Virginia Signee: Micah Kiser

<strong>Micah Kiser
Position: Linebacker
Hometown (School): Baltimore, MD (Gilman)
Height/Weight: 6'1'' 215 lbs
Committed to Virginia: 4/30/12
Lead Recruiter: Anthony Poindexter </strong>

Coming into the 2013 recruiting cycle, linebacker was Virginia's biggest need. Micah Kiser was the first player UVa landed at that position for this class, back in late April. Kiser had seen his recruitment take off in the weeks prior, grabbing offers from Florida, Oklahoma, Stanford and others. Kiser is a former high school teammate of current Cavalier Darius Jennings, when they played together at Gilman in Baltimore. Kiser is ranked a 4-star by 247Sports, and a high 3-star by Rivals. Kiser was also selected to play in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl.

At Gilman, Kiser played and excelled at middle linebacker. The Baltimore native showed the ability to drop back into pass coverage and make plays on the ball, as well as the ability to come up and stuff the run. The ability to read the play at the line of scrimmage and recognize patterns and shifts pre-snap are so important to playing the middle linebacker position, and Kiser showed that he could do those things at Gilman. Kiser played smart, reading out screens and pass plays, getting to the spot and making a tackle. Kiser also played tight end on the offense, using his size and athleticism to score a few touchdowns as well. Kiser is a great fit for the middle linebacker role in a 4-3 scheme, and you can see on film why the Cavaliers' staff thought so as well.

It was really important for Virginia to add depth and talent at the linebacker position in the 2013 class, and Micah Kiser was a great addition to the group. With Steve Greer and LaRoy Reynolds both graduating, there were certainly be an opportunity for younger players to come in and earn minutes. At this point, I'd say that Kiser will probably play some on special teams as a freshman, but more in a reserve role on the defense. With Kwontie Moore and several other players established at the middle linebacker spot, Kiser would really have to show out in fall camp to earn significant playing time in 2013. Still, you can see on film why he earned so many impressive scholarship offers, and he will be a great addition to UVa's defense.

Micah Kiser Senior Highlights 2012 (via makiser43)