CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. β University of Virginia head coach Tony Elliott has spent four years building the UVA football roster with a focus on in-state talent.
The Cavaliers now have 13 players from the metro Richmond area on their roster, part of a growing trend of keeping Virginia's top football talent within state borders.
"We feel like we targeted the right guys. We addressed some needs that we had from a body type standpoint, some length, some speed at specific positions, but in particular, you know, in the trenches," Elliott said.
Players from the Richmond area are embracing the opportunity to represent their home state while changing perceptions of Cavalier football.
"Just the upward trajectory of the program. What coach, Coach Elliott is doing is just fantastic. What Coach [Adam] Mims, all the strength coaches like, just bought in. Talk about bought in, and talk about a family atmosphere, just and you're just going to get better," said Andre Greene, a wide receiver who attended St. Christopher's School in Richmond.
The local connection has created a unique bond among players who once competed against each other in high school.
"We all take pride in keeping guys in state, especially from the 804 area, and it's good to really connect with those guys that I've played against and connect with them in a different way, like rather as teammates than opponents. So it's been really good to get to know those guys on a different level," said Ethan Minter, a quarterback from Thomas Dale High School in Chesterfield County.
For many players, staying close to home was a deliberate choice that reflected their confidence in the program's direction.
"I think we all had opportunities to go other places and do other things, but for some reason, we just decided to stay at the crib. So that kind of means a lot to the community, but also to the coaching staff, because it shows that, like they're doing something that's easy to buy in. They're doing something that people want to be a part of," said Tyshawn Wyatt, an offensive lineman from Henrico High School.
Elliott sees this as evidence that his program is gaining traction with top in-state prospects.
"What you're seeing now, I think, is we're making it to the end of the conversation a little bit more with the best players in the state and and I want to build a program, and that's what we're working towards to where the best players in the state have to tell me why they have to leave our state to go somewhere else," Elliott said.
The Richmond area has become increasingly important for both UVA and Virginia Tech's recruiting efforts. Of the nearly 85 in-state players on both schools' rosters this season, 25 are from the metro Richmond area.
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