UVa in Stapleton’s Final Four

Offensive tackle Desmond Stapleton will make his college destination known by the end of this month and several schools have him near the top of their recruiting board. What does he think of UVa?

“My four favorites are still UVa, Rutgers, Marshall and Maryland,” said Stapleton, a 6-5, 290-pound lineman from Union, NJ. “Those four and Temple have offered me. I think they’re all about even right now.”

Stapleton has a brother who starts on the offensive line at Rutgers. Will that impact his decision?

“No, I don’t see that as having too much of an impact on me. I have to make a decision that’s right for me. It would be fun to play with him, but I’m not going to make my choice just based on that.”

That sounds like good news for UVa fans. Unfortunately, Stapleton played it cool when asked about Virginia as well.

“Virginia was the first school to offer me and that meant a lot at the time. But I don’t think that’s going to be the big factor in my decision either,” he said. “Right now I have to choose the best school for me. It might be Virginia, it might not. But I can’t decide just based on who offered first.”

That said, the Cavaliers appear to be in a good position to land Stapleton, who has consistently ranked UVa near the top of his list and has noted.

Stapleton is the type of intelligent lineman who can bring leadership to a unit. He also has an excellent skill set, and has shown great ability in pass protection.