Virginia’s 2027 recruiting class doesn’t jump off the page, and that’s exactly why Tony Elliott’s staff still has work to do.
After a burst of June commitments, the Cavaliers sit 67th nationally in 247Sports’ team rankings and second-to-last in the ACC, ahead of only SMU. With most of the biggest names already off the board, that number probably won’t climb dramatically before National Signing Day in December.
Still, the ranking only tells part of the story. Virginia won the ACC regular season championship last fall while 247Sports had its 2026 class at 111th in the country and its 2025 class at 58th. Recruiting stars matter, but they don’t always tell you what a roster will become once players get into a program.
Elliott’s challenge has been building those in-state relationships from the ground up. When he got to Charlottesville four years ago, he came in with a reputation as a strong recruiter, but he didn’t have deep ties across Virginia’s high school landscape.
His top in-state recruiter, former Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans, lasted just one season before leaving for Penn State. He’s now at Michigan.
Since then, Elliott and his staff have worked to gain ground in the Commonwealth while also leaning on the transfer portal for experienced help. That approach paid off in 2025, and another wave of transfers arrived this spring to keep that momentum going.
It’s a useful short-term fix, but it also gave Virginia time to start stacking high school talent, especially in-state. The Cavaliers still don’t have a commitment from any of the top 15 Virginia prospects in the Class of 2027, but they do have pledges from six of the top 25 and nine in-state overall. Add six more commitments from outside Virginia, and the class has a foundation, even if it isn’t a flashy one.
Most of those commitments are three-star prospects, which won’t move the needle much in recruiting headlines. But Virginia has already shown it can turn modestly rated players into real contributors, and that’s beginning to resonate with coaches and players alike. At the same time, James Franklin and his new staff at Virginia Tech have made in-state recruiting a priority, so the Cavaliers aren’t operating in a vacuum.
There are still openings to fill. Virginia has room for as many as a dozen more additions, and that could bump the class up a few spots.
The staff has been linked to a couple of promising high school running backs, and that position remains empty in the current class. There’s also always the possibility of flipping a commitment from another school over the next few months.
The offensive line is another area to watch. Virginia has just one committed blocker in the class, Moreno Fisher from Cornelius, N.C. That matters because offensive linemen often need time in the weight room and in the system before they’re ready to play, and all five of Virginia’s projected starters this fall are seniors or graduate students.
Even with more additions, though, the Cavaliers are not likely to crash the national elite. A finish in the top 50 would be a surprise, and don’t expect Virginia’s class to sit alongside Texas A&M, Ohio State or LSU when the final rankings come out. The goal is simpler than that: find the right fits, develop them, and turn them into contributors.
There’s still plenty left for Elliott and his staff to do.
In Other News...
Virginia Is Battling For The Kind Of Wing It Desperately Needs
Virginias search for a wing who can fit the way Ryan Odom wants to build has turned toward Moussa Kamissoko, a highly regarded small forward in the 2027 class. The Cavaliers have already put an official offer on the table and made it clear they are serious about the 6-foot-8 prospect, who brings the kind of size and positional value that can be hard to find and even harder to land.
The challenge is obvious from here. Kamissoko is drawing attention from a long list of major programs, and Virginia has been in the mix since January, which means this one has had time to develop into a real recruiting battle rather than a quick pitch. With the process still expected to stretch out over the next several months, the Cavaliers will have to keep making their case if they want to stay in front for a player who could help solve a long-term need on the wing. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Is Suddenly Counting On Grunloh In A Much Bigger Way
Johann Grunloh is heading into the season with a very different kind of expectation hanging over him. The 7-foot Virginia center arrived as a player still finding his footing, but coach Ryan Odom has seen enough physical growth to believe Grunloh can handle a much bigger workload, with more minutes and more responsibility as the Cavaliers reshape their frontcourt.
For Virginia, the timing matters as much as the development. Grunlohs size gives the Cavaliers a needed presence around the rim after Ugonna Onyenso moved on to the NBA, and Odom also wants him doing more than just anchoring the paint. If Grunloh can rebound, push the ball and help start fast breaks, he could become one of the more important pieces of the season before long. [Read more 🡒]