Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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Miami, Mississippi State, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon State, Pitt, Ten- nessee and Wisconsin, among others. A Florida High School Athletic Association second-team all-state selection and Rivals.com's No. 18 inside linebacker nationally, Sheppard played for the East in the 2015 Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in California. In addition, UVa also signed two other line- backers in the 2015 class: Eric Gallon and Gladi- mir Paul. Gallon, a 6-2, 220-pound three-star from Lakeland (Fla.) Christian, committed to the Hoos shortly before National Signing Day over offers from Army, Cincinnati and South Florida, among others. He was credited with 96 tackles, four sacks and one pick as a senior. Paul is a 6-2, 215-pound two-star who picked UVa last fall after starting all 30 games in his high school career at Philadelphia Northeast. As a junior, he had a Philadelphia Public League-high 21 sacks among his 68 tackles. Though linebacker got the most attention, that wasn't the only position where Virginia will be getting help on the defensive side of the ball. The Wahoos signed a pair of defensive ends in Naji Abdullah and Steven Wright, as well as defensive tackles Eli Hanback and James Trucilla. Abdullah, a 6-5, 230-pound two-star from Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood, had 40 tackles, eight sacks and five passes broken up as a senior. Wright is a 6-4, 225-pounder from Waycross, Ga., who posted 21 tackles and three sacks as a senior, helping Ware County to an 11-1 record while earning first-team all-region honors. The three-star end chose UVa over offers from Ne- braska, North Carolina and Tennessee, among others. Hanback, a lifelong UVa fan who committed the day he was offered last fall, is a 6-4, 275-pound two-star from Ashland who played on both sides of the line for Patrick Henry High. He played most of his senior season with his left hand in a cast, but still earned Conference 16's Player of the Year award. Grant Polk, a 6-6, 300-pound three-star offensive tackle from Punta Gorda, Fla., is already enrolled at UVa and putting in work for the 2015 season. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA