- Running back is one of the top remaining positions of need in Virginia’s 2012 class, which is filling up fast.  UVa has made the final four for Blackman (Murfreesboro, TN) rising senior RB I’Tavius Mathers.  Kentucky, Mississippi, and South Carolina round out the list of finalists for the 5’11″, 185-pound prospect, the state of Tennessee’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2010.  As a junior last season, Mathers rushed for 2,614 yards and 31 touchdowns, averaging over 10 yards per carry in the process.

North Hall’s (Gainesville, GA) Imani Cross, Broughton’s (Raleigh, N.C.) Chris Mangus, and Franklin’s (Somerset, N.J.) Kye Morgan are three other running back targets the Hoos are seriously in the running with.  Cross, a 6’1″, 220-pound bruiser, committed to Tennessee earlier this year.

- Keeping in the offensive backfield, Virginia already has one quarterback commitment in the class, from Pennsylvania product Matt Johns.  The Cavs are also in the running with 6’5″, 195-pound Greyson Lambert, who visited Charlottesville this weekend.  Lambert, a rising senior out of Wayne County H.S. in Jesup, Georgia, has many other offers as well, including Alabama.

- UVa fell short in its pursuit of St. Joseph’s (Hammonton, N.J.) 2012 class linebacker Kaiwan Lewis, who committed to South Carolina earlier this week.  The 6’2″, 230-pound prospect was one of Virginia’s top targets in this class.  Virginia does have a commitment from athletic Max Valles, a 6’5″, 220-pound prospect out of the same high school as Lewis.  Valles, who committed to the Hoos in June, could potentially play tight end, outside linebacker or defensive end on the next level.

- Virginia currently has 18 commitments in its 2012 class.  Number 19 could well come on Tuesday, August 2, when Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, VA) defensive end Eli Harold will announce his college choice at a 5:00 p.m. press conference at his high school.  The 6’4″, 220-pound Harold will choose Florida, Penn State, or Virginia.  TheSabre.com will be on hand for coverage of the event, so stay tuned to the EDGE Subscribers Board Tuesday night for further coverage.

- Worcester Academy (Worcester, MA) rising senior wide receiver Canaan Severin told me he plans to visit UVa in August for a preseason practice.  Boston College and Penn State are two other likely preseason practice destinations for Severin, who is also considering offers from Connecticut, Iowa, Michigan State and Missouri.

I’ll have more on the 6’3″, 210-pound prospect in an EDGE article on Monday.

- One of UVa’s most highly acclaimed commitments of the 2012 class, Norfolk Christian (Norfolk, VA) linebacker Kwontie Moore, has impressed this offseason.  Most recently, the 6’1″, 240-pound Moore was invited to and partipated in The Opening, a Nike training event held in Oregon, as well as the Gridiron Kings National 7-on-7 event in Orlando, Florida.

“I feel like a totally different player,” Moore said.  “Last year, I just went out and played.  I relied on my nose for the game.  I’ve learned a lot of fundamentals.  I’ve upgraded my game, like you’re supposed to when you’re a senior.  I’m getting better.  Going to Oregon and Orlando, those challenges made me better.”

Reigning state champion Norfolk Christian, which features two more UVa-bound prospects in DE Courtnye Wynn and DB/WR Wilfred Wahee, began preseason practice earlier this week.

I stumbled upon this video via The Sabre’s Twitter page and thought I’d share. The Chris Canty Foundation posted a highlight video from the 2011 camp that bears the UVa standout’s name. Enjoy!

Larry Rubama of the Virginian-Pilot online reports that Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, VA) defensive end Eli Harold will make his college choice on August 2.  Harold, a 6’4″, 220-pound rising senior, has trimmed his list of choices to three – Florida, Penn State, and the University of Virginia.

Harold is the no. 2 overall prospect in TheSabre.com’s Preseason Top 40 list, which was released in June.  He boasted over 20 major FBS offers before narrowing the field to the three aforementioned programs.

One of Harold’s good friends, Bayside (Virginia Beach, VA) wide receiver/safety Anthony Cooper, is set to announce his college choice tomorrow.  The 6’0″, 180-pound rising senior, no. 10 in TheSabre’s Top 40, will choose from Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Virginia at a 2 p.m. press conference at Bayside High School.

UVa is also awaiting a decision from 6’6″, 270-pound rising senior offensive lineman Augie Conte, who plans to commit to the Cavaliers or the Hokies on Wednesday.  No specific announcement time has been set by the Blessed Sacrament Huguenot (Powhatan, VA) star, who is scheduled to visit Virginia Tech today.

On Thursday, July 21, Landstown (Virginia Beach, VA) rising senior WR/TE Kyle Dockins will announce his college choice.  He is deciding from Georgia, Virginia and Virginia Tech, but the Cavaliers are thought to be in good shape with the 6’4″, 205-pound prospect.  Dockins will announce at 3 p.m.

UVa currently has 15 commitments in the 2012 class.  Norfolk Christian (Norfolk, VA) defensive end Courtnye Wynn, profiled yesterday on the EDGE, is the most recent addition.

New England Patriots blog PatsFans.com has a post (hat tip to Sabre poster Longlost for the link) up about Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling, who was taken by New England in the second round of the NFL Draft. The post discusses an article from ESPNBoston.com where Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty talks about Dowling.

Here’s one of the quotes from McCourty:

“When I first walked up to him, I heard he was big, but he was like 6-2, maybe 200 , 205 pounds. He looks like a specimen. I think when guys get drafted, everyone looks at their physical tools and what they might be able to do on the field right away, but just talking to him, I’m trying to explain the defense and as I’m saying a sentence, he’s just finishing it. It seems like he has a lot of football knowledge. I think that’s important when you come in to the New England defense; if you have some football knowledge that you can put together with what Coach Belichick teaches us, I think it can go a long way.”

If you missed it, check out highlights from Dowling’s NFL pro day on Sabre TV as well.

Joe Lemire spent some time as a freelance writer for us here at TheSabre.com, writing articles on Somdev Devvarman, Alvin Pearman, and Marques Hagans among others. A couple of NFL Hoos and the highest ranked pro tennis player in UVa history? Not bad.

Of course interviewing Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Kate Upton at the 2011 MLB Celebrity Softball Game … yeah that’s not a bad gig either. Lemire is an MLB writer for Sports Illustrated.

Jeff White over at VirginiaSports.com published a football article on Wednesday. There’s a quote in there from coach Mike London that any Hoo wearing the Orange and Blue in any sport should take to heart. London said:

“There’s a great mindset in men’s and women’s sports here, great coaches and athletes that have accomplished amazing feats. And so when you look at the example [in the deciding game of the NCAA baseball Super Regional] of two outs, no one on base, and then they come back and win the game, it’s unbelievable. The young man in track, he’s 20 meters behind, and there’s something in him that says, ‘I can do this,’ and he kicks in. The lacrosse team, everybody had them down and out, because they’re missing their arguably two, three best players. But they showed the next-man-up mentality that people are always talking about. You look at it and you’re like, ‘If you believe in what you’re being taught and you believe in who you are, then the sky’s the limit.’ You never say never.”

Read the full article here.