Depth. If there is one word to describe the 2005 class, depth is it. This class not only boasts a strong top 10, but a really solid top 30. Seventeen players are rated as 3-star prospects in the Pre-Season Top 30 along with four 4-stars and one 5-star. Several prospects who are assigned 2-star ratings have the ability to raise their rating with a good 2004 season. So far, 25 in-state prospects have committed to Division I-A programs. This number will grow easily above 30 once all of the prospects have made decisions.

Slots 1-5 have not changed from the Pre-Summer ratings. Highland Springs High School’s all-everything tailback/cornerback Victor “Macho” Harris remains in the top spot. Extremely versatile, Harris could excel as a cornerback or tailback on the next level. After receiving close to 50 Division I-A scholarship offers, he has narrowed his list to 6 schools – Maryland, Miami (Fl), Michigan, Southern California, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.

Phoebus’ bruising tailback Elan Lewis is #2, Gretna quarterback Vic Hall (committed to Virginia) is #3, Landstown’s hard-hitting linebacker Deveon Simmons (Virginia Tech) is #4 and Centreville offensive tackle Pat Sheil (Boston College) rounds out the top 5 at #5.

Slots 5-10 are extremely solid, beginning with Hermitage defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald at #6. Fitzgerald is athletic, strong and uses his hands very well. Oscar Smith quarterback Greg Boone hopes to lead his team to prominence this season. His athleticism sparks the Oscar Smith offense and defense. Ultra-intense William Fleming linebacker Darryl Gresham remains at #8 while the steady and tough Cameron Martin is #9. Wide receiver Todd Nolen, who is a major playmaker for Hampton High School, is #10.

There have been some changes from #11 thru #30, as I have seen more footage and spoken to more coaches since those rankings were released. This season will be particularly interesting, as several prospects could really climb the top 30 and some could enter the top 30 with excellent senior seasons.

1 – CB/TB Victor Harris – 6-0, 180-pounds, Highland Springs
Harris shows excellent ability as either a tailback or cornerback. He has the total package – breakaway speed, quickness, and elusiveness. Right now, he is leaning towards playing cornerback in high school, but would be very effective on either side of the ball.
Committed to Virginia Tech

2 – TB Elan Lewis – 5-9, 210-pounds, Phoebus
A tough, strong runner, Lewis is tough to bring down and wears a defense down throughout the course of a game. He shows quick feet and the ability to cut in traffic. Has very good but not blazing speed, but is a natural runner and is extremely productive.
Committed to Virginia Tech

3 – QB Vic Hall – 5-10, 180-pounds, Gretna
Hall uses his arm and his feet to defeat opponents. As a passer, he is accurate and shows good zip on the ball. As a runner, he is very fast and elusive. A true dual-threat quarterback.
Committed to Virginia

4 – LB/S Deveon Simmons – 6-1, 208-pounds, Landstown
The best hitter in the class of 2005. Simmons uses his excellent speed to close quickly and takes good angles when making tackles. A big-time playmaker in high school, he should be a big-time playmaker in college as well.
Committed to Virginia Tech

5 – OT Pat Sheil – 6-7, 260-pounds, Centreville
Sheil impressed everyone with an outstanding Charlottesville Nike Camp performance this Spring. His athleticism has schools loving his potential as an offensive tackle.
Committed to Boston College

6 – DE Jeffrey Fitzgerald – 6-4, 250-pounds, Hermitage
In my opinion, Fitzgerald is very close to a 4-star recruit. Fitzgerald’s ability to use his hands is what is most impressive. He pushes blockers aside and then shows the closing speed and athleticism to make the play. Fitzgerald is a very good tight end prospect as well, but will play defensive end at Virginia.
Committed to Virginia

7 – QB/ATH Greg Boone – 6-4, 250-pounds, Oscar Smith
Boone is an excellent athlete for his size, and has the ability to play quarterback, linebacker, defensive end, or tight end on the next level. As a quarterback, he is strong in the pocket and shows a strong arm. He shows his athleticism by playing safety on defense.

