UVA signs 19 high schoolers; Elliott notes progress in state

By Jerry Ratcliffe

One of the highlights of Virginia’s 19-man class on National Signing Day was five players signed from within the state’s borders, in addition to two more from the D.C./Baltimore area (see complete list of signees and player bios at end of this story).

Tony Elliott just finished his third season as UVA’s coach and has worked hard to establish more of a foothold within the Commonwealth and surrounding areas. Elliott said he considers Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and D.C., as the major part of the Cavaliers’ recruiting footprint.

The five in-state signees were running back Xay Davis from Richmond’s Collegiate School; wide receiver Dillon Newton-Short from Matoaca; defensive back Josiah Persinger from Salem High in Roanoke; wide receiver Isaiah Robinson from Trinity Episcopal School and Chester; and defensive back Montino Williams, also of Matoaca.

“I think it’s progress,” Elliott said. “We want to get guys from 804 (area code), I want to go to the 757, Northern Virginia. I want all of the best players to stay in the state of Virginia.”

UVA has struggled to make that happen under the last two coaching regimes. In Elliott’s previous two years, he signed six in-state players in the 2023 recruiting class (out of 20 high schoolers), a class that was ranked No. 64 nationally by 247Sports; and four players from the state last year (a 14-man class ranked No. 88 nationally).

This year’s class is ranked as high as No. 49 nationally (Rivals) and 12th among the 17 ACC schools to No. 56 (by both 247 and On3, which has UVA 13th and 12th, respectively, in the ACC).

“We understand the work we’ve got to do to make [prospects] want to stay [home],” Elliott said. “I think this is a good step in the right direction. I feel like we hit on the right players. Again, as many as you want to stay, it’s still got to be about fit, make sure it’s a fit.”

The coach said he and his staff were in pursuit of several other prospects in some fierce recruiting battles, including some high-profile players.

“Hopefully we can make a compelling argument. We’ve got the academics. I know what we’ve got to do as a program from a football standpoint, a new facility. I think going forward, we will have an even stronger component of things to be able to sell to keep these guys home,” Elliott said.

Elliott assigns his coaching staff to visit every high school in the state each year, even if a school doesn’t have a prospect, in order to build a bridge and trust with the state’s coaches.

“As they watch from afar, if they don’t have a player here, they cannot only hear the message, but they see it transpiring in our guys,” Elliott said. “Anybody that has a player that’s on our roster that’s in-state, when they go home, they can get confirmation that Coach Elliott and the staff are doing what they said they’re going to do.”

Elliott said that includes not only developing the players athletically, but supporting them academically and investing in the players holistically to give them the best college experience.

The coach said that by building relationships around the state, the high school coaches now know UVA’s staff by name when they show up at their schools.

Elliott said Virginia will be aggressive in the transfer portal, which opens for FBS schools on Dec. 9.

Coming Later: UVA signs two high school QBs, a look at those players and much more.

2025 Early Signing Day Class

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown	High School
Josiah Abdullah	WR	5-11	180	Columbus, Ga.	Woodward Academy
Jon Adair	OL	6-5	280	Franklin, Tenn.	Lipscomb Academy
Corey Costner	DB	6-1	190	Baltimore, Md.	Perry Hall
Xay Davis	RB	5-10	193	Richmond, Va.	The Collegiate School
Cole Geer	QB	6-1	205	Griswold, Conn.	Deerfield Academy
Jim Harris Jr.	OL	6-4	285	Muskegon, Mich.	Muskegon
Sichan John	DT	6-2	292	Lawrenceville, Ga.	Hebron Christian Academy
Bjorn Jurgensen	QB	6-3	195	Orlando, Fla.	Bishop Moore Catholic
Dillon Newton-Short	WR	6-1	205	Matoaca, Va.	Matoaca
Josiah Persinger	DB	5-11	170	Roanoke, Va.	Salem
Isaiah Reese	LB	6-3	220	Gilford, N.H.	Philip Exter Academy
Grayson Reid	OL	6-3	290	Washington, D.C.	The Maret School
Isaiah Robinson	WR	6-2	185	Chester, Va.	Trinity Episcopal School
Justin Rowe	LB	6-2	210	Ottawa, Ontario	Asheville School
CJ Spence	DB	5-10	180	Chesapeake, Va.	Kempsville
Willem Thurber	TE	6-5	235	Brattleboro, Vt.	Deerfield Academy
Evan Ward	DE	6-5	220	Peachtree City, Ga.	McIntosh
Montino Williams	DB	6-2	187	Chesterfield, Va.	Matoaca
Justin Zames	TE	6-4	235	Tampa, Fla.	Berkeley Prep

