Menchville’s Richardson To Take Official Visits
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Clifton Richardson (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
Clifton Richardson has been touted as one of the jewels in Coach Mike London’s 2011 class at Virginia. When Richardson (QB/FS 6-1 195)committed to Virginia back in March, the buzz was significant. Richardson was one of London’s first blue chip verbals in the 2011 class. At the time, his commitment was a hot topic and has since been clarified as a soft verbal.
In recruiting parlance, a soft verbal is hardly a commitment. In fact, a verbal commitment isn’t truly a commitment but it is a non-binding agreement between the college program and the player. A soft verbal means, “I really like you and I plan on coming there, but I might change my mind.”
In other words, Virginia plans on having Clifton Richardson as part of their 2011 class. Clifton Richardson plans to be there, most likely.
That being said, he’s still going to see what else is out there. We caught up to Richardson last night at the Grassfield scrimmage, and he’s still looking around.
“I’m going to make my final decision soon. I’m going to take some official visits and make my decision after that.” Richardson then went on to list the schools he plans to visit. “Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland, UVA and probably South Florida. I like Virginia because of the coaching staff. They’re going to turn that program around,” said Richardson. Clearly, he’s impressed with Coach London and his efforts to rebuild the Cavalier Football program.
West Virginia also has his eye. “I like Chris Beatty. He’s a great running back coach.” Richardson would obviously fit the mold as a speedy slot receiver or running back in the Mountaineer program.
”With Tennessee, I just met the new coach a few months ago. Coach Chaney’s a good guy.” Playing in the SEC and joining Ocean Lakes wide receiver Justin Hunter at Tennessee would be appealing to Richardson. Tennessee has a bit of rebuilding to do as well, but unlike Virginia, Tennessee hasn’t suffered losing seasons and may make a quicker recovery in spite of playing tougher competition.
Richardson went on to speak positively about Coach Tom Brattan at Maryland and Coach Skip Holtz at South Florida. “I’m going plan to visit them too. I’m going to try to take all my visits and make my decision in the fall.”
While Virginia is still a strong possibility for Richardson, he’s definitely going to look around and be sure of his decision.
Academically, Richardson still has some work to do. He has to take a few more classes that will help him with his core GPA and he plans to take the SAT in September. From there he’ll know where he stands with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Richardson remains confident about qualifying and is determined to stay focused on the field and off the field. “I had a rough night tonight, but I’m going to work that out and cut out the mistakes.” Richardson fumbled the ball a few times while at quarterback Monday night.
His Menchville team will need the best Clifton Richardson they can get on Friday nights. His college choices are looking forward to a focused and ready Clifton Richardson on Saturday afternoons. That will come soon enough.
David Watford Picks UVA
Chalk another one up for the home team.
David Watford of Hampton High School has verbally committed to the Virginia Cavaliers. Watford (6-2 185) becomes the 20th player to commit to Coach Mike London and the Cavaliers in this recruiting class, and he becomes the first quarterback in Virginia’s 2011 class.
Coach London has aggressively recruited the state since his arrival in the off season. Of the 20 players verbally committed to Virginia, twelve of them are in-state recruits and six of them are 757 area players. Watford joins David Dean (Green Run), Caleb Taylor (Phoebus), Ross Burbank (Cox), Kameron Mack (I.C. Norcom) and Clifton Richardson (Menchville). Richardson’s commitment to Virginia has been debated, but as of now he’s penciled in as a Cavalier next season. National Signing Day is February 2, 2011. That’s the first day that recruits and colleges can official cement scholarship agreements with a signed letter of intent.
Watford’s commitment to Virginia is unique or unusual for several reasons. Firstly, Virginia already has six quarterbacks on it’s roster including four quarterbacks from the 2010 recruiting class. This year’s starter, Marc Verica, is a senior and will exhaust his eligibility after this season, but the depth chart will still be clogged unless Coach London moves players to other positions. Secondly, Hampton High School hasn’t sent a player to Virginia since Marques Hagans in 2001. Coach Mike Smith of Hampton has sent a number of players to Virginia Tech in the past ten years, most notably current Hokie QB Tyrod Taylor.
