Name: Devante Cross
High School: Parkland (Allentown, PA)
Height/Weight: 6-2, 180 pounds
Ranking: Rivals 2*, 247 3*, ESPN 3*
The skinny:
Up until late December, Cross was solidly in the Boston College camp. But he re-opened his recruitment, and Mendenhall swept right in to get him.
A two-sport star for Parkland High School, Cross was named All-State and player of the year for Parkland's division in Pennsylvania. In his senior season, he threw for almost 3,000 yards and ran for 1,300 more.
Cross's recruitment sheds some light on what Mendenhall and offensive coordinator Robert Anae are trying to do with the offense. After committing to Virginia just after his official visit, Cross described the future offense at Virginia as very similar to what he ran at Parkland: using the quarterback as a running threat and "taking what the defense gives" on every play.
Cross will need to bulk up a bit to be a physical presence in FBS football. But his athleticism ups the speed factor in Virginia's backfield for sure.