This is my final in-state Top 30 rankings for the 2004 class...a class with a lot of very good, talented players who will be able to fill in key positions over the next four years. In my opinion, this class is pretty deep in the respect of having many talented players who can contribute in some way or another on the next level. While some of the top players in the class may not start immediately as true freshmen, I expect many to contribute significantly and possibly even start as red-shirt freshmen or sophomores.

Note: the Top 30 are listed in a table at the bottom of this article, and their player profiles are linked in that table.

The Top 30 begins with Robinson star Olu Hall, who I believe possesses an enormous amount of potential. In fact, his number one rating is based more on potential than actual production, though he was very productive this year. Hall is being recruited by some programs as a defensive end and others as a linebacker. He has the potential to be very good at both. At 6-4, 220 pounds, Hall runs a 4.7 in the 40. Though he was slender as a defensive end, he plays very strong and uses his hands very effectively. He has the athleticism to run down opponents from across the field, which is why he would look good as an outside linebacker as well. In my opinion, Hall compares favorably to UVA’s Darryl Blackstock, who also played defensive end in high school.

Number two on the list is the dynamic and explosive Westfield receiver Eddie Royal. Royal earned All-Group AAA AP State Player of the Year honors for his senior year performance. At receiver, Royal tallied 41 catches for 875 yards and 11 touchdowns in helping Westfield to a Division 6 state title. On special teams, he had several punt returns for touchdowns, including a key score in the state title victory over Landstown. Eddie has blazing speed, elusiveness, great jumping ability, excellent coordination and hands wrapped up in his 5-10, 170 pound frame.

Maryland commitment Kent Hicks is number three on the list. The 6-3, 210 pound safety prospect is a physical specimen with excellent athletic ability. Former Culpeper Head Coach Lou Sorrentino said Hicks has had a "college body since his sophomore season." He also has talent. Playing for a very young squad, Hicks was the player every team focused on in every game, which made things difficult for him at times. That doesn’t take away from his ability as a safety, where he is an intimidating presence. Hicks is accomplished in pass defense and is a solid run-supporter as well.

St. Anne’s Belfield captured a state championship this year, a feat that may not have been accomplished without the services of Chris Long. Long was a man among boys in terms of physical stature and strength, dominating the competition throughout the past two seasons. He has the physical ability, athleticism, and talent, with the only knock being the size of the competition he played against. There’s no denying his potential. Physically he is mature, and of course his blood lines are second-to-none (he is the son of former NFL'er Howie Long).

Rounding out the top five is Kecoughtan linebacker Jerod Mayo. At 6-2, 215 pounds, Jerod always talks about getting bigger and stronger, which is what he desperately wants to do. Nevertheless, he excelled as a linebacker for Kecoughtan with his versatility. Mayo is very quick and mobile, and is excellent in coverage. He covers running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends, and also has the pop to make crushing tackles. Jerod should only get better once he gets the strength and physical development he needs on the college level.

1 – DE/OLB Olu Hall – 6-4, 220 pounds, Robinson  (Committed to Virginia)
Preseason rank: 1
Hall had 93 tackles with eleven sacks on the year. He has the ability to play either defensive end or outside linebacker in college. Great potential at either position.

2 – WR Eddie Royal – 5-10, 170, Westfield  (Committed to Virginia Tech)
Preseason rank: 3
The state’s most exciting senior, Royal will likely see the field in some capacity as a true freshman. He has difference-making type of ability as a wide receiver and on special teams.

3 – S Kent Hicks – 6-3, 210, Culpeper (Committed to Maryland, later signed with VT)
Preseason rank: 2
Big and physical, Hicks excels in pass-coverage and is an effective run-stopper as well. Very fast, he runs a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash.

4 – DE/OT Chris Long – 6-4, 260, St. Anne’s Belfield (Committed to Virginia)
Preseason rank: 6
A physical specimen, Long also has great feet and athleticism to go along with his 6-4, 260 pound frame. He has the potential to be a great offensive tackle or defensive end.

5 – LB Jerod Mayo – 6-2, 215, Kecoughtan  (Committed to Tennessee)
Preseason rank: 5
Jerod’s versatility is what makes him an intriguing prospect. If he can gain the needed weight for the next level, I don’t see any reason why he can’t become a top-notch linebacker.

6 – LB Andrew Bowman – 6-1, 230, Hermitage (Committed to Virginia Tech)
Preseason rank: 4
Bowman, who projects as an inside linebacker, is probably the biggest hitter in the state. He moves very well from sideline to sideline.

7 – QB Sean Glennon – 6-4, 190, Westfield (Committed to Virginia Tech)
Preseason rank: 7
Glennon continued his efficiency and productivity as a senior. He threw for 1,738 yards with 25 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He has only thrown ten interceptions his entire high school career, with over 60 touchdowns. Primarily a pocket passer, Glennon can move around the pocket pretty well.

8 – RB Branden Ore – 6-2, 190, Indian River (Committed to Virginia Tech)
Preseason rank: 11
Ore may have been the biggest sleeper of the 2004 class. Though many opposing coaches knew of his skills, he wasn’t highly publicized early on in the recruiting process. Very versatile, Ore can run and receive out of the backfield. He has a chance to contribute early at Tech with Kevin Jones turning professional.

9 - DE/OLB Clint Sintim – 6-3. 240, Gar-Field (Committed to Virginia)
Preseason rank: 8
Quite possibly the strongest player in the 2004 class. Clint has solid athleticism to go along with his strength. He uses leverage very well, which made him a productive offensive guard as well.