Oddly enough, Marques Hagans is Watford’s first cousin. Like Hagans, David Watford wears number 5 for the Crabbers.
Watford had narrowed his decision down to West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Virginia, and made his announcement at a press conference held at nearby Christopher Newport University. Watford will be a fantastic fit at Virginia academically. He currently holds a 3.8 GPA and is enrolled in the International Baccalaurate program at Hampton High School. The “IB” program is internationally standardized and recognized as an academically ambitious and rigorous course of study.
Reading Between The Lines on Watford, Thourogood Recruitment
QB Lafonte Thourogood of Ocean Lakes (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
At first, you might think the two players are unconnected. One is the star quarterback for the Hampton Crabbers, playing in the Peninsula District. The other is the star quarterback for the Ocean Lakes Dolphins, playing in the Beach District. Look closer.
Both David Watford of Hampton and Lafonte Thourogood of Ocean Lakes are rising seniors. Both have been courted and offered by multiple colleges. Watford’s offer list includes Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Thourogood claims offers from Tennessee, Arkansas, UNC, NC State, West Virginia, Stanford, Virginia and Virginia Tech. There’s some cross over in that group, but look even deeper.
Thourogood has reported that his list has been narrowed down to Virginia Tech, Virginia, West Virginia and Arkansas. Arkansas is a relatively new addition and a wildcard in the bunch.
Watford has narrowed his list to UVA, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. He’s set to announce his decision on Saturday in a ceremony at Christopher Newport University.
Here’s how the circumstances stack up. Both QBs are highly desirable and very unlikely to pick the same destination. Watford’s head coach, Mike Smith, has sent players to Virginia Tech including their current quarterback, Tyrod Taylor. Virginia Tech’s recruiter for the area, Curt Newsome, used to coach against Mike Smith when Newsome coached at neighboring Kecoughtan High School. Virginia Tech is still the “big dog” in-state school and Watford would be a good, traditional “get” for Coach Frank Beamer. Beamer has no fewer than four quarterbacks on his roster now, but it’s not at all unheard of for Beamer to move a player off the QB depth chart and into another position.
While UVA Coach Mike London would love to have Watford, London already has 19 of a projected 25 scholarships committed already. London has six quarterbacks in his system now after giving scholarships to four QBs in the 2010 class. Marc Verica is London’s only senior signal caller. Face it, there’s a glut of quarterbacks at Virginia. London could move two of his QB prospects to other positions and still have plenty of depth.
That leads us to Thourogood’s status. First of all, it’s interesting to note that Tennessee was not enticing for Thourogood. His teammate Justin Hunter committed to the Vols in the 2010 class. He’s stated an interest in Virginia Tech, Virginia, West Virginia and Arkansas. He’s also stated that he has no desire to move out of the quarterback position. Thourogood has announced that no decision is imminent, but that he’ll decide before the start of the season. That should mean that Virginia’s out from a depth chart standpoint no matter how much he likes the coaches there and the Charlottesville campus. If Watford commits to Virginia Tech as anticipated, then it should mean that Tech is out for Thourogood. That leaves West Virginia and Arkansas.
Arkansas is a late arrival and they should lose their starting QB Ryan Mallett to the NFL draft after this season. Arkansas’ depth chart is a little more shallow than most at the QB position and there could be a possibility for Thourgood to earn playing time early. At West Virginia, there’s the Chris Beatty connection. Beatty coached Landstown High School only a few years ago and Beatty sports tons of connections in The 757. The Mountaineers will be led by sophomore Geno Smith this season, and they have 2010 class QB phenom Barry Brunetti of Memphis waiting in the wings.
Arkansas is truly a quality wildcard, but expect proximity and familiarity to win out. Thourogood looks like a future Mountaineer. Watford should be a Hokie. It could make for an interesting VA Tech/WVU game if we can ever get that rivalry going again.
Thourogood Narrows To Three?
QB Lafonte Thourogood of Ocean Lakes (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
Ocean Lakes is prepping for the fall with Passing League games and offseason conditioning. QB Lafonte Thourogood has that and more on his mind.
