UVa lands trio of pass catchers

By Jay Jenkins

Published: June 14, 2008

Kevin Royal summoned Virginia coach Al Groh over for a chat.
Paul Freedman did the same.
Tyree Watkins also followed suit.
One by one, the high-profile offensive-minded recruits told Groh their respective intentions to play football at Virginia following the Blue Chip Recruit Day on Saturday.
“He was really excited,” Royal said. “In fact, he was ecstatic.”
Freedman added: “It felt right for all us and we decided to pull the trigger. The coaches were ecstatic and it was a lot of fun.”
Landing three out-of-state commitments was good reason. Pushing the program’s total to 15 verbal commitments and landing three pass-catching athletes for the Class of 2009 only sweetened the pot for a team seeking to go downfield more in the future.
Freedman and Watkins have been ranked as three-star prospects and while unknown in some recruiting circles, Royal had gaudy numbers as a sophomore in 2006.
A 6-foot-6, 235-pound tight end from Clearwater, Fla., Freedman was mesmerized by his first visit to Charlottesville.
“I knew Virginia was a great program, but when I got here I was blown away,” he said. “I met the team and that was what put it over the top for me. They were so close and they were all like brothers.”
Playing one of program’s most productive positions and following in the footsteps of former Cavaliers Heath Miller and Tom Santi also got Freedman’s attention.
“Virginia has sent a tight end to the league every single year so it was perfect for me,” Freedman said. “Even without them doing it more, they have thrown it to [the tight ends] like 460 times since 2001 and that is the most in the country.”
Freedman picked Virginia over Duke and was also talking with coaches at Florida.
“I had an offer from Duke and I didn’t have one from Florida yet, but they seemed pretty interested,” Freedman said.
“Duke’s a great program and the coaches there were great and it is a great academic school, and they would have been a great choice for me, but there was just something about Virginia when I got here and met everybody.
“It just felt right.”
Watkins and Royal — both wide receivers — were excited to hear the prospects of the Cavaliers’ tweaked offense moving forward. But it was not the defining factor.
“It really didn’t swing me either way because I felt that I was going to come here anyway,” said Royal, “but it topped it off that they were trying to pass a lot more.”
Virginia’s staff was not shy to point out, however, the long-standing need for a game-changing wide receiver after junior Kevin Ogleetree graduates.
“The coaches brought up a good point. They said coming into last year, one of their top receivers had four
career catches coming into the season,” said Watkins, who is from Camden, N.J. “Who else are you going to get the ball to but the playmakers? I am just trying to come down there and make a change to that.
“They said they have an NFL-style offense that they want to run and I want to come down there and catch between 60 and 70 balls a year.”
Watkins, who is 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, has been clocked at 4.5 in the 40-yard dash and boasted at least 10 offers, including ones from Penn State, Pittsburgh and Rutgers.
Royal, standing at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, enjoyed a stellar sophomore season in 2006 (36 catches, 498 yards, nine TDs), before his prep program, the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn., shifted to a run-oriented offense.
“I try my best not to put myself out there and I was under the radar,” Royal said. “I wasn’t as publicized as a lot of these other guys, but when it comes down to it, I put up the numbers.
“I put in the work and feel that I can play with the best of them.”