Virginia Football Recruiting “Signing Day Central” For The Early Signing Period

By: Chris Horne |

Welcome to our “Signing Day Central” page for the class of 2020 Early Signing Period, which begins today (Dec. 18) and ends Friday, December 20. During this time, prospects can make their commitments official by signing a national letter of intent. As the day begins, the University of Virginia football program boasts 13 verbal commitments.

Our “Signing Day Central” page is where you can find breaking news as well as an updated list of Virginia football signees. Simply scroll down the page to our “News Blog” and “Virginia Football Class of 2020” sections for the latest. In addition, here are some other notable places to be throughout the day:

– Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall will hold a Signing Day press conference at 1 p.m. You can watch the press conference via live stream on Facebook by clicking here.

– Virginia football is revealing the letters of intent as they come in via Twitter. Click here for UVA Football’s official Twitter account to follow.

– VirginiaSports.com has posted its Signing Day Central. Click here for that page.

Early Signing Period “Signing Day” News Blog

Check here for any breaking news that happens with Virginia football’s class of 2020 …

7:48 a.m. – Four letters of intent have been announced by the University of Virginia so far. It’s fitting that defensive lineman Jahmeer Carter was the first, as he is the longest standing commitment. The Maryland standout pledged to UVA on July 4, 2018.

8:07 a.m. – Virginia Director of Athletics Carla Williams chimes in early on this Signing Day.

8:21 a.m. – Virginia has officially continued its Louisiana connection as linebacker Brandon Williams is officially announced. Williams becomes the third Louisiana native to sign with the Hoos in the past two classes. Virginia has commitments from two more Bayou state standouts in 2020 in defensive backs Ja’Darius Clark and Donovan Johnson; however, the consensus is that Clark will not end up in Charlottesville and Johnson will choose between Virginia and Arkansas today. Johnson took an official to Arkansas this past weekend.

8:38 a.m. – Co-Defensive Coordinator and Outside Linebackers Coach Kelly Poppinga is excited about the additions of Brady and Williams.

8:46 a.m. – Not that there was chatter of him flipping back into the fold for Virginia, but Dominion (Sterling, VA) offensive lineman Jimmy Christ has signed a letter of intent with Penn State. He originally pledged to UVA before flipping to PSU on November 9.

9:00 a.m. – Virginia has announced tight end Joshua Rawlings, making it seven announced signees as of now. Rawlings will enroll in January and could be one to watch in terms of seeing significant action next season as a true freshman. UVA starting tight end Tanner Cowley is gone after this season, leaving only Grant Misch with any significant playing time at the position.

9:23 a.m. – Consensus Top 100 recruit Andrew Gentry has been announced as a Virginia signee. Gentry, an offensive tackle out of Littleton, Colorado, becomes UVA’s most highly rated offensive commitment of the Mendenhall era.

10:09 a.m. – Lavel Davis Jr. was announced last hour, giving UVA a 6’6″ (VirginiaSports lists 6’7″, actually) wide receiver. Mendenhall refers to receivers with size as “always open.” Well, Davis certainly counts in that category. Some decisions coming in the 10 o’clock hour include safety Donovan Johnson (Arkansas or UVA) and wide receiver Devin Chandler (MD, UVA or Wisconsin). Chandler expected at 10:15 a.m. EST and Johnson at 10:30 a.m. EST.

10:55 a.m. – Decision!: Wide receiver Devin Chandler has signed with Wisconsin over UVA and Maryland. Still waiting on word from Donovan Johnson.

11:05 a.m. – Decision!: Safety Donovan Johnson decides to sign with UVA over Arkansas! The smooth safety prospect is Virginia’s second Louisiana signee of the class and fourth in the past two years. Johnson will enroll on Grounds in January.

12:05 p.m. – Ja’Darius Clark and Lorenz Terry are the only verbal commitments who have yet to sign with UVA. As has been mentioned before, it’s a major question whether Clark ever ends up in Charlottesville. We’re less than an hour away from Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall’s Signing Day presser coming up at 1 p.m. EST. We’ll have a separate “Notes” piece on his press conference, so stay tuned.

