Thankful for this opportunity pic.twitter.com/yuzMaZ0j9O
— Clayton Cheatham (@Claycheet7) June 26, 2016
Hanover (Mechanicsville, VA) rising senior quarterback Clayton Cheatham received scholarship offers from Army, Fordham, JMU, Navy, Old Dominion, Richmond and Towson. He has decided, though, to take his talents to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia as a recruited walk-on.
Turning down a sure-fire scholarship was difficult, but it was clear to Cheatham that UVA was where he wanted to be.
“I just think I was ready. I knew where I wanted to go to school. I am 100-percent solid. I made the decision in my head, so I figured I didn’t need to wait,” Cheatham said.
“I’d thought about it for a while,” Cheatham continued. “Every day I thought about it a little bit more, like what opportunity I wanted to take, what I think is best for me. I sort of started to get an idea. I narrowed it down in my head. I thought about it, talked a lot with my parents and my brother, and it just came down to where I wanted to be.”
Cheatham, whose mother went to UVA, says he “was always sort of a Virginia fan. The past four years I’ve really turned into one.”
After announcing his decision, Cheatham received congratulatory messages from both the Virginia coaching staff and class of 2017 recruits.
“The love and the family. It was really good,” Cheatham said.
Head coach Bronco Mendenhall said “I’m the kind of guy they want,” Cheatham recalled. “I’m tough, hard working. He said they want football players. They made it clear I’m a guy they’d like to have on the team. When I sat down with the staff, they told me everything I wanted to hear.”
Cheatham addressed the possibility of earning a scholarship before arriving on Grounds.
“They said there is always a chance,” Cheatham noted. “Nothing is locked in right now. [Coach Mendenhall] said obviously I’m right on the cusp, but they had a quarterback commit early in the spring and a transfer kid there now. They have one linebacker, but they can’t take a chance on offering me as a linebacker because I haven’t played the position before.”
Hanover’s 6’3”, 220-pound signal caller may not end up a quarterback at UVA, but he’ll get a close look there. Other possible positions include the “Big Back” position, which Cheatham likens to an H-Back, and linebacker. Cheatham played both quarterback and linebacker at a recent Virginia one-day camp.
“I played quarterback the first half and then I played linebacker. I rotated back and forth, showing I could do both,” Cheatham said. “[UVA Inside Linebackers coach Shane] Hunter liked the way I moved. I have to work on some of my footwork, but I think I showed I can play linebacker.”
If quarterback isn’t in the cards on the major college level, Cheatham admits another position has captured his interest.
“I like that big back spot,” Cheatham said. “I can run the ball. I think my ability to run the ball shouldn’t go unused in college. That spot interests me.”
Cheatham may not know what position he will ultimately end up playing for the Cavaliers, but he promises that the effort and determination to succeed will be there. Earning a scholarship only adds fuel to the fire.
“I’m going to come in there with a chip on my shoulder,” Cheatham said. “Coach Mendenhall says everyone’s going to get an equal shot. Coach Mendenhall really likes the walk-on guys because he thinks they are the hardest working guys on the team.”
The excitement surrounding his college commitment hasn’t caused Cheatham to lose focus on his upcoming senior season. He missed most of the 2015 season after suffering a broken tibia and torn ligaments in Hanover’s season opener against Dinwiddie. He returned to the lineup on November 6 against Henrico and totaled 292 yards of offense and three touchdowns in a 24-21 win. The following week, Cheatham posted 235 yards of offense (147 yards rushing, 88 yards passing) and six total touchdowns (four rush, two pass) while leading the Hawks to a 47-28 first round playoff win over Louisa.
“There is a lot of hype surrounded by this decision, but in the long run there are 11 guys on the field, not one,” Cheatham said.
More with Clayton Cheatham
What about coach Mendenhall gives you confidence that the Virginia football program will get turned around?
“Obviously he had success at BYU, but it’s just the attitude he brings,” Cheatham said. “He’s so focused on doing every little thing right. Doing everything they can control right. That’s what he needs to do. If you focus on the things you can control, you’ll start winning those games in the fourth quarter. If you’re not going to do it right, you’ll do it again. That’s a big thing to me. That’s how we are at my high school.”
The Virginia baseball team has certainly enjoyed some success recruiting Hanover High School in recent years. Pitcher Derek Casey will be in his fourth year at UVA by the time Cheatham arrives on Grounds. Shortstop Cayman Richardson will be a true freshman this coming season, and Hawks rising junior prospect Jack Dragum has committed to the Hoos as well. Cheatham looks forward to joining his Hanover friends in Charlottesville.
“Cayman and Jack, who is the younger one committed, I’m excited to be together with them the next couple of years,” Cheatham said.
