One of the secret weapons the Virginia coaching staff likes to unleash in recruiting is the so-called ‘woo factor’ of offensive line coach Garett Tujague. It stands for ‘winning others over,’ and Tujague himself described recently as an infectious passion that he brings to his job and being around other people.
Brody Meadows, a 2022 four-star offensive tackle who committed to the Hoos this summer, can vouch for the power of Tujague and that ‘woo factor.’
“He’s different,” Meadows told CavsCorner this week. “He brings so much energy to the table and brings so much more to the table than just football. I believe he creates better leaders, characters and just football players overall.”
Meadows can remember the first time he met Tujague. It was early in his freshman year at Graham High School, while Meadows was visiting UVa. His first impression: “Oh, this dude’s awesome. He has that personality that keeps you interested.”
Tujague kept in consistent contact with Meadows throughout his high school career. They built a relationship that went beyond football, with Tujague often calling just to check in about school or ask about Meadows’ family, and putting an emphasis on character.
During one Zoom conversation with several UVa coaches, Tujague stressed that there was no pressure on Meadows to pick the Wahoos and ultimately they’d respect whatever decision he made. That message always stuck with the offensive lineman.
“I’ve always had a different connection with them since freshman year,” Meadows said. “When I went up there, it felt like I was going home almost. I was comfortable. It was great.”
When it came time to make that decision, Meadows admitted that it was always an easy one. Despite a list of more than a dozen offers, West Virginia was the only other real contender in his mind. He publicly announced his commitment to UVa in late June, a week after taking an official visit to the school. But he’d actually been silently committed to the Wahoos prior to that official.
Zachary Teter hosted Meadows on his visit. He also got a chance to meet senior offensive linemen Chris Glaser, Ryan Swoboda, and Bobby Haskins. They all reaffirmed that Tujague’s enthusiasm was genuine, and also talked about the way they’ve been able to develop under his tutelage.
“Seeing how he coaches, how he can develop a player from an okay player to a great player, is really a mindset for him,” Meadows said. “Seeing what they do in the run game, the pass game; they’re all over the field. I love it.”
Meadows and three-star recruit Joe Brown out of Utah are the two offensive linemen in UVa’s current 12-player class for 2022. Ranked No. 34 nationally among tackles and the No. 12 player in Virginia, Meadows is the lone four-star and the highest-rated recruit in the current class.
Meadows has been doing his part to be ready for his arrival in Charlottesville. He’s up to 6-foot-6 and a half and 315 pounds, and through “a lot of days in the weight room” has hit 315 on the bench press and 425 on the squat rack. He has incorporated some yoga into his routine to improve flexibility, with an eye on getting those squat numbers into the 455-500 pound range UVa would like to see him hit before getting to school.
“I try to hit a goal and then set another one right off the bat," he said. “I always want to keep climbing that ladder because when you stop, you’re stuck. You’re done.”
He’s also focused on his final year at Graham. The first day of school is Thursday; the G-Men open the season a week from Friday. Despite already having his college decision out of the way, Meadows is motivated going into that senior season.
He already played on one state title team at Graham in 2018. He wants to go out on another one.
“When you’re a senior, you want to come out with another state ring. That’s anybody’s dream,” said Graham, who intends to be at Scott Stadium for UVa’s games against Notre Dame and Virginia Tech late in the season. “So my big focus is on getting my team where we need to be, and in order to do that it’s great knowing that I have a place to go after high school so now I can focus on our state run.”
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