Virginia football lands instant commitment from Texas linebacker Matt Gahm

This morning, we wrote in our recruiting recap that Virginia had offered a scholarship to Highland Park (Tex.) linebacker Matt Gahm. At the time, there was a tweet from Justin Anderson that appeared to suggest Gahm had committed. This afternoon, Gahm confirmed as much on his Twitter account.

Gahm is rated a low three-star prospect by 247Sports, the only service to rate him so far. At 6’2, 224, Gahm projects as a fairly prototypical linebacker, especially if college strength training helps him bulk up.

No one is going to accuse Gahm of being an athletic freak of nature. But he shows good reads and good instincts, especially when tasked with containing a mobile QB or reading the mesh against an option offense. When he plays with his hands in the dirt, Gahm has a tendency to get upright too quickly, which weakens his striking and costs him needed leverage. That weakness can be minimized by playing him as a linebacker, where he appears to flourish in the highlights above. Gahm does have active hands that help him disengage from blockers, and his offer sheet (Harvard, Penn, Army, Air Force, etc.) indicate he’s got the smarts to develop better technique.