Thourogood has been courted by well over a dozen universities and has a choice between a bunch of attractive BCS offers including Stanford, Tennessee, Arkansas and North Carolina. As sweet as those offers are, Thourogood is inclined to stay closer to home. He has excellent choices for academics and facilities at any of his choice schools. The decision now has come down to relationships.
At Virginia Tech, Assistant Coach Curt Newsome and Head Coach Frank Beamer have shown distinct interest in Thourogood. Tech has also shown interest in Hampton QB David Watford from the 2011 class and Virginia Tech reportedly has more than a dozen quarterbacks interested in a scholarship offer from the Hokies. Coach Beamer also has a history of gathering quarterbacks, then moving them to other positions once they’re in Blacksburg. Quarterbacks have a good head for the game on both sides of the field and they often make great leaders.
Virginia is also in Thourogood’s top three. Coach London at UVA has infiltrated The 757 and between London and Recruiting Coordinator Chip West, the coaches there have the region thoroughly covered. UVA is already more than halfway done with their 2011 recruiting class, but Thourogood would be a gem of an addition. London’s class is already 757 heavy and the Ocean Lakes QB would simply push the balance further.
West Virginia is the last (but not least) of Thourogood’s top three. Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Chris Beatty has deep roots in Hampton Roads and it should be no surprise that WVU is pursuing one of the hottest area QB prospects in this year’s class.
So between the three schools, what’s going to be the difference maker? Two things. First of all, the relationship. All three relationships are good, but who’s going to take the best care of Lafonte? Secondly, he wants to be a quarterback. Thourogood may be 6-3 220, but the talented signal caller has no desire to play linebacker.
With his size and skill, Lafonte Thourogood could easily get a scholarship at most any school for football. At this point, he has to make the decision based on what’s best for him and he’ll decide which program will truly give him a shot to earn the starting quarterback position.
After watching Thourogood in the Beach Passing League, I can attest that he looks like a quarterback. There will be more development along the way, but his future as a quarterback is bright.
When will a decision be made? It’s tough to say. According to Coach Chris Scott at Ocean Lakes, Lafonte still needs to develop more of a relationship with the quarterback coaches at WVU, UVA and Virginia Tech. Then again, these decisions are never easy. Thouroughgood’s teammate, Justin Hunter, committed to LSU last summer only to change his commitment to Tennessee just before signing day. Is there a chance that Lafonte will commit to the Vols in order to join Hunter? Thouroughgood’s not there yet, but once he’s ready, the decision will come.
Recruiting Desperation at UVA?
Before I start with a potentially harsh assessment of Virginia recruiting at this stage, Cavalier fans I have to level with you. It’s going to be a rebuilding year in Charlottesville. Al Groh did a number on the future of Cavalier football program and it’s going to take more than one recruiting class to fix it.
Why is Mike London in such a hurry to use his scholarships for the 2011 class? Virginia just got their sixth commitment for the 2011 class and it’s only mid-April. According to Rivals, Diamonte Bailey of Hermitage High in Richmond has committed to UVA. Bailey (DE 6-3 220) is the sixth verbal and fourth in-state commitment for Coach Mike London.
Obviously, the Cavalier Football staff has made an assessment of each of the players they’ve gotten verbals from, so this is not a condemnation of any of the athletes that they’re bringing in for the 2011 class. Mike London and his staff are bringing in players that fit needs or they wouldn’t have made the offers.
As far as comparisons go, it doesn’t do much good to compare where Virginia is now versus where Virginia Tech is because London’s a new coach and he’ll recruit at his own pace. At Richmond, London didn’t have the assets that he has at Virginia: ACC Football, playing a BCS Conference and the facilities that go along with that. It seems that London is trying to be proactive in his recruiting because of two factors. Firstly, he’s never been able to recruit so far in advance. Secondly, there’s one ugly possibility on the horizon. UVA’s team will be one of the weakest in the ACC (given that they’ll likely regress from last year) and their schedule isn’t going to help them.
Mike London may be proactively recruiting in order to lock in commitments (as well as he can) before the losing starts. Look at the Cavs’ schedule:
London may be able to outcoach Latrell Scott and beat Richmond in the season opener. The Cavaliers then travel to USC, and Lane Kiffin will look to prove a point as the Trojans’ new coach. That game could get really ugly. UVA will then play VMI before starting their ACC slate. Florida State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina are next on the schedule. Hoos, you could be in for a long season.
