CHARLOTTESVILLE—In an uncharacteristic show of restraint, football coach Al Groh used only one true freshman in 2006—nose tackle Nate Collins—and most of the Cavaliers’ incoming class is likely to redshirt this year, too.

Still, look for several true freshmen, including nose tackle Nick Jenkins and long-snapper Danny Aiken, to play in 2007.

Jenkins is a 6-3, 315-pound senior at Good Counsel High in Maryland.  With Keenan Carter having opted to pursue a professional career, Jenkins is expected to join Collins and Allen Billyk on the depth chart at nose tackle this season.

It’s rare to find a first-year lineman who’s ready to play in U.Va.’s 3-4 defense, but Jenkins has “probably a higher strength level coming in than most high school linemen have, particularly in the area of lower body strength,” Groh said.

Jenkins has “a ruggedness about him and maturity about him and kind of a real football personality, to go along with the strength factor that might give him a chance to factor in here early,” Groh said.  “And the attitude to do it.  He’s very intent on doing that.”

With veteran long-snapper Tyrus Gardner not returning, U.Va. has a hole to fill at that position.  That’s why Groh didn’t hesitate to use a scholarship on Aiken, a graduate of Roanoke’s Cave Spring High who played at Fork Union Military Academy in 2006.

“Danny Aiken was very impressive when we saw him not only on tape, but when we were able to go over there toward the latter part of the season and see some of their practices and see him snap under duress in competition,” Groh said.  “That’s a spot that if you don’t have [a capable player], there’s no way around it.  Every kick then’s a thrill.”

Aiken, who stands 6-4, is listed at 230 pounds.  If he bulks up, Aiken could one day do more than snap for the Cavaliers.  He might earn a spot on the offensive line.

“I’ve been involved in circumstances where we’ve had some full-time players who were also our best snapper,” Groh said.  “And if it turns to be the case, that’d be great.  What we do know—and we’ve seen Danny play both in high school at Cave Spring and at Fork Union—that he’s played real well from scrimmage on offense and defense, so we now have a player with the most size potential for protection purposes, and we have a player who has been an effective run-the-field player for coverage purposes, so Danny’s value to us is going to extend beyond the moment that the ball is snapped back accurately.  It will extend throughout the course of the play.”

Asked if the most heralded member of his recruiting class, quarterback Peter Lalich, might play as a true freshman, Groh said, “I wouldn’t even speculate on that ... You know, we got a quarterback who had a pretty good season last year, so we’ll just take that as it comes.”

Jameel Sewell, a rising sophomore, started the Cavaliers’ final nine games in 2006.  The Hermitage High graduate completed 143 of 247 passes for 1,342 yards and five touchdowns.  He threw six interceptions.