Bronco at peace with small recruiting class; keeps eyes on future

By Jerry Ratcliffe

With his eyes on the future, Bronco Mendenhall welcomed his smallest recruiting class on National Signing Day, noting that most of his program’s needs have been met.

This was going to be a small recruiting class because of the program’s numbers. Eleven players signed their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, and two more are expected over the next 24 hours. Then there’s another official signing period in February.

For now, though, Mendenhall was pleased with what the ACC Coastal Division champions raked in, even though UVA’s top recruit — four-star offensive tackle Andrew Gentry — will not be making an impact until years from now due to his commitment for an LDS mission.

Gentry is a 6-foot-7, 300-pound standout from Littleton, Col., pursued by practically every college football powerhouse in the nation. His plans are to take a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which means while he has signed as a member of the 2020 class, he will not report until the 2022 class.

“I would say to this point in the classes that we’ve signed at Virginia, he is the most skilled and talented and prepared at this level of any player we have signed,” Mendenhall said. “He is exceptional in every way and the most highly recruited player that I think I’ve ever recruited in terms of offers (32 from Power Five conference schools), and elite-level offers.”

It’s official! ✍️ #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/hG3DVxXc5j

— Andrew Gentry (@a_gentry75) December 18, 2019

The other four-star player that signed with the Cavaliers was Brandon Williams, a 6-2, 200-pound linebacker from New Orleans’ Isidore Newman High (the same school as the Mannings). He owns that school’s career record for sacks, even though he missed most of his junior campaign due to injury.

Virginia managed to hang on to another Louisiana recruit in Donovan Johnson, a 6-2, 180-pound defensive back from Harvey, who will enroll in January, as will quarterback Ira Armstead from South Bend, Ind.

Arkansas and some other schools made a strong run at the end of the recruiting period on Johnson, but he remained a Wahoo.

“With Donovan there is always kinds of interest in him in the beginning, through the middle, through the very end, and he didn’t waiver, which endears him to me,” Mendenhall said. “I think he’s a very good football player and totally and completely and almost to a fault, if it’s possible, honest and blunt. You know exactly where you stand with him and it’s refreshing. There is no gamesmanship and no leveraging. That’s refreshing.”

Virginia did lose one of its commitments from Louisiana, and one of its most highly-profiled recruits in four-star safety Bud Clark, who decommitted and signed with TCU.

There were no Virginians among the Cavaliers’ 11-man announced class, although defensive back Elijah Gaines played at Episcopal High in Northern Virginia. Gaines is a native New Yorker, who committed to Penn State in September, but decommitted on Dec. 6 and reopened his recruitment with Virginia.

“Coach (Nick) Howell has built an amazing relationship with him,” Mendenhall said of Gaines. When he decommitted from Penn State, I don’t remember the exact timing, Coach Howell was the first [Gaines’ family] called. It wasn’t really UVA that they called, it was Coach Howell. Didn’t take long to rekindle it. He set a visit, came, committed on his visit. He is a perfect fit for us.”

Mendenhall said the small class was partially a product of having no in-state signees and also because UVA simply got beat on others.

“Once you’re the best team in the state on a given year, that’s demonstrated on the field, you’re playing in a New Year’s Six game, there is a different perception that’s formed through winning and excellence,” the coach said. “I think [recruiting state players] will take a significant step forward. Lots and lots of players are leaving the state. Of those, I think there were eight players in-state that we offered and really wanted that chose elsewhere of the long list.”

Mendenhall keeps a list of all those players, and while many of them choose programs outside the state, he still considers that a defeat.

“Anyone that we offered in-state that didn’t come, I would say that’s a defeat,” he said. “I offer them because I want them. If they don’t choose us, there is a reason. I can’t speak for what the reasons are other than we’re going to continue to work on it. It’s our first priority every single year.

“The number of times we’re not the first to offer an in-state player is very few. We’re usually first, most thorough, and usually deepest, earliest. Then, for whatever reason, they haven’t chosen us. However, I sense that trend is changing. The results in this class, again, because of size, but also some of the defeats within the relative small class magnify that. I still sense momentum being gained.”

In terms of needs, Mendenhall said most of them had been met, and that he is at peace and satisfied with what this new class brings to the table.

The outstanding need for this class is at wide receiver, but Mendenhall said there are likely commitments at that position to come. UVA signed only one receiver on Wednesday, Lavel Davis, a 6-6, 205-pound wideout from Dorchester, S.C.

“You will see Lavel Davis on our list, which I really like,” the coach said. “He’s always open as soon as he lines up because he’s 6-6. The matchup versus corners is very difficult, and even if he hasn’t run by them, he’s still open because he’s 6-6. I really like what he provides for us.”

Mendenhall also credited UVA offensive line coach Garrett Tujague for landing Gentry.

“That relationship has been ongoing for a significant amount of time within the rules,” Mendenhall pointed out. “We learned of his commitment last Friday or Saturday. It’s gone right to the end, and ultimately he was deciding between really powerful schools.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE: More to come on Gentry on Thursday).

While this is a small class, which will grow over the next couple of days and months ahead, Mendenhall believes the next recruiting class will benefit from the Cavaliers’ success in beating Virginia Tech, winning the ACC Coastal Division, playing Clemson for the ACC Championship and qualifying for the Orange Bowl.

“If early indications are relevant, that’s already happening,” Mendenhall said. “Our 2021 interest in relation to predicted or recruit rankings, I would say it’s already had a significant impact. That’s prior to players committing, but it’s based on players’ level of interest and the amount of attention that they’re going us and vice versa.

“I certainly see a difference in that, and so it could lead to that. Doesn’t guarantee it but certainly could, and right now it is. It’s a matter of developing and fostering the existing level of interest and then helping that come to fruition through relationships to the point where we can say that at this time next year.”

(COMING THURSDAY: Andrew Gentry won’t arrive until 2022, but Mendenhall said he’ll be worth the wait).