Eastern Michigan is on the schedule and the Eagles were 0-12 last year. At least three of the four out-of-conference games are winnable. In ACC play, the Maryland game may be the only winnable game since Duke is rebounding.
Coach London may be doing the smartest thing possible in getting every recruit he can as early as he can. If the Cavs go 4-8 or 3-9 and get drubbed several times during the season (including a season finale at Virginia Tech), UVA Football will be a much tougher sell even by mid-season.
Mike London Lands Third 757 Verbal for 2011
At this early stage in the recruiting race, the in-state battle is being won by Virginia’s Mike London.
Take all of the recruiting news at this point with a grain of salt, but UVA has landed verbal commitments from three local players. Green Run’s David Dean (DT 6-1 285) and Menchville’s Clifton Richardson (ATH 6-1 195) committed to Virginia about five weeks ago. Coach London has now landed a third verbal commitment in Cox Lineman Ross Burbank (OT 6-4 280).
David Dean’s commitment appears to be solid. Clifton Richardson’s commitment has already been openly debated in the media, including statements from Richardson’s family denying the validity of the commitment. Burbank may be one that will stay locked in to UVA.
Burbank is a big part of the Falcon’s running game and excelled at pushing his weight around in order drive Cox to their second straight playoff appearance and only playoff appearances in the history of the program. Cox lost the driving force behind last year’s offense as athlete D.J. DiNardo and QB Troy Ruediger graduate this spring.
The Falcons may be in a bit of a rebuilding mode in 2010, but that won’t keep Burbank from contributing. In fact, the Falcons may lean on him even more as Head Coach Bill Stachelski relies on the run while bringing along a new quarterback.
Burbank reportedly had offers from UVA and Old Dominion; he had visits planned to Boston College and NC State, plus he was getting interest from Syracuse and Maryland. After committing to the Cavaliers, he has cancelled his plannned visits to Boston and Raleigh.
Burbank was an All-Beach Second Team selection at both offensive and defensive line in 2009. He’ll likely play on both sides of the ball in 2010, but it’s not certain where he’ll play once he reaches UVA. Mike London is more driven toward directing the defensive side of the game and may want Burbank to anchor the offensive line. As long as the commitment sticks, both sides have plenty of time to figure that out.
Cavs Ready For New Unis, Spring Game
UVA Head Coach Mike London had his players model new Nike uniforms yesterday at a pep rally related to today’s Blue/White game in Charlottesville. The uniforms really aren’t much of a departure from the old uniforms. They’re made from Nike’s most technologically advanced materials, but the color combinations and designs don’t come close to rivaling what Nike put together for the University of Oregon, thankfully. You can see many of the supposed 384 Oregon uniform combinations here at Nikeblog.com.
The new UVA uniforms are still Navy, Orange and White. There’s some striping in the pants, the stripes are off of the helmets, but overall the look is not much different. When the Cavaliers projected starting QB Mark Verica was asked about his favorite combination, his answer was telling, “At this point, I don’t have a preference,” Verica said. “Maybe when we start winning some games, some sentimental value will be attached to the color of jersey, but at this point, I like them all.”
Coming from a team with a new head coach and no bowl appearance last year, I’d have to agree. New uniforms are nice, but winning needs to come with them. The Cavs have a lot to prove and they’re looking to show a fresh look at today’s Blue/White game.
The UVA Fan Festival starts today at Noon and the game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start. Position battles and scheme changes abound. Perhaps two of the most intriguing battles could take place at kicker and quarterback. Last year, three kickers shared time including walk-on freshman Drew Jarrett of Virginia Beach’s Cox High School. Jarrett handled extra points, sophomore Chris Hinkebein kicked off and Sophomore Rob Randolph kicked field goals. Randolph eventually won the job of kicking off as well, relegating Hinkebein to the bench by mid-season.
