the local military academy do great things at the college level.

Max Valles 2011 Senior Highlights (via Luke Ordille)