clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Tempo, volume, and recruits are the takeaways from Virginia football's spring festival

Three observations from UVA's public exhibition

By Paul Wiley
Rob Carr/Getty Images

We'll have more detailed thoughts (and lots of pictures!) from today's Virginia football spring festival at Scott Stadium. But here are three quick things to know from the event, and what it might mean for the fall.

Tempo is the name of the game on offense

I clocked about 30 of the plays Virginia ran in 11-on-11 practice periods, checking the time between snaps. The only times the offense took more than 25 seconds between the end of one play and the snap for the next were during wholesale defensive substitutions or swapping quarterbacks. Other than that, the Hoos were snapping the ball with 15-20 seconds left on the play clock—a pleasant change of pace from a program that often struggled to get plays in on time in years past.

Volume is the name of the game at practice

Reports earlier this spring were absolutely correct: Whenever the teams were in full-team, live-action periods, music was BUMPING from the sound system. The crowd (respectable, in the low thousands I would imagine) reacted nicely whenever either unit made a nice play, but the tunes—everything from Bob Marley to the Rolling Stones—made for a nice simulation of gameday noise.

Live football makes for a great recruiting tool

Earlier this evening we got the news that Lamont Atkins had committed to Virginia during his visit to Charlottesville today. Hopefully the spring events are as effective with other recruits, as there were plenty in attendance.

Malcolm Robinson (above) is a D-line target from Ohio, while Mekhi Becton (below) is a major in-state offensive line prospect for Mendenhall's staff.

The "VIP" lanyards identifying the visiting recruits were plentiful. And both coaches and current players had plenty of interaction with the prospective ones. As crisp and purposeful as every moment of practice looked, Coach Mendenhall and his staff put on a great show.

More From Streaking The Lawn