At quarterback, Marc Verica is presumed to be the starter, but Verica struggled to shine at every opportunity he’s had over the past couple of years. Verica was the starting QB in 2008 after the dismissal of then starting QB Peter Lalich. Verica led the team to first place in the ACC Coastal Division with a 5-3 record, then the team lost their final four games and failed to qualify for a bowl game. In 2009, Verica lost the starter’s job to Jameel Sewell, who was academically ineligible for the 2008 season. Verica returned to the starter’s role during the 2009 season after an injury to Sewell, but the Cavaliers again failed to muster a winning season. Mike London recruited four quarterbacks in the 2010 class, but none of them are truly expected to compete with Verica for the starting job.
London’s 757 Splash More Intimate than Extravagant
UVA practiced at ODU's Foreman Field on Saturday (Photo: Thomas Bacon, recruit757.com)
(Repost from Saturday 3/27/2010)
UVA Football’s big day in the 757 was well received. Unfortunately for the Cavs, the crowd was mostly friends, family and diehards.
The spring practice event at Foreman Field on Saturday was well planned. There were T-Shirt giveaways and contests. Dozens of potential recruits were invited to attend. Earlier in the day Old Dominion and UVA co-hosted a coaches clinic for local high school coaches. Overall, the event benefitted both Old Dominion Football and Virginia Football greatly. In the end though, it was a glorified spring practice.
There were offensive drills and defensive drills. Everyone from quarterbacks to kickers, linemen to receivers went through their paces. The most exciting on-field event may have been the seven on seven drills. For a 20,000 seat stadium, you can’t expect a capacity crowd for a spring practice. The weather was brisk and sunny. The crowd was a bit on the slim side considering all of the promotion and positioning involved in the event. Roughly 2,000 people showed up, according to estimates. To me, it looked like at least 3,000, but I’d still call that a bit of a disappointment.
London and the Cavs still took advantage of the opportunity. Virginia Football has languished in the Al Groh era. London is driven to take UVA Football back to the status it has enjoyed in the past, which will be an uphill battle considering the current state of Virginia Tech Football.
London addressed the crowd at Foreman Field, calling on the fans from The 757 to embrace the program and embrace the team. The crowd welcomed UVA Football to Norfolk with open arms. “We want to make this our backyard,” London told the crowd. While the fans in attendance supported London’s efforts, thousands of Hokie fans in the area would emphatically disagree. A new era in UVA Football is starting, and you can expect that Hokie fans will begin to get uncomfortable when London shows a measurable amount of success.
UVA Football wasn’t the only winner on the day. Old Dominion got the benefit of hosting the event and showing S.B. Ballard Stadium off to potential recruits and their families. Due to NCAA rules, Virginia staffers couldn’t interact with the recruits that they invited to the event, but Old Dominion’s football staff could. Virginian Pilot writer Bob Molinaro reported that ODU Coach Bobby Wilder said he would be thrilled to finish third in recruiting the state behind Virginia Tech and Virginia. That wouldn’t be a stretch for Wilder considering the strides he’s already made and the recruiting turf he has in his backyard. After all, Tech and UVA will soon be fighting pitched battles in The 757. Wilder lives here.
Recruits from The 757 are going to become an even hotter commodity. That’s good for all of the players here. That doesn’t mean that more scholarships to Tech and UVA will necessarily go to athletes from the region. It might however get other schools to check again and see what they’re missing by not getting the entire story when recruiting the area.
The level of play here in Hampton Roads is high. Blue chip athletes are easy to find. There are plenty of hidden gems as well. College Coaches, do you know where to find all of the “hidden” talent in The 757?
Check out more photos from the event on Facebook on the recruit757 fan page. Become a fan of recruit757 today!
Beamer’s Grill Adds Fuel to Recruiting Fire
We’re over five months away from the start of football season, yet the fires burn ever hotter.
Virginia Tech has ruled Hampton Roads recruiting for most of the decade. UVA hired Mike London and he’s working hard to push the pendulum back in the direction of Virginia. This past weekend’s spring practice event at Foreman Field is a testament to that. Now the ball is back in Frank Beamer’s court.
The restaurant move has been in the works for months. Stephan Parry Restaurants and Frank Beamer will open Frank Beamer’s American Grill in Mid-May at the Town Center in Hampton. According to the webpage for the business, Beamer’s Grill will be an American Bistro, ”With favorites such as burgers and pizza to gourmet salads, Beamer’s will offer classic American fare with a modern twist.” The Peninsula location is strategic. The 757 location is strategic. Do you think the restaurant will help recruiting efforts in Hampton Roads? It will certainly get the patronage of the Tech faithful in the area.