10 – RB/DB Cedric Peerman – 5-11, 195, William Campbell (Committed to Virginia)
Preseason rank: 10
Cedric managed to have another spectacular season this year. He has the potential to play either tailback or defensive back (possibly safety?) on the next level. He is a physical runner who has the speed to break big plays.

11 – RB/WR/DB Ahmad Bradshaw – 5-10, 180, Graham  (Committed to Virginia)
Preseason rank: 9
Ahmad rushed for over 2,000 yards for a second consecutive season. He has great hands and can play wide receiver on the next level if needed. On defense, Ahmad is a hard-hitting safety who plays big despite his size.

12 – LB/RB/DB Purnell Sturdivant – 5-11, 215, Lake Taylor (Committed to Virginia Tech)
Preseason rank: 12
Purnell is maybe the most versatile prospect in the state. He has the speed to play defensive back in college even though he played linebacker for Lake Taylor. Sturdivant is also an accomplished running back. He runs a 4.4 in the 40 and has a 40 inch vertical leap.

13 – DL/OL Jon Kirchner – 6-5, 260, Rockbridge (Committed to Virginia)
Preseason rank: 13
Kirchner played hurt for much of his senior season, which is why he only made just over 60 tackles. He will need a red-shirt season to gain strength, but could play on either side of the ball once he’s ready.

14 – OL John Bradshaw – 6-5, 295, Stafford (Committed to WVU)
Preseason rank: 15
Big offensive line prospect who moves pretty well. He should do well in West Virginia’s run-oriented offense.

15 – OL Zak Stair – 6-6, 280, Osbourn Park (Committed to Virginia)
Preseason rank: 21
Athletic offensive tackle prospect really came into his own as a senior, earning first-team All-State honors and first-team Washington Post All-Metro honors. Zak is an excellent athlete for his size, and he also plays basketball.

16 – WR Jeremy Gilchrist – 5-11, 180, Landstown (Committed to Virginia Tech)
Preseason rank: 26
Gilchrist had a tremendously productive senior year, catching almost 90 passes for over 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns. Jeremy runs routes very well and has great hands.

17– DB AJ Brown – 5-11, 195, Liberty (Bealeton) (Committed to Syracuse)
Preseason rank: 17
AJ is a big hitter from the safety position. He moves well and possesses good, not great speed. AJ has great football instincts.

18– RB Antwain Carey – 6-0, 205, Deep Creek (Committed to North Carolina)
Preseason rank: 14
Unfortunately, Carey re-injured his foot and will have surgery early this year. He feels confident he will be 100% by the time he gets onto a college campus. When healthy, Carey is a strong tailback with breakaway speed.

19– RB/DB Richard Taylor – 5-11, 190, Centreville (Committed to Maryland)
Preseason rank: 19
Taylor will most likely play corner in college. Has good size and good speed (4.43 in the 40).

20 - LB Brandon Samuels – 6-3, 235, Caroline (Committed to South Carolina)
Preseason rank: unranked
Samuels is a big, tough inside linebacker prospect with good mobility.

21 – OL Wyatt Hicks – 6-5, 250, Highland Springs (Committed to North Carolina)
Preseason rank: unranked
As a junior, Hicks was a 220 pound tight end. As a senior, he played tackle for the first time ever and showed great potential. He played at 250 pounds and didn’t lose a step of athleticism. Coach Burton feels Hicks will get up to close to 300 pounds in college.

22 – OL Brandon Holland – 6-6, 260, Northside (Committed to Virginia Tech)
Preseason rank: 20
Playing on a very young Northside team, Holland was one of the bright spots. He played tight end and defensive end, however figures to be an offensive tackle on the next level. He has a good combination of athleticism and size, and has the frame to put on a lot of muscle.

23 – RB/LB Rashad Jennings – 6-2, 260, Lynchburg Christian (Committed to Pittsburgh)
Preseason rank: 24
Big back who can really run for his size. Helped LCA to a state championship game appearance.

24 – LB Devonta Brown – 6-3, 235, Charlottesville (Committed to Virginia)
Preseason rank: 25
Brown has good potential as an inside linebacker prospect. He’ll need a red-shirt year to get stronger and faster as he has never been in an actual weight training program, but the ability is there.

25 – OL Ryan Shuman – 6-4, 250, Fork Union Prep (Committed to Virginia Tech)
Preseason rank: unranked
Shuman really developed physically before this season, and now projects as a solid offensive line prospect.

26 – DB/WR Jamaal Jackson – 6-3, 205, Deep Creek (Committed to Virginia)
Preseason rank: unranked
Jamaal is a big, smooth player who projects as a safety for UVA. He could play receiver as well. Is a smooth, fluid runner with good jumping ability.

27 – QB Terry Mitchell – 6-3, 190, Landstown (Committed to West Virginia)
Preseason rank: unranked
Mitchell thrived in Coach Chris Beatty’s passing system. He is a dual-threat QB who can run or pass.

28 – LB Kevin Grant – 6-3, 230, Herndon (Committed to Akron)
Preseason rank: unranked
Grant helped lead Herndon to an excellent season and playoff appearance this season. Grant is a physically imposing linebacker. He makes up for average speed with excellent playmaking ability and instincts.

29 – WR Clarence Vaughn – 6-2, 190, Robinson  (Committed to Wake Forest)
Preseason rank: 29
Vaughn has the physical tools to play immediately. He is strong and fast, as he runs a 4.3 in the 40.

30 – LB/FB Sam Wheeler – 6-4, 235, Blacksburg (Committed to Virginia Tech)
Preseason rank: 27
Wheeler is a dual-sport star for Blacksburg in football and basketball. Great versatility and athleticism for his size. He could play linebacker, defensive end, or fullback for Virginia Tech.

TSL Football Recruiting Home Page