Three-star ATH Crowell, a Wahoo legacy, explains why he chose UVa
While Thursday proved to be an exciting afternoon around the McCue Center, it was a confusing day for at least some Virginia fans.
Per usual following a commitment, the UVa coaching staff posted a celebratory video clip on Twitter and followed it up with tweets commenting on a great addition to the class of 2017.
With three-star Winston-Salem athlete Germane Crowell on Grounds to check out a spring practice, many fans believed the staff had to be referring to the UVa legacy.
As fate would have it, fans had to wait another day for Crowell to confirm those hopes.
On Friday afternoon, the 6-foot-3, 180 pounder put the rumor mill to bed announced his decision publicly.
“I’m very excited," Crowell told CavsCorner this weekend. "It is the perfect fit for me."
While some may have worried during that time when no news had been announced, the Wahoo legacy knew what was going on. He had several loose ends to tie up before he was ready to confirm his commitment.
“I was aware [of the tweets]," he explained. "My dad just wanted to have time to call all of the coaches.”
His father and former UVa great Germane Crowell Sr. spent Thursday evening and part of Friday reaching out to all of the coaching staffs that had recruited his son and thanked them for their time.
Considering how familiar his father is with college football and recruiting, Crowell had a steady hand guiding him through the process. Though his father and uncle Angelo are both former Cavaliers, the three-star athlete says that nobody, especially his dad steered him in any particular direction.
“He gave me advice and his honest opinion but was biased towards no one,” Crowell said simply.
Ranked as the No. 42 athlete in the country and the No. 15 best prospect in the state of North Carolina in 2017, Crowell had offers from Duke, East Carolina, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, NC State, Penn State, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest, among others.
While he can rotate seamlessly between cornerback and safety at the high school level, the Cavalier coaching staff has made it clear that they have specific plans for Crowell when arrives next summer.
“I’m being recruited as a corner," he said. "They told me I will not redshirt and I will have an immediate role on the defense. I am looking forward to the opportunity to showcase my ability and also learn from the older guys.”
Though head coach Bronco Mendenhall and company have been clear that there will be playing time available in the secondary, they have also made it clear to Crowell that every second on the field will be earned.
While that approach may scare some potential recruits away, watching Mendenhall’s new attitude towards the program up close is one of the main reasons as to why Crowell pulled the trigger when he did.
“How hard they work and their grind as coaches and players,” Crowell said when asked about why he committed to UVa on Thursday. "Of course you know he believes in everything earned…and he pushes his players to their breaking point, no option. They’re trying to make you meet death and feel invincible, and they are huge on little things.”
Now that he is on board in UVa's 2017 class, Crowell shifts from being a recruit to a recruiter. He is good friends with offensive lineman Bryson Speas, a UVa target who is also a fellow North Carolina native. In addition, Crowell says he will turn his full attention to attracting more talent to Charlottesville, and already has the perfect selling point in mind for the Virginia program.
“I’m searching for [other prospects to recruit] now,” he said. “When you come to UVa, you will get better, no question or no option, and we will win and play with the best people. And you will become a better man and develop one heck of an appreciation for working hard and earning things.”