A late addition in 2017, Brown is excited by how he fits in at Virginia

As UVa wrapped up its 2017 recruiting class last week, it closed with a pair of commitments from Taft School in Watertown (CT). But one of them, outside linebacker Elliott Brown, had roots much closer to Charlottesville.

And that's one of the many reasons the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Odenton (MD) native decided to pick the Cavaliers and sign with them last week.

"It's a great feeling," he said of committing to the Wahoos. "It's a huge weight off my shoulders of course but it's also great knowing I get to go back to work and get to do it at a great school. I'm ready."

That head coach Bronco Mendenhall and his staff came to add Brown and his teammate and friend at Taft, OT Gerrik Vollmer, is one of the fun twists that recruiting can sometimes provide.

"I want to say that they were there a little later in the process, maybe about a month a half ago or two months," Brown told CavsCorner last week. "They had reached out to me through my head coach. Coach (Kelly) Poppinga had gotten in touch with him and then they visited me and it got rolling on from there."

At the time UVa reached out, Brown said he was hearing routinely from Connecticut and Temple but something about UVa really caught his attention.

"We didn't really talk about visits right away," he recalled. "But even then, Coach Poppinga was talking to me about wanting me to come there and be a part of the family. Within maybe a week, though, we were talking about setting up the official visit.

"I just loved what I heard from UVa and everything I heard I liked," Brown added. "Going into the official, I just knew I had to get a feel for the school and just see everything. I had done a lot of research and I knew it was a great school and I know they play in a great conference. But I was really looking forward to seeing the community and meeting everyone. That was the thing for me: The people."

Brown, who grew up in Washington, D.C. and went to school in Prince George County, decided to do a post-grad year following his graduation from Flowers High School. He said he felt instantly at home once he arrived in Charlottesville for his official visit thanks in large part to his two hosts.

"They had me with Micah Kiser and the safety, Quin (Blanding)," Brown said. "Those are obviously two big players for them and that really caught my attention, too. Those guys know a little something about making plays. I was surprised at first that they were my hosts and they were really cool guys, especially considering they are so accomplished and that much older than me. I really related well to them.

"I got to meet the coaches right away too and that was good as well," he added. "They're all family guys. I found out UVa has the most kids under the staff in the country, which is really cool to me. It's really a family, the program is. And I really liked that about it right from the start."