8 – LB Darryl Gresham – 6-3, 230-pounds, William Fleming
In only his first season playing linebacker, Gresham made over 150 tackles, including 21 in the state championship game, as a junior. He plays sideline-to-sideline, knows how to hit and plays with a lot of enthusiasm.
Committed to Virginia

9 – S Cameron Martin – 6-2, 180-pounds, George Washington-Danville
Martin plays quarterback on offense and, as a safety, is the quarterback of his defense. One college coach described Martin’s ability to hit as "ferocious," according to GW coach Dan Newell. Martin shows good instincts and playmaking ability on defense. The “quarterback” on GW-Danville’s defense.
Committed to Virginia Tech

10 – WR Todd Nolen – 6-3, 175-pounds, Hampton
Nolen is the top wide receiver in this year’s class. He’s long and lanky and has the ability to go up and make the difficult catch. Nolen is a tough competitor with great speed, hands and hand-eye coordination.

11 – DE/TE Antonio Appleby – 6-4, 240-pounds, Salem
Effective on offense and defense, the athletic Appleby could be a good tight end, defensive end or outside linebacker on the next level. UVa recruited him as an outside linebacker/tight end. Appleby’s soft hands and good speed make him a major threat on offense, but look for his athleticism to be used on defense in college. Plays with a high motor.
Committed to Virginia

12 – OL Antonio North – 6-4, 310-pounds, North Stafford
North is very fast for his size. He has excellent potential as an offensive lineman on the next level because of his size, speed, and quick feet. North had a solid performance during the Nike Camp in Charlottesville this Spring.
Committed to Virginia Tech

13 – DE Steven Friday – 6-5, 215-pounds, Phoebus
Friday is a bit lanky, but he is tough, strong and a tremendous competitor. He has the ability to play linebacker or defensive end in college. He plays middle linebacker on occasion in high school, but mostly plays defensive end. Friday is a playmaker.
Committed to Virginia Tech

14 – DE/TE Jason Fuller – 6-5, 220-pounds, Kempsville
Another jumbo athlete type, Fuller could play tight end, defensive end or linebacker in college. He has excellent speed (averages a 4.65 in the 40) and quickness. Fuller is also a disciplined worker and tough competitor. With his speed, tight end could be his best position on the next level.
Committed to Virginia

15 – OL Pat Slebonick – 6-4, 295-pounds, North Stafford
While North is the better athlete, Slebonick appears to be the more polished player technically of the two right now. Slebonick combines strength with good technique.
Committed to Virginia

16 – OL/DE Ed Wang – 6-5, 260-pounds, Stone Bridge
As a defensive end and tight end for Stone Bridge, Wang can really move well for his size. He will likely be an offensive tackle on the next level and has the potential to be a good one. Very athletic, he has worked to cut his 40 time to the mid to high 4.6s.
Committed to Virginia Tech

17 – TE John Phillips – 6-6, 240-pounds, Bath County
The top true tight end prospect in the state, Phillips is returning from a knee injury at the end of last season in which he tore two ligaments. Still, he is an excellent get for Virginia, which likens Phillips to current star Heath Miller according to BCHS coach Will Fields.
Committed to Virginia

18 – LB Demetrius Taylor – 6-1, 220-pounds, Floyd Kellam
Taylor possesses tremendous speed and is very strong for his size. He covers ground all over the field and is a solid tackler. Taylor’s work ethic makes him an even better prospect for the Hokies.
Committed to Virginia Tech

19 – QB Jameel Sewell – 6-3, 190-pounds, Hermitage
The tall lefty with a good arm hopes to build upon a solid junior season – his first on the varsity level. Sewell looks natural sitting in the pocket but has the ability to break a big play with his legs as well. He shows good pocket presence and accuracy.
Committed to Virginia

20 – CB/WR Chris Cook – 6-2, 185-pounds, Heritage (Lynchburg)
Very fast, Cook was timed at 4.49 in the 40 during the Nike Camp in Charlottesville. He has good closing speed on defense. On offense, Cook shows good hands and makes plays.
Committed to Virginia

21 – JATH Alex Field – 6-6, 248-pounds, Broad Run
A big-time competitor who has the size to become an offensive tackle. He could also stay at defensive end, where he was the Dulles District Player of the Year last season. Has drawn rave reviews from a number of coaches in his area.
Committed to Virginia

22 – CB Sean Smalls – 6-1, 185-pounds, Huguenot
Smalls, who is considering offers from Penn State and UCLA among others, led the Dominion District with 6 interceptions last season. He posted a solid 4.51 in the 40 yard dash and a 32-inch vertical during the Charlottesville Nike Camp.

