By Jerry Ratcliffe
Tony Elliott and his staff continued to mine the Richmond area talent pool on Friday with a commitment from Varina High School defensive back Sa Rex.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound corner is a 3-star and ranked the No. 25 overall prospect in the state according to 247Sports. Rex, whose full name is Sair, visited UVA on June 5 after official visits to Northwestern, Appalachian State and Marshall.
Rex said his decision came down to Virginia over Northwestern, although according to 247Sports, he held offers from Penn State, Pitt, JMU, Liberty, Utah State, Army, Navy, Air Force, UConn, ODU, Delaware and others.
The eighth commitment to UVA this month and the 13th overall, several have come from the Richmond area. During Elliott’s dinner conversation with Rex following a recent showcase, the Cavaliers head coach had help in recruiting Rex. Former Varina standouts Bull Richardson and DaMari Carter, already enrolled at UVA, strongly encouraged Rex to join them, noting, “we have won together, let’s keep winning.”
Varina went 13-2 last season and 12-2 in 2024.
In 2025, Rex recorded 42 tackles, including 2 TFL, and picked off seven enemy passes while breaking up 24 others. He scored two receiving touchdowns as well.
Also a track standout, Rex has good speed, posting an 11.17 clocking in the 100 meters, 23.30 in the 200 and 49.66 in the 400.
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