2014 Virginia Football Recruiting Signees

For more information on each recruit, select their name below and you will be sent to their capsule below. Recruiting Profile page for each recruit is listed below each capsule. LOI Status, Video and Bio links will be provided immediately following notification of each recruit when they have signed. Special thanks to UVa Athletics for use of photos.

* Denotes mid-year enrollment at UVa and did not have to sign LOI. Counts toward 2013 recruiting class.

Other Signing Day Resources

Michael Biesemier

Virginia Episcopal School (Lynchburg, VA)
Defensive End
6’4”, 235 pounds
Highlights (YouTube, 2012 season only)

Worth Noting: Beisemeier started at offensive tackle and defensive end for the Bishops, earning first-team all-VISAA Division III honors on both sides of the ball his senior year. He helped VES capture back-to-back state championships in 2012 and 2013. Biesemier was JMU-bound before Virginia came through with an offer in the fall of his senior year. He flipped to the Hoos in December of 2013.

Worth Quoting: “Mike is a four-year, two-way starter (defensive end and offensive tackle) for the Bishops. He is a hard-nosed, instinctive, and mentally tough player who has earned the nickname ‘Beastmier.’ A very athletic player with tremendous agility and quickness, Mike has compiled over 25 career sacks, has served as a team captain, was named a 2012 Society of 7 Titan Team finalist, and has had his ability recognized with numerous awards and honors.” – VES coaches’ description of Biesemeier on the VES official site.

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Quin Blanding

Bayside (Virginia Beach, VA)
Free Safety
6’2”, 210 pounds
Highlights (Hudl)

Worth Noting: All four national recruiting outlets (Rivals, 247Sports, Scout, ESPN) rate Blanding as a 5-star safety prospect. Blanding, a 4-year starter on the varsity level, was also selected to the 2014 Under Armour All-American Bowl. He had scholarship offers from virtually every top college program in the nation but committed to the Cavaliers in February of his junior year.

Worth Quoting: “Believe or not, a lot of guys, they make comparisons of, say, big names such as Steve Atwater or Ronnie Lott. Contemporary wisdom has me thinking of him more along the lines of a Sean Taylor (former Miami Hurricanes and Washington Redskins safety, who passed away in 2007) but consistently disciplined. This is a guy who, you look at the wide views, you see he does a fantastic job of reading the deep routes. He will actually bait quarterbacks into throwing to certain spots. He creates an immediate chess match the quarterback doesn’t know he’s involved in. That’s what I see. Like a sharp, disciplined Sean Taylor.” – Bayside head coach Jon White on Blanding.

Worth Quoting, Too: “My whole heart and mindset is defense. I just like hitting people.” – Blanding on why he likes defense over offense.

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Andrew Brown

Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA)
Defensive Tackle
6’4”, 290 pounds
Highlights (Hudl)

Worth Noting: Brown graduated high school in December of 2013 and enrolled at UVa in January of 2014. He totaled 29 sacks over the course of his junior and senior seasons, including 18 as a senior. Brown also had 30 tackles for loss his senior year. In addition to being a consensus 5-star recruit, the standout student athlete also earned 2013/2014 National and Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year honors and played in the 2014 Under Armour All-American Bowl.

Worth Quoting: “He has a combination of size and speed and quickness and athletic ability that doesn’t come around that often. He has great agility, great speed and quickness. He’s getting better at using his hands and playing low.” – Oscar Smith head coach Rich Morgan, who coached Brown for the final two years of his high school career.

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Caanan Brown

Clearwater Central Catholic (Clearwater, FL)
Linebacker
6’3”, 225 pounds
Highlights (Hudl.com)

Worth Noting: Brown racked up over 100 tackles in his senior season, helping the Marauders to the Class 3A state championship game. Primarily played middle linebacker his last two seasons but did see some time as a rusher off the edge. Brown could end up as a middle or outside linebacker at Virginia, and if he moves to offense could play tight end.
Brown is the second Clearwater Central Catholic player to sign with Virginia in recent memory. Former Marauder Paul Freedman played tight end for the Hoos from 2009 through 2012.

Worth Quoting: “The positive side of Canaan is he is a kid who could play a lot of different places. The thing about him is he is 6’3″, 230 pounds, and he has a frame where he can add 30 pounds if needed. He can run. And football is important to him.” – CCC head coach John Davis on Brown.

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Evan Butts

Episcopal Academy (Newtown Square, PA)
Tight End/Long Snapper
6’4”, 225 pounds
Highlights (Hudl)

Worth Noting: Butts, who had 801 yards receiving and scored eight touchdowns his senior season, was selected to play in the 2014 Big 33 Game, a prestigious all-star game pitting top seniors from Pennsylvania against top seniors from Ohio. Former UVa quarterback Matt Schaub played in the same game. Butts is being recruited by Virginia as a tight end but played full-time at tight end and defensive end on the high school level. An outstanding snapper, look for him to handle the special teams snapping duties at Virginia.