23 – DL Kevin Crawford – 6-5, 270-pounds, Gar-Field
Although a little inconsistent last season, according to his coach, Crawford's physical attributes are awesome (4.8 forty). He could really rise in the rankings following a productive senior season.
Committed to Virginia

24 – DB Kavell Connor – 6-1, 208-pounds, Manchester
A “tweener”, the biggest question with Kavell is what position he plays on the next level. Physically, he compares favorably with Jason Snelling, who also came out of the Dominion District (LC Bird). Connor could be a defensive back but could play linebacker depending on how much weight he can add. He could play fullback as well.

25 – CB Jamar Jackson – 5-9, 180-pounds, Bethel
Jackson’s anticipation and instinct helped him haul in 9 interceptions last season. A very good football player, Jackson’s main questions are his speed and size on the next level.

26 – DL Cordarrow Thompson – 6-2, 312-pounds, North Stafford
According to several coaches, Thompson presents all sorts of problems when facing North Stafford. Thompson is a strong and athletic defensive tackle.
Committed to Syracuse

27 – DE/TE Aaron Clark – 6-6, 230-pounds, Rockbridge
Clark is similar in stature and athleticism to Jason Fuller, although may not be as natural an athlete. He has the speed to play outside linebacker, but will likely be a defensive end or possibly tight end after a year of redshirting.
Committed to Virginia

28 – QB Bobby Rome – 6-1, 210-pounds, Granby
Rome is a big-time playmaker for Granby. A dual threat, he has big-play ability as a runner and passer. As a passer, Rome has a very strong arm and solid accuracy.
Committed to North Carolina

29 – TB Justin Carrington – 6-1, 200-pounds, Liberty (Bealeton)
Improved his stock with a 4.47 40 and a 4.08 shuttle at the Nike Camp at Penn State. Carrington is looking for a breakout senior year following a solid junior season.
Committed to Indiana

30 – QB/ATH Cody Brodus – 6-2, 205-pounds, Warwick
Last season was Brodus’ first playing quarterback. Though he is very raw as a QB, Brodus has a strong arm. A good athlete, Brodus could also end up playing safety in college.

Brunswick Senior LB/FB E.J. Wilson
Wilson, who committed to UNC over an offer from Virginia Tech, could rise significantly in the rankings following a good senior season. Combines good size (6-3, 230-pounds) and speed (has posted a sub 4.6 time in the 40).

Centreville CB Derek Bailey and DE Andrew Lewis
Bailey has a good competitive spirit and good athleticism to match. Lewis is a small but tough and quick defensive end. Bailey and Lewis have both committed to Syracuse.

Varina DT Joseph Johnson and DL Alan-Michael Cash
Johnson was rated in the top 30 in the Pre-Summer addition, but has fallen due to weight concerns. Still, he is a good athlete for his size. If he gets his conditioning in order, he could return to the top 30. Cash is an athletic 6-1, 275-pound defensive end.

Bethel DL Terrence Johnson
Only played half the season last year and could be a real sleeper.

Gretna LB Horace Hubbard
Posted subpar numbers during the Nike Camp in Charlottesville, however is still a big playmaker for Gretna.

Harrisonburg OL Wes Lokey
Looking to show skills on offense as a senior. Mainly played defense over his high school career.

Hopewell FB Mike Pigram
Extremely strong and with good speed, Pigram compares favorably to Jerrett Brown (William & Mary signee) from last season.

Huguenot WR Kevin Cousins (PSU Commit)
Cousins is big (6-4) and fast. According to Coach McFee, Cousins runs the 40 in the 4.4 range.

Phoebus LB Stevon Moss
Moss, who has drawn an offer from Kent State, is an athletic linebacker.

Western Branch CB/WR Devin Fentress and DE Alton Bradley
Bradley impressed during the recent Virginia Beach combine while Fentress has excellent speed (4.35 40). Fentress has committed to Penn State.

William Fleming WR Mijuan Curtis
Curtis could be this year’s LC Baker. Like Baker, Curtis is short (around 5-6 or so) but extremely elusive and has great speed.

Oscar Smith WR Tommie Lawrence
Lawrence will be Boone's go-to-guy this year and will have a chance for a breakout season. Good size at 6-1, 180 pounds.

St. Christopher's TE/OL/DL Richard Graham
Graham is yet another 6-6, 255-pound athletic prospect. He has posted a 4.9 forty time this spring along with an over 30-inch vertical leap.