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BY BRAD FRANKLIN O n July 18, UVa's 2015 recruiting class had just 10 members. By the time defensive end Gladimir Paul committed to the Cavaliers Aug. 19, the class had grown to 20. With the surge, the haul was rated No. 25 nationally by Rivals.com as of Sept. 8. "It's one of the more im- pressive recruiting efforts I've seen in a long time," said Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic re- cruiting analyst Adam Fried- man. "Mike London and his staff really are doing a great job all things considered." N o t m a ny r e c r u i t i n g classes have this kind of success coming off a 2-10 season. Needless to say, life wasn't easy for London and his assistant coaches on the recruiting trail this spring. They had to be very specific in their message to play- ers and identify the type of student-athlete that would fit their profile at UVa even more perfectly than in years past. Over the course of the month-long run that Virginia went on, the Wahoos got verbal commit- ments from three four-star players and two of the nation's top linebackers. The first commitment of that run came from Chesapeake (Va.) Hickory standout Richard Bur- ney, a 6-4, 230-pound tight end that Friedman believes could be a real steal for Virginia. "He is a guy I really like," Friedman said. "I could see him taking big strides once he get into college. He's got good size, very good athleticism, and I think he's going to be a very nice tight end for them. He's a player I expect will get better during his senior season." Rivals.com rates Burney as a three-star prospect and the No. 37 player in Virginia. After Burney, the Wahoos picked up their first four-star commit of the class, when West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West linebacker C.J. Stalker committed to London's pro- gram after one last visit. The 6-2, 223-pound defender chose UVa over offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville and West Virginia, among others. "I've seen a lot of progres- sion in Stalker's game since he arrived on the recruiting scene as a sophomore," Ri- vals.com Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt said. "First off, he grew into a very good-sized linebacker prospect. He also has upped his explosiveness and feel for the position. "You can stick him in the middle of a defense," Helmholdt added, "and he will gobble up tackles, or put him on the edge and he has the speed and athleticism to rush the passer or cover the flats." Stalker is listed by Rivals.com as the No. 11 prospect in Ohio and the No. 12 inside linebacker in the country. After landing the commitment from Stalker, the uva recruiting FOOTBALL GOES ON A BIG SUMMER COMMITMENT SPREE Ohio linebacker C.J. Stalker chose Vir- ginia over offers from several other schools, including Louisville and West Virginia. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM