Quick Take: Virginia True Freshman Receiver Nathaniel Beal III

Nathaniel Beal III enrolled at Virginia in June. The consensus 3-star prospect out of Houston (TX) is aiming to make an immediate impact with the Hoos this fall. ~ Photo courtesy of Virginia Athletics

Discussing Virginia football’s 2019 recruiting class last December, head coach Bronco Mendenhall said: “We were looking specifically for long and tall and productive and talented receivers.”

Why the focus on tall receivers?

“We call players with that size always open, meaning that most corners that are matched up against … there aren’t many 6’3″ or 6’4″ or 6’5″ corners,” Mendenhall continued during the first day of last December’s National Signing period. “So whether they’re behind him or not, they’re always open. We wanted more size on the outside. We wanted more productivity. And we needed more consistency. And so Nathaniel, that was a really nice addition to this class and we’re really excited about him.”

The “Nathaniel” referenced here is Nathaniel Beal III, one of five new scholarship wide receivers in the Virginia program along with fellow true freshmen Dorien Goddard and Dontayvion Wicks as well as graduate transfers Dejon Brissett and Terrell Chatman. At 6’5”, Beal III is the tallest of all of UVA’s scholarship wide receivers.

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