Player Bios

WR JOSIAH ABDULLAH | 5-11, 180
Columbus, Ga. (Woodward Academy)

Played for John Hunt at Woodward Academy in College Park, Ga. … Woodward Academy went 42-10 in his four years and were state runner ups in 2023 … two-time all-region selection (2023 & 2024) … was named a team captain his senior year … accumulated 2,312 receiving yards, 147 receptions and 30 touchdowns over the course of prep career … as a senior had 41 receptions with 802 yards and 10 touchdowns … his junior season caught 52 passes for 786 yards and 10 touchdowns … a four-star recruit and the No. 51 wide receiver in the state of Georgia according to Rivals.com … three-star recruit according to On3, 247Sports and ESPN … also ran track and set school record in the 200 meter and 4×100 meter relay … state finalist in the 4×100 meter relay … born in Columbus, Ga. … son of Shakeer and Alida Abdullah … had three siblings, Ameena, Surayyah and Jibril … his father Shakeer played football at Wittenburg University (Ohio) and his mother ran track at Georgia Tech … intends on majoring in Philosophy and/or Media and will enroll in January of 2025.

OL JON ADAIR | 6-5, 280
Franklin, Tenn. (Lipscomb Academy)

Attended Lipscomb Academy in Nashville (2021-25) … won back-to-back DII-AA state championships under former Super Bowl winning quarterback Trent Dilfer … moved up to DII-AAA football as a junior under the guidance of Pro Football Hall of Fame center Kevin Mawae and his senior year played for Jamie Graham … named a captain his senior year … a consensus three-star recruit … Born in Atlanta, Ga. … son of Shayne and Jessica Adair … has one sister Julia … his father, Shayne, played offensive line at Vanderbilt … his uncle, Jon Tedder played football at Georgia and his grandfather George Tedder played football at Florida … Intends to major in Political Science at UVA. 

DB COREY COSTNER | 6-1, 190
Baltimore, Md. (Perry Hall)

Played for Ryan Pittillo at Perry Hall in Baltimore, Md. … the Gators went a combined 30-8 over his final three seasons, including a 12-1 campaign in 2023 that ended in a MPSSAA Class 4A-3A State Semifinals appearance … amassed 120 receptions, 2,208 yards receiving, 25 receiving touchdowns and 3,116 all-purpose yards over the course of his three-year prep career … on defense totaled 11 career interceptions including five as a sophomore in 2022 …  a three-time All-State and three-time All-County selection … as a sophomore in 2022, ranked top 10 in the state in receiving yards and top 12 in interceptions … named a team captain as a senior … a consensus three-star recruit … No. 16 athlete from the state of Maryland according to ESPN … born in Baltimore, Md. … son of Jason and Monica Costner … has two siblings, Lyric and Kailee … his father, Jason, ran track at Penn … his godfather, Doug Glanville, played 10 seasons in the MLB for Cubs, Phillies and Rangers … intends to major in Finance or Business and will enroll in January of 2025.

RB XAY DAVIS | 5-10, 193
Richmond, Va. (The Collegiate School)

Played for Mark Palyo (2022) and Collin McConaghy (2023 & 2024) at The Collegiate School in Richmond … as a senior appeared in seven games due to injury, rushed for 630 yards and 10 touchdowns … played running back, wide receiver and was a returner his junior season and earned All-Metro Honorable Mention honors … a First Team All-State selection as an athlete and got a Second Team All-State nod at wide receiver in 2023 … his sophomore season was a First Team All-Prep performer as a returner …  named a team captain his senior year … a consensus three-star? recruit … also played basketball and ran track at Collegiate … earned 2022 All-Metro honors in the long jump (21-9.5) … named 2024 Virginia Prep League Field Events MVP after finishing second in long jump (22-3.75) and second in triple jump … collected 2024 Third Team All-State honors in the long jump as well as the triple jump … son of Derico Davis and Nazarell Williams …  has three siblings, Aiden, Derico Jr. and Saadiya … father Derico played defensive back at Virginia Union … intends to major in Mathematics and Human Biology.

