A funny thing happened on National Signing Day at UVA on Wednesday. Mike London, recruiter, flubbed, big time. The 2015 signing class ranked 44th in Rivals and 48th in the 247Sports national rankings, and was just 10th in the ACC in both.
The Cavs picked up two four-star linebackers, Jahvoni Simmons from Virginia Beach and C.J. Stalker from West Chester, Ohio, but that was it. Down the road in Blacksburg, meanwhile, Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, supposedly in the twilight of his career, after his second 7-6 season in the past three years, pulled in eight four-stars, six of them hailing from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
And the best player from Virginia in the Class of 2015, defensive end Josh Sweat from Chesapeake, ended up at another ACC school, Florida State.
On the Rivals Top 45 from Virginia, Virginia Tech landed eight kids, Virginia five, and Clemson may have been the big winner in the state, taking two of the top five on the list (Sterling linebacker Chad Smith and Richmond defensive end Clelin Farrell).
What does this mean for the 2015 season? Not much. It’s rare that a true freshman ends up being an immediate impact contributor like five-star safety Quin Blanding was for Virginia in 2014. It’s more the case that even a fellow five-star like defensive tackle Andrew Brown goes through some serious growing pains while acclimating to the speed and power of the college game, while working toward becoming contributors down the road.
So the second consecutive lightly-regarded UVA signing class (the 2014 class was rated 41st by Rivals, though 247Sports had it 32nd) isn’t likely to hurt the 2015 ‘Hoos when they start the season on the Left Coast in the Rose Bowl at UCLA.
What it will hurt is whoever is coaching the team four years from now, when this second-division ACC signing class is the core of your team.
It also hurts UVA athletics director Craig Littlepage more than a little bit. Key to Littlepage’s decisions the past two offseasons to stick with London as his coach against anything resembling common sense is the AD’s insistence that London is a top-notch recruiter who is still adept at accumulating talent.
The 2014 team did have a solid core of talent, as evidenced by the 10 All-ACC selections, second-most in the league, to playoff participant Florida State.
Those kids came in recruiting classes that were ranked in the Top 25 by Rivals and 247Sports in the early years of London’s tenure in Charlottesville.
It’s obvious that the kids are seeing the writing on the wall and going elsewhere, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Florida State, anywhere else.
Which means even more pressure on London in the fall. The 2014 season was set up as a make-or-break campaign, and somehow Littlepage decided that five wins was enough to go with make and kept London on for 2015.
Opening at UCLA, then playing Notre Dame and Boise State at home, sandwiched around William and Mary, looks to be the makings of a 1-3 start that would need to be followed up by a 5-3 run in the ACC just to get to .500.
Can London, now at best an average recruiter, survive a fifth losing season in six years? Nowhere else in America, let’s just put it that way.
– Column by Chris Graham
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