Wow. What a pickup.
The University of Virginia has received a verbal commitment from Taquan Mizzell, making the all purpose back the biggest prospect to commit to the Cavs since Eugene Monroe did so in 2005. It could also be the biggest in-state pickup in program history. Mizzell is choosing the Wahoos over North Carolina and West Virginia.
The player they call ‘Smoke’ had offers from all over the country. Mizzell, from Bayside High School in Virginia Beach, is so highly sought after that he could literally choose any school in the nation and be a standout. While the 5-foot-10, 185 pound back is slightly undersized, he more than makes up for it with quickness and athleticism. And while he’s fast, he’s quicker than he is fast. One of the best attributes for Mizzell and what makes him so special is his hands. Mizzell has excellent hands, is a fantastic route runner, and is superb after the catch, all of which separates him from the other running backs in the 2013 class. This was apparent on the camp circuit all summer long, displaying big time playmaking skills against very good competition.
Mizzell is choosing UVA based on two things, the excellent academics the school offers (Mizzell sports a 3.5 GPA at Bayside), and his relationship with Head Coach Mike London. It also helps that Mizzell likes the fact that he will be playing mostly running back (the other schools have danced around with the idea of moving him primarily to slot receiver), and the pro-style offense the ‘Hoos run. Another factor could be that Mizzell will be joing two former Bayside teammates in Charlottesville, cornerback Demetrious Nicholson and wide receiver Anthony Cooper.
The pickup of Mizzell for London is just another example of the renewed emphasis on recruiting ‘the 757’ for UVA. 757 is the area code for the southeast corner of Virginia, covering the Virginia Beach, Hampton and Norfolk areas. The area produces an outrageous amount of athletes, something the in-state rival Virginia Tech Hokies have been taking advantage of for years (Michael and Marcus Vick, Tyrod Taylor, Jimmy Williams, Xavier Adibi, etc). When London was announced as the new Head Coach of Virginia in December 2009, he made it clear that recruiting was going to be a huge priority going forward, especially for in-state players, and especially for the 757. This is certainly a step in the right direction.