Worth Quoting: “Growing up, you always want to play for one of the big schools. Even at that age, I knew I wanted great football and a great academic school. I’d say around middle school, Duke, UVa and Boston College were up there for me. As a freshman, or maybe my sophomore year in high school, UVa was at the top of the list.” – Butts on when he knew he wanted to go to UVa, his dream school.

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Darrious Carter

Indiana (PA)
Defensive End
6’5”, 215 pounds
Highlights (Hudl)

Worth Noting: Carter played wide receiver and defensive end at Indiana, but Virginia likes him as a defensive end, where he earned first-team all-state honors his senior season. Carter committed to Temple in the summer of 2013 before switching to Virginia in December of 2013. He received late interest from Penn State before signing with the Hoos.

Worth Quoting: “It would actually be just like [Max Valles’] position, but I think I’d be more like an Eli Harold type of guy, a putting a hand on the ground type of guy.” Darrious Carter on what role the Virginia coaches see him playing.

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Corwin “Turtle” Cutler

Ocean Lakes/Fork Union Military Academy (Virginia Beach, VA)
Quarterback
6’4”, 200 pounds
Highlights (YouTube, Senior Season)

Worth Noting: Cutler signed with Virginia as a senior out of Ocean Lakes in February of 2013. He enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy in August of 2013 for a postgraduate year. Cutler had a breakthrough season as a senior at Ocean Lakes, throwing for over 2,200 yards with 31 touchdowns and only four interceptions. A devastating knee injury cut his senior season short. He had surgery and was cleared to play at FUMA last fall, playing in only one game under head coach John Shuman.

Worth Noting, Too: Cutler’s father, Carson, is a quarterbacks coach.

Worth Quoting: “I’m real calm on the field. I actually laugh around and joke a lot, just having fun. You take the game serious, but at the same time I love doing it.” – Cutler on his demeanor on the field.

Worth Quoting, Too: “Turtle… nobody really knows about Turtle yet. They know him, but they haven’t seen him. When he comes in, he’s going to make a big impact.” – Cutler’s friend and fellow Virginia recruit, wide receiver Jamil Kamara.

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Donovan Dowling

Varina (VA)
Wide Receiver
6’1”, 205 pounds
Highlights (YouTube, WRIC Player of the Week)

Worth Noting: Do-everything player for Varina played wide receiver, defensive back, and punted his senior season. At wide receiver he had 82 receptions for 1,281 yards over the course of his junior and senior seasons. An excellent student, Dowling carries a 4.0 GPA.

Worth Quoting: “I have a tendency to work hard and work hard to get what I want. I’m not satisfied either. Drive and determination will make me a good college player. I don’t want to be number two on the depth chart. I want to be number one. That drive will help me in college.” – Dowling on his strengths as a player.

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Jordan Ellis

Peachtree Ridge (Suwanee, GA)
Running Back
5’11”, 215 pounds
Highlights (YouTube)

Worth Noting: Ellis had almost 900 yards rushing and nine touchdowns while splitting carries his junior season. He became PRHS’s full-time back in 2013 and responded, rushing for 1,677 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior. He added 21 receptions for 152 yards and one touchdown.

Worth Quoting: “I do feel I was a little under the radar. I want to prove I’m a top back.” – said Ellis, who had offers from Miami (OH) and Western Kentucky at the time of his Virginia commitment.

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Jeffery Farrar

Upland (CA)
Defensive Back/Wide Receiver
6’1”, 195 pounds
Highlights (Hudl)

Worth Noting: Farrar, who spurned multiple West Coast FBS offers in favor of Virginia, had five interceptions his senior season. He returned two of those picks for touchdowns and also had a kick-off return for a score.

Worth Quoting: “[The Virginia coaches] say they want me wherever their needs may be. They keep saying they could use me on offense or defense. They would keep it open for me. They could also use me in the return game.” – Farrar on which side of the ball he will play at UVa.

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Jacob Fieler

Parkersburg South/Fork Union Military Academy (Parkersburg, W.V.)
Offensive Lineman
6’5”, 300 pounds
Highlights (Hudl, Postgrad)

Worth Noting: Fieler graduated as a full qualifier out of Parkersburg South High School but enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy in August of 2013, hoping a postgraduate season would give him more exposure on the football recruiting front. He flourished at FUMA, ultimately earning a handful of offers before committing to Virginia over Cincinnati, ODU and Southern Miss. He enrolled at UVa in January of 2014.

Worth Quoting: “He has good feet. He pulls well. He’s very, very physical on the line of scrimmage. When he got here he got stronger. His body tightened up. He started being a man out there. He had a lot of FCS offers. And then Southern Miss and Appalachian State offered, so we put the word out to our in-state friends that they needed to take a look.” – FUMA postgraduate head coach John Shuman on Fieler.