The exterior design sports black signage, orange awnings and burgundy brickwork. The interior design calls for dark colors including black and brown with rich burgundy tones on the walls and orange upholstered chairs. While the color scheme may be a nightmare on the field, it actually works quite well in the dining room.
What’s next? London’s Fish and Chips?
It’s become painfully clear that both Frank Beamer and Mike London want to claim The 757 as their own. The recruiting haul that’s available here year in and year out is typically rich. Both coaches will become more covetous this year as they defend their turf and try to demonstrate to players which program cares more about their future. Neither program is going to be able to take every viable recruit out of the area.
So who wins the recruiting battles among colleges outside the state? Tennessee, UNC, Duke, Maryland, Penn State, Syracuse, UConn, West Virginia, Marshall, Memphis and others are already prowling the area for recruits. It’s sure to be a hot year for schools coming into the area. Don’t count on Tech and UVA dominating all football recruiting like they’ll want to. It looks like there are going to be lots of scholarship opportunities flowing this year.
London’s 757 Splash More Intimate than Extravagant
Photo: Thomas Bacon, recruit757
UVA Football’s big day in the 757 was well received. Unfortunately for the Cavs, the crowd was mostly friends, family and diehards.
The spring practice event at Foreman Field on Saturday was well planned. There were T-Shirt giveaways and contests. Dozens of potential recruits were invited to attend. Earlier in the day Old Dominion and UVA co-hosted a coaches clinic for local high school coaches. Overall, the event benefitted both Old Dominion Football and Virginia Football greatly. In the end though, it was a glorified spring practice.
There were offensive drills and defensive drills. Everyone from quarterbacks to kickers, linemen to receivers went through their paces. The most exciting on-field event may have been the seven on seven drills. For a 20,000 seat stadium, you can’t expect a capacity crowd for a spring practice. The weather was brisk and sunny. The crowd was a bit on the slim side considering all of the promotion and positioning involved in the event. Roughly 2,000 people showed up, according to estimates. To me, it looked like at least 3,000, but I’d still call that a bit of a disappointment.
London and the Cavs still took advantage of the opportunity. Virginia Football has languished in the Al Groh era. London is driven to take UVA Football back to the status it has enjoyed in the past, which will be an uphill battle considering the current state of Virginia Tech Football.
London addressed the crowd at Foreman Field, calling on the fans from The 757 to embrace the program and embrace the team. The crowd welcomed UVA Football to Norfolk with open arms. “We want to make this our backyard,” London told the crowd. While the fans in attendance supported London’s efforts, thousands of Hokie fans in the area would emphatically disagree. A new era in UVA Football is starting, and you can expect that Hokie fans will begin to get uncomfortable when London shows a measurable amount of success.
UVA Football wasn’t the only winner on the day. Old Dominion got the benefit of hosting the event and showing S.B. Ballard Stadium off to potential recruits and their families. Due to NCAA rules, Virginia staffers couldn’t interact with the recruits that they invited to the event, but Old Dominion’s football staff could. Virginian Pilot writer Bob Molinaro reported that ODU Coach Bobby Wilder said he would be thrilled to finish third in recruiting the state behind Virginia Tech and Virginia. That wouldn’t be a stretch for Wilder considering the strides he’s already made and the recruiting turf he has in his backyard. After all, Tech and UVA will soon be fighting pitched battles in The 757. Wilder lives here.
Recruits from The 757 are going to become an even hotter commodity. That’s good for all of the players here. That doesn’t mean that more scholarships to Tech and UVA will necessarily go to athletes from the region. It might however get other schools to check again and see what they’re missing by not getting the entire story when recruiting the area.
The level of play here in Hampton Roads is high. Blue chip athletes are easy to find. There are plenty of hidden gems as well. College Coaches, do you know where to find all of the “hidden” talent in The 757?
Check out more photos from the event on Facebook on the recruit757 fan page. Become a fan of recruit757 today!