QB COLE GEER | 6-1, 205
Griswold, Conn. (Deerfield Academy)

Played for Brian Barbato at Deerfield Academy … Four-star recruit and the No. 1 quarterback in the commonwealth of Massachusetts … All-Northeast Prep Second Team selection as a junior … his junior year Deerfield went 7-3 and won the Danny Smith Bowl over Belmont Hil … high school teammates with fellow UVA recruit Willem Thurber and played with current Cavalier Triston Ward at Deerfield … son of Bowman Geer … has a younger sister Sophie … father, Bowman, played football at the University of New Hampshire … intends to major in Business.

OL JIM HARRIS JR. | 6-4, 285
Muskegon, Mich. (Muskegon)

Played for Shane Fairfield at Muskegon High School … four-year letterman at MHS … helped anchor an offensive line that powered the Big Reds to a state championship in 2023 … the state champions accounted for 5,400 yards of total offense and 4,600 rushing yards … consensus three-star recruit … ranked the No. 8 offensive tackle in the state of Michigan according to ESPN … born in Muskegon, Mich. … son of Jim Harris Sr. and Andrea Green … has five siblings … intends on majoring in Personal Finance or Communications.

DT SICHAN JOHN | 6-2, 292
Lawrenceville, Ga. (Hebron Christian Academy)

Played his final two prep seasons for Jonathan Gess at Hebron Christian Academy in Dacula Ga. after transferring from Archer after his sophomore year … named the 2024 Region 8-AA Defensive Player of the Year … helped the Lions reach the GHSA Private State Football Championship Final Four for the first time in program history as a senior …  as a junior in 2023 was named a First Team All-Region and an All-State Honorable Mention after posting 48 tackles (40 solo) and nine sacks in a 6-5 campaign … was recognized as a Region 8-AAA honorable mention as a sophomore … consensus three-star recruit … born in Columbus, Ohio … son of Chando John … has two siblings, Simeon and Sian … intends on majoring in Science and Technology.

QB BJORN JURGENSEN | 6-3, 195
Orlando, Fla. (Bishop Moore Catholic)

Played for Matt Hedrick at Bishop Moore Catholic High School in Orlando … a two-year captain for the Hornets … named the 2024 FACA District Player of the Year … amassed 5,443 passing yards, 58 touchdowns, 1,203 yards rushing and 23 rushing touchdowns over his three-year prep career at BMCHS … he owns 15 school records including most passing yards in a season, passing touchdowns in a season, career pass TDs and total yards … lettered in track as a sophomore and was a Unified Track State Champion in 2024 … born in Washington, D.C. … son of Anthony and Corinne Jergensen … has two younger siblings Annika and Malin … intends on majoring in Business or Finance.

WR DILLON NEWTON-SHORT | 6-1, 205
Matoaca, Va. (Matoaca)

Played for Justin Parker (2021) and Fredrick Stoots (2022-24) at Matoaca High School … the Warriors went 21-5 in his last two seasons, including an 11-1 campaign in 2024 … as a two-way player during his senior year, caught 68 passes for 1,092 yards and 17 touchdowns. He had two interceptions and a fumble recovery on defense … set the school record for touchdowns in a season with 23 as a junior in the first of his two 1,000-yard receiving seasons of his prep career … three-time All-Region, two-time All-State, two-time All-Metro and received an All-County nod as a junior … garnered the team’s Offensive Player of the Year award as a senior … invited to play in the Big River Rivalry All-Star Football game hosted by the Touchdown Club of Richmond … high school teammates with fellow 2024 Virginia recruit Montino Williams … consensus three-star recruit … ranked the No. 18 wide receiver in the state of Virginia according to Rivals … also played basketball at Matoaca where he was a two-time all-Region, two-time All-State selection … born in Matoaca, Va. … son of Brittni Newton … has two younger siblings Kai and Hendrix.

DB JOSIAH PERSINGER | 5-11, 170
Roanoke, Va. (Salem)

Played for Dan Holter at Salem High School … earned First Team All-Region honors as a running back and defensive back during his prep career … three-star recruit according to On3 and ESPN … also ran track at Salem … clocked a 10.58 in the 100-meter dash, second fastest in school history … placed second in the 2024 VHSL Class 4 State Championship in the 100-meter dash … Son of Kenity Persinger … is the youngest four siblings … intends to be a pre-med major.

