UVa has put together quite a run of recruiting wins this month, with all but three of the 11 commits coming in the last three weeks and change.
Among those prospects to announce their decisions was three-star defensive back Cedric Franklin II, a player who fits the Wahoos on and off the field.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Marietta (GA) product committed to Tony Elliott and Co. while his official visit to Charlottesville. Needless to say, he left Grounds impressed and fired up about UVa..
“The UVa culture made it the place for me,” Franklin told CavsCorner. “The whole staff is very intentional and the vision and mission are constant throughout the whole program.”
The Peach State standout committed to Virginia over schools like Boston College, BYU, Indiana, Georgia Tech, and West Virginia, among others.
The defensive playmaker at Kell High School in the southwest Atlanta suburbs was credited with 39 tackles, seven pass break ups and two fumble recoveries as a junior least season. Franklin helped Kell finish 10-2 in Georgia’s AAAAA classification.
Recruited by DC John Rudzinski and DBs coach Curome Cox as a boundary safety, what should UVa fans be looking forward to from Franklin in the near future?
“I’m a versatile player who can play several positions in the defensive backfield,” he explained.
Elliott’s message for recruits has been consistent since he arrived last year and he continues to recruit the type of student-athletes that will not only do well on the field but also off if. Franklin fits the bill as a standout recruit in Elliott’s “model program.”
“I met with Coach Elliott, and I also got a chance to talk to the entire staff,” he recalled. “The message throughout was that the program is there to make me a better man, not just a better football player.”
In his time in Charlottesville during his OV, Franklin was able to immerse himself in the entire UVa experience. He seemed very touched by the history, both good and bad, that exists at the university.
“I really enjoyed touring the campus and finding out about the history, the acknowledgement of that history and working to better UVa,” he said.
Franklin was third of what is a now a four-commitment group from Georgia to pick the Hoos, joining Chase Morrison and Jaylin Lackey before being followed this weekend by Kevon Gray.