COMMITMENT! In-state athlete Ethan Minter opens UVA Football’s 2024 class

Mar 30, 2023 - 7:19 PM

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Spring practice has started for the Virginia Cavaliers as they prepare for the 2023 season. But building for 2024 has begun as well, as the Hoos reeled in their first commitment for that class—and from inside the Commonwealth, to boot.

Ethan Minter is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound athlete from Chesterfield County, at 804-area powerhouse Thomas Dale. Minter plays quarterback for the Knights but has been recruited as a true athlete by UVA, slotting in either as a receiver or defensive back. He holds an 84.5 composite score on 247 Sports, where he was evaluated as a quarterback; that rating could go up if he is evaluated at another position.

Virginia “re-offered” Minter in December 2022 after he had originally been offered by the Mendenhall staff. Other schools to extend an offer include Virginia Tech, Maryland, Marshall, Old Dominion, and Liberty.

As you might expect, Minter’s highlights are all of him playing quarterback. But those still show signs of the toughness and quick decision-making that could make him a contributor at safety as well. (In fact, it’s easy to see why he fit the “Thorterback” mold favored by the previous staff.) Minter doesn’t show what one would consider plus speed, which he’ll need to improve on to see the field at the Power Five level.

Starting the 2024 class with an in-state commitment is a good sign for the renewed focus in Virginia that Elliott has emphasized repeatedly. It’s doubly encouraging for that commitment to come from a program like Thomas Dale, which produced class of 2020 top-100 running back Chris Tyree, as well as a string of four-stars over the past 10-plus years—most of whom have ended up in Blacksburg. There is a slew of talent from the greater Richmond area in Minter’s class and getting one player on board early could give UVA a foothold to draw in others.