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“Wait,” you’re saying to yourself. “National signing day? I thought we already did this.”
Congrats, you. You’re half correct. After an early signing period in December that saw the Virginia Cavaliers football program sign twenty new Hoos, the “traditional” signing day is upon us once more. The class of 2018 will come to its close this evening, with fax machines earning their yearly keep until whirring back to life again in ten months.
Here’s a quick reset on where things stand for UVA.
#NewStandard18: UVA Football commits
| NAME | POS | LOCATION | HT | WT | Rivals Stars | Rivals Rating | 247 Stars | 247 Rating | ESPN Stars | ESPN Rating | COMMITTED | Signed/Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAME | POS | LOCATION | HT | WT | Rivals Stars | Rivals Rating | 247 Stars | 247 Rating | ESPN Stars | ESPN Rating | COMMITTED | Signed/Enrolled |
| Noah Taylor | LB | Gaithersburg, MD | 6'4" | 180 | 3 | 5.6 | 4 | 90 | 3 | 76 | 8/20/16 | Enrolled |
| Jaylon Baker | DB | Chattanooga, TN | 6'2" | 162 | 3 | 5.6 | 3 | 87 | 3 | 75 | 12/19/17 | Signed |
| Brennan Armstrong | QB | Shelby, OH | 6'1" | 184 | 3 | 5.6 | 3 | 87 | 4 | 80 | 11/20/17 | Enrolled |
| Bryce Perkins | QB | Chandler, AZ | 6'2" | 215 | 3 | 5.7 | 3 | 86 | 3 | 74 | 12/5/17 | Enrolled |
| Grant Misch | LB | Sterling, VA | 6'4" | 234 | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 85 | 3 | 75 | 8/2/17 | Signed |
| Ugo Obasi | WR | Baltimore, MD | 6'1" | 175 | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 85 | 3 | 78 | 6/23/17 | Signed |
| Joseph White | WR | Virginia Beach, VA | 6'2" | 175 | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 85 | 3 | 75 | 5/20/17 | Signed |
| Javar Garrett | LB | Hightstown, NJ | 6'2" | 205 | 3 | 5.7 | 3 | 85 | 3 | 78 | 4/1/17 | Signed |
| Samson Reed | DE | Kahuku, HI | 6'3" | 242 | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 84 | 3 | 77 | 6/26/17 | Signed |
| Wooby Theork | ATH | Naples, FL | 5'10" | 165 | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 84 | 3 | 78 | 6/26/17 | Signed |
| Martin Weisz | OL | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | 6'6" | 295 | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 84 | 3 | 74 | 6/24/17 | Signed |
| Bobby Haskins | OL | Princeton, NJ | 6'7" | 240 | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 84 | 3 | 75 | 6/3/17 | Enrolled |
| Tavares Kelly | WR | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 5'7" | 140 | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 84 | 3 | 77 | 4/21/17 | Signed |
| Jordan Redmond | DT | Kissimmee, FL | 6'2" | 287 | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 83 | 3 | 78 | 10/24/17 | Signed |
| T.C. Harrison | LB | Suwanee, GA | 6'3" | 201 | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 83 | 3 | 74 | 6/24/17 | Signed |
| Billy Kemp | WR | Highland Springs, VA | 5'9" | 170 | 2 | 5.3 | 3 | 82 | 3 | 72 | 12/10/17 | Signed |
| Derek Devine | OL | Wexford, PA | 6'6" | 260 | 2 | 5.3 | 3 | 82 | 3 | 72 | 6/24/17 | Signed |
| Micah Mariteragi | OL | Kahuku, HI | 6'5" | 265 | 2 | 5.4 | 3 | 82 | 3 | 72 | 11/22/17 | |
| Hunter Pearson | K | Seneca, SC | 6'4" | 200 | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 80 | 3 | 76 | 6/23/17 | Signed |
| Joe Bissinger | OL | Houston, TX | 6'4" | 290 | 2 | 5.4 | 3 | 80 | 3 | 77 | 4/23/17 | Signed |
#HoosOnBoard
Note that three of the top players in the class have already enrolled and are working with their new teammates: quarterbacks Bryce Perkins and Brennan Armstrong, and linebacker Noah Taylor. (Taylor, by the way, just got bumped up to a four-star by 247Sports earlier this week.)
The other early enrollee is tight-end-turned-lineman Bobby Haskins. An extra semester of FBS strength training—and the athletes’ dining hall—are exactly what the coaches ordered for a developmental prospect along the line.
#HoosStillNeeded
This class is stacked at linebacker and wide receiver, with lots of added depth on the offensive line as well. Not to mention the two likely quarterbacks of the present (Perkins) and future (Armstrong).
The biggest area needing help is the defensive line. With Andrew Brown off to the NFL, and Steven Wright and Juwan Moye departing for other reasons, the front line of Bronco Mendenhall’s defense needs reinforcements pronto. Samson Reed and Jordan Redmond are both nice pieces in this class, but one more #Silverback wouldn’t hurt.
Another defensive back would also round out the class nicely. With DJ Brown decommitting from UVA on January 30th—and committing to Notre Dame this morning—there’s an open slot for a defensive back. Landing Jaylon Baker at the last minute before the December signing period softens the blow of Brown’s departure, even if no one else joins the class.