UVA lands versatile in-state linebacker Green from Williamsburg for Class of 2021

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Over the past 10 days, Virginia’s football program has landed impressive commitments from all over the country: Washington, Texas, Alabama, Maryland. On Thursday, the Cavaliers didn’t have to go that far to land their 10th commitment for the Class of 2021.

Mike Green, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound, 3-star prospect from Williamsburg’s Lafayette High School (the same school that produced Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor), announced his commitment to UVA on his Twitter account.

COMMITTED‼️⚔️🔶🔷🔶⚔️ pic.twitter.com/AOpv5Tv9x8

— michael green (@Mikegreen42021) April 30, 2020

Green, who ranks the No. 17 junior prospect in the state and the No. 82 wide receiver in the nation, had a boatload of offers and chose Virginia over an impressive list of suitors, including: Virginia Tech, Central Florida Kentucky, Kansas State, Boston College, Ole Miss, Pitt, Syracuse, East Carolina, Appalachian State, JMU, Temple, Liberty and ODU.

The commitment could signal a breakthrough for Virginia in its home state. Bronco Mendenhall’s previous class didn’t have a single signee from the Commonwealth, but Green is a solid prospect.

“I actually didn’t expect my recruitment to blow up like this,” Green said. “I’ve always been one of these type of players that tried to do more and get my teammates to do the same, so when I look back at that stuff and the work I’ve put in, I now think that it was worth it and this is where I was meant to be.”

Green could have visited a number of schools, but decided Virginia was the perfect fit for him — both athletically and academically — and there was no reason to put off his decision.

While he was offered as both a tight end and a linebacker, Green will play linebacker at Virginia. He and UVA co-defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga developed a strong relationship, and Poppinga showed the Williamsburg prospect how he would fit perfectly in the Cavaliers’ aggressive 3-4 scheme.

Green said that Poppinga showed him how Virginia used linebacker Noah Taylor last season when Taylor moved around a lot from his outside position, a role that Poppinga envisioned for Green. Fluid and fast enough to play wide receiver or tight end, Green should be an asset with that type of athletic ability as an edge rusher and flat defender in pass coverage.

Green is the 10th commitment to Virginia’s football program with more expected in the near future.

You can check out some of Green’s highlights here.