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Jordan Jackson

Woodgrove (Purcellville, VA)
Outside Linebacker/Defensive End
6’4”, 220 pounds
Highlights (Hudl)

Worth Noting: Jackson, who goes by the nickname of “JJ,” had only two years of high school football experience. After only playing basketball his freshman and sophomore seasons, Jackson took up football and had productive junior and senior seasons, racking up over 20 sacks in that span. He primarily played with a hand on the ground at defensive end. Jackson will start out at outside linebacker at Virginia but defensive end is a real possibility depending on how his body fills out.

Worth Quoting: “I feel like playing linebacker came easy to me, but the tricky things right now are the reads, like reading if it’s a run or a pass. At defensive end, I don’t have to worry about that stuff. I just follow the tackle. At outside linebacker, I have to worry about who is dropping into the flats, 7-step drops, being too deep, and things like that. I can’t get too antsy covering a guy while playing zone. That’s a problem for me sometimes because I like to hit. Other than that, I have the athleticism and ability to play there.” – Jackson on playing outside linebacker versus defensive end.

Worth Quoting, Too: “I think they will start him out at outside linebacker. If he grows they will put his hand on the ground. If not, he can play linebacker. He is a 4.6/4.7 guy in the 40. He is a good basketball player. He’s a good athlete. With his work ethic, I think he could play both. It’s hard to say. He is long. I think he will get to 6’5″. I think they will be able to do anything with him. They’ll be able to put him wherever they want.” – Woodgrove head coach Mike Skinner on Jackson.

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Cory Jones

Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.)
Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
6’3”, 220 pounds
Highlights (YouTube)

Worth Noting: In his first and only season of high school football, Jones totaled 26 sacks as a senior. He earned first-team all-WCAC honors for his performance, an impressive accomplishment considering how competitive the WCAC is.

Worth Quoting: “Athleticism-wise he brings a lot of versatility to the table. We played him at tight end on offense and he ran as well as a receiver. He’s a guy you can move around. He can play up or down on defense. He’s fast enough to play in coverage, but honestly I think his best position is coming off the edge.” – Carroll head coach Rick Houchens, who added that Jones reminds him of former Florida Gator and NFL defensive end Derrick Harvey. Harvey played for Houchens at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland.

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Jamil Kamara

Bishop Sullivan (Virginia Beach, VA)
Wide Receiver
6’2”, 205 pounds
Highlights (YouTube)

Worth Noting: Kamara shined in his senior season, hauling in 69 receptions for 1,399 yards and 23 touchdowns while leading his team to a VISAA Division II state championship. All four national recruiting outlets ranks Kamara as a 4-star receiver prospect. He announced for the Hoos over Pitt and Wisconsin during the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Worth Quoting: “I feel like I’m a complete receiver. I’m not like a small, shifty receiver. I’m not like a huge receiver. I’m kind of like in the middle. I can do pretty much anything you need me to. I’m just going to compete. I like to compete.” – Kamara on what separates him from other wide receivers.

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Darious Latimore

Central Gwinnett (GA)
Cornerback
6’0”, 175 pounds
Highlights (Hudl)

Worth Noting: Latimore missed most of his junior season due to injury before returning for a solid senior year that included several interceptions. Virginia defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta was first impressed with Latimore’s talents while coaching at N.C. State.

Worth Quoting: “Darious has a good frame. He’s athletic and long, and he’s fast. He’s just a fighter. He’s always in the front of every line… any kind of conditioning, he is in front. He leads by example. He has been more vocal this year, which shocked me because he is kind of quiet. On Friday nights he is becoming more vocal, which I love. He’s just an aggressive guy.” – CGHS head coach Todd Wofford on Latimore

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Steven Moss

Chancellor (Fredericksburg, VA)
Offensive Lineman
6’5”, 290 pounds
Highlights (Hudl)

Worth Noting: A mainstay at right offensive tackle at Chancellor, Moss likely will play guard at Virginia. The consensus 4-star recruit earned 4A second-team all-state honors as a senior and played in the 2014 Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl. He considered over 20 scholarship offers before committing to Virginia in his junior year.

Worth Quoting: “I focus on the initial start. Basically, what I taught myself is that the first two steps off the line decide who wins. I focus on the initial start and then running the guy off as far as I can until I hear the whistle.” – Moss provided his philosophy on playing the offensive line.

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Christopher Peace

Denbigh (Newport News, VA)
Outside Linebacker
6’3”, 225 pounds
Highlights (Hudl)

Worth Noting: After primarily being an offensive player beforehand (he played wide receiver and tight end), Peace moved to defense his senior year. The move paid off as Peace racked up 17 sacks from the defensive end position. He will start out initially as an outside linebacker at UVa.

Worth Quoting: “Coach London, he’s a great guy. I really enjoyed talking to him. Coach Hagans is also real inspirational. He is pushing me to the next level with the things he has been saying.” – Peace on his relationship with Virginia coaches Mike London and Marques Hagans

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