UVA Adds Fifth Commitment

The Virginia Cavaliers have added their fifth oral commitment and this one could be the perfect change-of-pace back for Mike Johnson.

"James was really looking for a school that was recruiting him as a football player, student and person," said Lake Ridge (Va.) Woodbridge head coach Keith King of his running back James Terry. "That's why he committed to Virginia. They did a great job of recruiting him."

Terry, a 6-foot-2, 225-pounder with 4.58-second speed in the 40-yard dash, chose the Cavaliers over an offer from Pitt and interest from Maryland, Tennessee, Clemson, Virginia Tech and others. His coach feels he just needs game experience to be ready for college football.

"James missed half of his sophomore season with a spine injury and missed four games last season with an ankle sprain," said King. "The problem is that he's so big and strong and hard to bring down that he's gang-tackled all the time and things get twisted. He runs so hard he can't be tackles one on one most times."

Terry was being recruited as a linebacker by Virginia Tech, Maryland and some others, but he'll be a running back at Virginia.

"I think coach (Al) Groh is looking at him like O.J. Anderson with the Giants," he said. "When coach Groh was with the Giants, they used O.J. as the kind of back who just wore people down. I know Virginia has Mike Johnson coming in and I think James will be a great compliment to him."