Placekicking prospect Hunter Pearson says Virginia began recruiting him later than other schools. UVA head coach Bronco Mendenhall offered a scholarship soon after, though, and Pearson had a favorable first impression of the Cavalier staff.

Led by outside linebackers/special teams coach Kelly Poppinga and Mendenhall, the Cavaliers were able to gain a commitment from the heralded Seneca (S.C.) rising senior, who is currently rated the no. 5 placekicking prospect in his class by Kohl’s Kicking.

“Coach Mendenhall, I think, is different from other coaches,” Pearson said. “He just sounded different. Very intellectual. He obviously did great things at BYU. They care for special teams a lot, which is a big thing for me. It’s great to know that they value special teams.”

Pearson committed last Friday, June 23, kicking off an extremely successful 4-day recruiting span during which the Cavalier program received pledges from eight class of 2018 prospects. Pearson was on Grounds when he made his decision.

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