LB ISAIAH REESE | 6-3, 220
Gilford, N.H. (Phillips Exeter Academy)

Played for Josh Marzahl at Gilford High School (2020-23) and Panos Voulgaris at Phillips Exter Academy (2023-25) … 2024 North East Prep League Defensive Player of the Year … 2023 Second Team All-Northeast Prep League … 2022 New Hampshire D-II Player of the Year … 2021 New Hampshire All-State … 2021 D-II Second Team (QB) … four-star prospect according to ESPN … top linebacker in the state of New Hampshire … born in Gilford, N.H. … son of Mo and Robin Reese … has three siblings … intends to major in psychology.

OL GRAYSON REID | 6-3, 290
Washington, D.C. (The Maret School)

Played for Mike Engelberg at The Maret School … named team captain his junior and senior years … two-time state champion (2021, 2023) … state championship runners-up in 2022 … three-time All-State (2022-24) at OL … two-time All-MAC Conference (2022, 2023) at OL … three-star consensus recruit… born in Washington, D.C. … son of James and Randi Reid … has two sisters, Calla and Beckett … intends to major in business.

WR ISAIAH ROBINSON | 6-2, 185
Chester Va. (Trinity Episcopal School)

Played for Sam Mickens at Trinity Episcopal School … two-time state champion (2021-22) … helped Trinity Episcopal go undefeated (11-0) in 2022 … state championship runners-up in 2023 … four-time varsity athlete … two-time All-Prep League at wide receiver (2022, 2024) … consensus three-star prospect … recorded over 903 receiving yards in his three-year career at Trinity Episcopal … previously attended Thomas Dale High School … son of Shawn and Kenisha Robinson … has two siblings, Jeremiah and Alyssa … intends to major in Kinesiology.

LB JUSTIN ROWE | 6-2, 210
Ottawa, Ontario (Asheville School)

Played for Shawn Bryson at Asheville School … helped Asheville win three-straight state championships (2022-24) … two-time all-state (DII) at DB … two-time NCISAA All-Conference (2023-24) at DB … Western North Carolina Athlete of the Year nominee in 2023 … named Asheville School Athlete of the year in 2023 … voted team captain his senior year … three-star consensus recruit … born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada … son of Seymour and Natalie Rowe … has two siblings, Jeremy and Jesse … intends to major in Business.

DB CJ SPENCE | 5-10, 180
Chesapeake, Va. (Kempsville)

Played for Daryl Cherry at Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach …  consensus three-star recruit … No. 20 cornerback in the commonwealth of Virginia according to 247Sports … born in Chesapeake, Va. …. son of Renee Spence … has in older sister Daijah … intends to major in Engineering.

TE WILLEM THURBER | 6-5, 235
Brattleboro, Vt. (Deerfield Academy)

Played his final three prep seasons at Deerfield Academy for Brian Barbato … earned First Team Northeast Prep All-League Offense as a senior … was a team captain his final season … his junior year Deerfield went 7-3 and won the Danny Smith Bowl over Belmont Hill … consensus three-star recruit … No. 4 tight end in the commonwealth of Massachusetts according to Rivals … high school teammates with fellow UVA recruit Cole Greer … born in Brattleboro, Vt. … son of Ross Thurber and Amanda Ellis-Thurber … had two older siblings … intends on majoring in Business.

DE EVAN WARD | 6-5, 220
Peachtree City, Ga. (McIntosh)

Played for Derek Smith at McIntosh High School in Peachtree, Ga. … compiled 111 tackles (64 solo) his last two prep seasons … As a senior amassed 11 sacks in 10 games … First Team All-Region selection as a senior … consensus three-star recruit.

DB MONTINO WILLIAMS | 6-2, 187
Chesterfield, Va. (Matoaca)

Played for Justin Parker (2021) and Fredrick Stoots (2022-24) at Matoaca High School … as a junior garnered Second Team All State and First Team All-Region honors after he 950 yards 10 TD, 22 catches 375 yards and four scores … invited to play in the Big River Rivalry All-Star Football game hosted by the Touchdown Club of Richmond … high school teammates with fellow 2024 Virginia recruit Dillon Newton-Short.

TE JUSTIN ZAMES | 6-4, 235
Tampa, Fla. (Berkeley Prep)

Played for Dominick Ciao at Berkeley Preparatory School … consensus three-start prospect … No. 4 tight end in the state of Florida … helped the Buccaneers to a 13-1 campaign and state championship runner-up status in 2021 … reached the region 2 semifinals in 2022 … son of Jon and Karen James … father Jon played football at Columbia … has one brother, Jared … uncle Matt played football at MIT … born in New York, N.Y. … was also a two-year starter on varsity lacrosse team … intends to major in Business.