Five-star defensive tackle Andrew Brown (Chesapeake, Va./Oscar Frommel Smith) committed to Virginia on Saturday, giving the Cavaliers pledges from two of the top 11 recruits in the nation.
Brown, who is the No. 3 overall player and top defensive tackle, picked Virginia over finalists Virginia Tech and Clemson. He eliminated Florida State and Alabama from consideration late this week.
In February, Virginia also landed five-star recruit Quin Blanding (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside), the No. 11 player and top safety in the country.
Virginia is the only team to have secured two recruits in the top 25 of the ESPN 300. The news also gives the ACC a head start on its national competition with four top 25 players -- Brown, Blanding, Clemson quarterback recruit Deshaun Watson (Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville) and Miami running back recruit Joseph Yearby (Miami/Miami Central) -- heading to conference schools.
Brown has been admittedly high on Virginia for quite some time and the in-state school was going to be tough to beat.
"With UVa, they have some of the best academics in the country, and that's something that I wanted to stress from Day 1 of my recruitment," Brown said. "The value of a degree from Virginia is hard to beat. I also really like that my family could easily see me and I can get home if I needed to."
The Virginia coaches also played a major factor in Brown's recruitment.
"It starts with Mike London," Brown said. "I trust him and all the other coaches at UVa. I have a special bond with him that nobody else could replicate."
As a junior, Brown totaled 83 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. He is scheduled to participate in The Opening, which starts on Monday in Beaverton, Ore. Coverage of The Opening on ESPNU starts at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, continues at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday and wraps up at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
