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It’s officially GAME WEEK for the Virginia Cavaliers football team, with the season opener against Richmond now just four days away. One of the new features we’ll have on Streaking the Lawn this year is a weekly roundup of recruiting news: the biggest new offers each week, along with a recap of who was visiting Scott Stadium and how committed players did in their high school games every Friday.
Hubbard’s announcement date nears
Pennsylvania offensive lineman Ja’Quay Hubbard is one of the top names left on UVA’s 2019 board. The Rivals four-star tackle is down to a final four of Virginia, Pitt, Mississippi State, and Syracuse. His birthday is September 1st, and Hubbard will announce his decision then. The crystal balls on 247 Sports tilt in favor of Mississippi State right now, but UVA put in a strong performance when Hubbard and his mom visited Charlottesville in June.
Watch this space during the STL Tailgate (starting at 3:00 on Saturday), with Hubbard’s announcement scheduled for early afternoon.
Hollins set to visit Charlottesville
While the Hubbard news will be the story before the game, the recruiting headline during the game will be an official visit from running back Mike Hollins. The three-star Louisiana product out of Baton Rouge’s University Lab—one of the top prep programs in the country—took an unofficial visit to UVA in May. He’s currently listed SMU as his leader, with strong interest in Alabama as well.
UVA recently extended a preferred walk-on spot to John Gordon McKernan, Hollins’ QB at University Lab. Hollins seemed to react positively to that development.
The coaching staff has done a good job closing top targets in recent months (see “Briggs, Jowon”). Showcasing a new ground-based offensive identity should help with Hollins, but it would be quite a surprise to see a commitment in the immediate future.
Milledge, Williams star for Dunbar
Despite a season-opening loss to Charlotte High School, two of UVA’s 2019 commitments—defensive back Major Williams and WR/speed back Seneca Milledge—put in strong performances for their Dunbar Tigers. Williams snagged his first INT of the year, while Milledge took a punt 95 yards to the house for Dunbar’s first touchdown of 2018.
In case you didn't know @DunbarFootball stud @senecamilledge is stupid fast. The UVA commit took a punt return 95 yards to the house vs Charlotte. pic.twitter.com/M19pb9N11j
— Andrew McDevitt (@AMcDevittTV) August 26, 2018
Tiquest Terry goes off for Blacksburg
Speaking of big plays from little guys, check out what Tiquest Terry did against Giles County.
Blacksburg won 50-0 thanks to three Terry scores—one each on a reception, a kickoff return, and a run.
Other highlights and headlines:
- The aforementioned Jowon Briggs led Walnut Hills with 11 tackles against Lakota East.
- Quarterback R.J. Harvey powered Edgewater to a 24-20 win over Bishop Moore with two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). The win snapped a 27-year winless streak for Edgewater in the Battle of College Park.
- Dorien Goddard’s 85 receiving yards helped Greeneville rout Morristown West, 42-0. Goddard racked up 58 yards on one long play to set up Greeneville’s last touchdown. You can see Goddard’s highlights here: