UVA Stays Hot, Lands In-State DL Ryan Thaxton

Yet another class of 2017 prospect has joined #HoosRising. Mere hours after Miami (FL) Gulliver Prep defensive tackle Mandy Alonso announced his pledge to University of Virginia, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Alexandria, VA) defensive lineman Ryan Thaxton has done the same. The 6’5″, 245-pound Thaxton teased his decision roughly 20 minutes before the big reveal.

At 10:57 p.m….

At 11:18 p.m….

Thaxton has seen his recruiting stock rise this spring, with Air Force, Syracuse, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Virginia among the schools extending scholarship offers. An excellent student, he also received scholarship opportunities from Ivy League members Cornell and Yale. Thaxton has chosen to don the orange and blue of Virginia, which offered a scholarship on May 23.

Cavalier first year head coach Bronco Mendenhall let it be known that he and his staff would focus heavily on the trenches in this class and the next, and Thaxton’s commitment gives Virginia three defensive line recruits so far in 2017. The Hoos have commitments from three offensive line prospects as well. To date, Virginia’s class of 2017 looks like this:

Lindell Stone, QB, Woodberry Forest (VA)
Lamont Atkins, RB, Lake Braddock (Burke, VA)
PK Kier, RB, Millbrook (Winchester, VA)
Harry Crider, OL, Columbus East (Columbus, IN)
Tyler Fannin, OL, Mill Creek (Hoschton, GA)
Bryson Speas, OL, Dudley (Greensboro, N.C.)
Mandy Alonso, DL, Gulliver Prep (Miami, FL)
Tommy Christ, DL, Dominion (Sterling, VA)
Ryan Thaxton, DL, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Alexandria, VA)
Matt Gahm, LB, Highland Park (Dallas, TX)
Joey Blount, FS, Landmark Christian (Fairburn, GA)
Zachariah Burton, DB, Penn (New Castle, DE)
Germane Crowell, DB, Carver (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Brian Delaney, PK, Westfield (Chantilly, VA)

Check out highlights of UVA’s newest pledge below. Stay tuned to TheSabre.com for comments from the promising Thaxton on his decision in the coming days.