Weekend at UVa reaffirms decisions of Hoos' 2022 signees
Will Bettridge had just one minor gripe after getting home from his weekend in Charlottesville.
“Other than it being freezing I had a great time,” the Miami (Fl.) Gulliver Prep kicker joked while recapping his visit to CavsCorner.
Bettridge is one of nine class of 2022 recruits who signed with Virginia in December despite the uncertainty surrounding the program at that point. Quarterback Davis Lane and linebacker Stevie Bracey are already at UVa after enrolling last week. The other seven were all in town last weekend for official visits, giving them an opportunity to interact in-person for the first time with new head coach Tony Elliott and his recently-assembled staff.
Elliott was announced as UVa’s coach just days before the December Signing Day. He made a positive initial impression with the Cavaliers’ then-commits on Zoom shortly after arriving in Charlottesville, and has remained in steady contact with the recruits via group texts. But for those incoming players, this weekend was still an important opportunity to get a feel for their soon-to-be coaches.
“Everyone was super happy to be together in person and see each other,” said Chattanooga (Tenn.) Boyd Buchanan tight end Karson Gay, “whether it was other players or coaches. I think we were all excited to be able to start building connections and friendships.”
Another signee from Chattanooga, Baylor School linebacker Trey McDonald, summarized the visit as “so much fun.”
“There’s a whole different energy around the new staff,” McDonald added. “Blown away by them and really feel that family feel.”
McDonald will be arriving next summer to a revamped defensive coaching staff that includes four new additions: defensive coordinator John Rudzinski, defensive ends coach Chris Slade, defensive tackles coach Kevin Downing and defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Curome Cox. Clint Sintim, the lone defensive holdover from the previous staff, is shifting from defensive line to linebackers coach.
“I love that I get to learn under Coach Sintim. He’s my guy,” McDonald said. “All the other coaches have a great energy to them. Coach Rud seems very intelligent and I think the defense is in great hands.”
The offensive staff includes a pair of holdovers in offensive line coach Garett Tujague and wide receivers coach Marques Hagans, whose continued presence was a big deal for incoming receivers Dakota Twitty and JR Wilson. Running back Xavier Brown spent some time talking schemes with his new position coach Keith Gaither, but most of their conversations centered on getting to know each other personally.
New offensive coordinator Des Kitchings will also work with the tight ends. Kitchings talked to Gay about his vision for the offense he intends to run with the Wahoos.
“We just scratched the surface but it’s a pro-style offense,” Gay recounted. “I know the tight ends are used in a variety of ways, on and off the ball. I also know we have to block and be a big part of the run game and protection. I want to do whatever it takes to help the team succeed.”
Like Bettridge, Corona (Ca.) quarterback Delaney Crawford was caught off-guard by Saturday’s sub-freezing temperatures in Central Virginia. But the visit was especially significant for Crawford, who committed to UVa just days before former coach Bronco Mendenhall announced plans to step down. Crawford had never been to the school before, let alone met with any of the new coaches in person. It was also his first opportunity to meet his fellow class of 2022 signees; previously, he’d only known the rest of the class through their group text thread.
Crawford spent much of his time with newly-hired UVa quarterbacks coach Taylor Lamb, who talked about how he intends to help the incoming freshman improve as a signal-caller.
“I feel really good,” Crawford said of his visit. “I feel that I’ve known everyone for a long time already.”
With a faith-based approach and the message of building the ‘model program’ at Virginia, Elliott left another good impression on his class of incoming freshmen. Current UVa players were also quick to share with their soon-to-be teammates their optimism coming out of the coaching change. The signees also spent the weekend putting the full-court press on the unsigned prospects visiting UVa this weekend, with two—Georgetown grad transfer offensive lineman Mac Hollensteiner and 2022 defensive end Terrell Jones—already committing to the Hoos. More commitments are expected in the coming days.
Signing with UVa in December was an admitted leap of faith for the Cavaliers’ incoming recruits. They’d all committed to the previous staff, most of them prior to their senior high school seasons. A whirlwind coaching search ended less than a week before Signing Day, and Elliott’s initial staff wasn’t finalized until last week.
Their collective experience this weekend served to reaffirm that they made the right choice by buying into Elliott and his plans for the program. Even in the middle of January, their excitement couldn’t be cooled.
“I made a great decision,” said Bettridge, “and all of these coaches made me feel such at home. Everyone down to the strength coach and nutrition coaches were very knowledgeable with everything, and made me feel great that i was going into such a great place.”
"It 100 percent confirmed that I made the right choice,” agreed Gay. “The consistency that was made by Coach Mendenhall and his staff was carried over into Coach Elliott and his staff. I was completely comfortable being able to sign, and meeting everyone in person made me even more excited to be on campus.”
“I know wholeheartedly I belong at Virginia,” said McDonald. “Gotta remember I still have a couple of months before I get up.”
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