Prior to his standout performance at UVa’s camp in late June, Chris Brathwaite had already turned in impressive performances on the combine circuit. The 6-1, 255-pound Holy Cross (Flushing, N.Y.) linebacker prospect has shown off impressive athletic skills all year, running a 4.65-second 40 at a combine in Connecticut, posting a 28-inch vertical leap and bench-pressing 185 pounds 21 times. At UVa, he posted a 4.4-second shuttle time and impressed while performing at linebacker.

“I’ve been feeling pretty good the whole spring and summer because I’ve been working pretty hard,” said Brathwaite, Virginia’s ninth commitment of the 2010 class.

Brathwaite plays offensive guard and defensive tackle at Holy Cross, but Virginia projects him as a linebacker. Although he doesn’t have any actual game experience at linebacker, he has gained some experience this off-season.

“This winter, through winter workouts and 7-on-7 tournaments, we’ve worked him at linebacker,” Holy Cross head coach Tom Pugh said. “He does all the athletic things you’d want from a kid who can play a lot of positions. He could play offensive line, tight end…the kid can play a lot of positions. He is very athletic for a kid that size. When he came to our school, when you have a kid that big and look at that size, we put him on the line. Defensively, we’re going to stand him up more next season.”

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