Virginia landed commitment #6 today and, once again, it’s for the defensive side of the ball. The Cavs landed an inside linebacker recruit out of the state of Pennsylvania and now have five commitments projected for defense.

“I’m going to Virginia and playing some football,” Conestoga (Wayne, PA) star Mark Herzlich said. “I’m excited because I’m going to wind up at a great place. I think I’m really going to fit in well at Virginia and I’m going to reach my potential.“

Herzlich is a 6-4, 240-pound prospect who plays inside linebacker in Conestoga’s 5-2 defensive set. As a junior last season, he racked up 145 total tackles including three sacks and added three interceptions. Herzlich, who has been his team’s defensive MVP each of the past two seasons, was named to the first-team all-Midline, first-team all-Central and first-team all-Chester County teams as well.

“Just a little story on him is when he was starting as a sophomore, the kid he was playing next to was a senior and that kid got hurt in the third play of our first game,” Conestoga head coach John Vogan said. “Mark was actually forced to make all the calls. We run a college style defense, which means a lot of adjustments and a lot of checks. He kind of got thrown into the fire right away but I tell you what he really rose to the occasion that year. And last year, he had just a tremendous season. He showed that not only does he have the athletic ability, but he also has really sharp mental football sense. He picked it up real quick and he’s really a leader on our defense.”

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