Virginia Football Recruiting Notes: Cavaliers Extend New In-State Offers

By: Chris Horne |

James Monroe (Fredericksburg, VA) all-region defensive back Aidan Ryan has landed his first two Power 5 scholarship offers. The 6’1”, 190-pound junior announced an offer from Louisville on Friday afternoon. Friday evening, the standout prospect announced another ACC opportunity.

Prior to the offers from the ACC cross-division rivals, Ryan boasted scholarships from Appalachian State, Army, Hawaii, Liberty, Old Dominion and Temple, among others. He also has several Ivy League opportunities, including Dartmouth, Penn, Princeton and Yale.

Ryan is an impact player on offense, defense, and special teams for the Yellow Jackets. Virginia, a school Ryan has visited at least twice (Spring Game last April and Georgia Tech game last November), is recruiting the versatile athlete as a defensive back.

The Hoos have an extra recruiter in this race. He is James Monroe senior linebacker Jack Hardy, who has accepted a preferred walk-on spot with the Cavaliers.

Class Of 2021 Decisions

-Loyola Blakefield (Towson, MD) 3-star athlete Jordan Moore is taking to Instagram tonight at 8 p.m. to announce his college commitment. Moore’s 10 finalists are Boston College, Duke, Harvard, Maryland, Princeton, Syracuse, UCLA, Virginia, Wisconsin and Yale.

As of this writing, 247Sports’ Crystal Ball feature has Duke as the lone pick for the standout rising senior.

-Another Maryland product, 4-star rising athlete Zakee Wheatley, is off the board after announcing his commitment to Penn State. The 6’3” rising senior had Virginia in his final 8 before opting for the Nittany Lions.

Benedictine Sophomore Receiver Lands UVA Offer

Power 5 schools, including the University of Virginia, have taken notice of Benedictine (Richmond, VA) wide receiver Leon Haughton Jr., whose recruitment appears primed to take off.

Haughton, a 6’4”, 210-pound sophomore, landed his first scholarship offer one week ago from Penn State. He announced offers from Boston College and Virginia this past Thursday, April 9.

Benedictine quarterback Jay Woolfolk, a junior who has committed to Virginia, connected with Haughton on a long pass play in last November’s VISAA Division 1 state championship. The Cadets went on to defeat St. Christopher’s, 14-6.

Haughton’s state championship game highlights are directly below and courtesy of Hudl.com. They are followed by his full sophomore season highlights, also courtesy of Hudl.