1:00 p.m. – Ja’Darius Clark is no longer a Hoo and Virginia is down to 12 for the class. The 4-star defensive back instead has signed with TCU. Another Louisiana talent, wide receiver Koy Moore, has signed a letter of intent with LSU. He made an official visit to UVA this past weekend. Neither player’s decision comes as a surprise.

7:00 p.m. – Decision! – Olasunkonmi Agunloye, a 6’6″, 240-pound defensive line prospect out of Lindenhurst High School in New York, has signed with the Hoos. He chose Virginia over Rutgers, Pitt and Syracuse, among others.

Virginia Football’s Class of 2020

Olasunkonmi “Su” Agunloye, Defensive Lineman, Lindenhurst (N.Y.)
6’6″, 240 pounds (Note: Heights and weights are from VirginiaSports.com)
Rivals: 3-star; No. 7 New York; No. 42 strong-side defensive end
247Sports: 3-star; No. 9 New York; No. 49 strong-side defensive end
SIGNED

Ira Armstead, Dual-Threat Quarterback, Adams (South Bend, IN)
6’3″, 200 pounds
Rivals: 2-star
247Sports: 3-star; No. 8 in Indiana; No. 68 athlete
SIGNED

Sam Brady, Linebacker, North Lincoln (Denver, N.C.)
6’3″, 200 pounds
Rivals: 3-star; No. 37 in North Carolina
247Sports: 3-star; No. 42 in North Carolina; No. 87 outside linebacker
SIGNED

Jahmeer Carter, Defensive Lineman, Archbishop Spalding (Severn, MD)
6’2″, 300 pounds
Rivals: 3-star; No. 18 in Maryland; No. 41 defensive tackle
247Sports: 3-star; No. 33 in Maryland; No. 82 defensive tackle
SIGNED

Lavel Davis Jr., Wide Receiver, Woodland (Dorchester, S.C.)
6’7″, 200 pounds
Rivals: 3-star; No. 14 in South Carolina
247Sports: 3-star; No. 11 in South Carolina; No. 134 wide receiver
SIGNED

Elijah Gaines, Defensive Back, Episcopal (Alexandria, VA) (native of Queens, N.Y.)
6’2″, 185 pounds
Rivals: 3-star; No. 11 in Virginia; No. 55 cornerback
247Sports: 3-star; No. 12 in Virginia; No. 40 safety
SIGNED

Andrew Gentry, Offensive Tackle, Columbine (Littleton, CO)
6’7″, 300 pounds
Rivals: 4-star; No. 65 in the nation; No. 1 in Colorado; No. 9 offensive tackle
247Sports: 4-star; No. 90 in the nation; No. 2 in Colorado; No. 10 offensive tackle
SIGNED

Dave Herard, Defensive Back, Stranahan (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
6’0″, 170 pounds
Rivals: 3-star; No. 38 safety
247Sports: 3-star; No. 186 in Florida; No. 137 cornerback
SIGNED

Donovan Johnson, Safety, Helen Cox (Harvey, LA)
6’2″, 180 pounds
Rivals: 3-star; No. 31 in Louisiana; No. 49 safety
247Sports: 3-star; No. 23 in Louisiana; No. 43 safety
SIGNED

Jestus Johnson III, Offensive Lineman, Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.)
6’3″, 330 pounds
Rivals: 3-star; No. 9 in Washington, D.C.
247Sports: 3-star; No. 11 in Washington, D.C.; No. 29 center
SIGNED

Josh Rawlings, Tight End, Woodland Hills (Pittsburgh, PA)
6’5″, 245 pounds
Rivals: 3-star; No. 12 in Pennsylvania
247Sports: 3-star; No. 12 in Pennsylvania; No. 44 tight end
SIGNED

Lorenz Terry, Defensive Lineman, Varina (VA)
Rivals: 3-star; No. 22 in Virginia
247Sports: 3-star; No. 32 in Virginia; No. 119 strong-side defensive end
Committed

Brandon Williams, Outside Linebacker, Isidore Newman (New Orleans, LA)
6’3″, 200 pounds
Rivals: 3-star; No. 23 in Louisiana; No. 38 outside linebacker
247Sports: 4-star; No. 298 in the nation; No. 13 in Louisiana; No. 25 outside linebacker
SIGNED