Hanover quarterback Clayton Cheatham has announced his decision to walk on at Virginia. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound rising senior had scholarship offers from Richmond and James Madison. But the allure of U.Va. was too strong.
“U.Va. is where he wants to go,” Hanover coach Derek Stoudt said. “That was his childhood dream, to play at U.Va. He likes everything about it.”
Cheatham gets a spot on the team, but will pay his own way, at least at first. He hopes to follow a similar path to former Hanover quarterback Sam Rogers, who walked on at Virginia Tech, then earned a scholarship once on the team.
What position Cheatham will play remains up in the air. He could be an H-back, middle linebacker or quarterback, Stoudt said.
“They’re going to figure that out once he gets there,” the coach added.
Cheatham is a physical, downhill runner. Hanover runs the veer, and Cheatham is the primary ball carrier.
He carries the ball 20 to 30 times a game, but that style of offense comes at a price. He injured his hand during his sophomore year, forcing him to miss two weeks. In the season opener of his junior year, he broke a bone in his ankle, costing him eight more weeks.
But Cheatham, who prefers to run over defenders instead of around them, is still one of the area’s best ball carriers. He averaged 153 rushing yards as a sophomore and was named second-team All-Metro.
He also displayed an improved throwing ability in 2015. In the first week of the season against Dinwiddie, before he suffered his injury, he completed 7 of 15 passes for 91 yards.
Cheatham is the first Richmond-area player to commit to the Cavaliers since they hired Bronco Mendenhall.
Virginia got only one scholarship recruit from greater Richmond in 2016, Atlee wide receiver Cole Blackman.
“U.Va. is where he wants to go,” Hanover coach Derek Stoudt said. “That was his childhood dream, to play at U.Va. He likes everything about it.”
Cheatham gets a spot on the team, but will pay his own way, at least at first. He hopes to follow a similar path to former Hanover quarterback Sam Rogers, who walked on at Virginia Tech, then earned a scholarship once on the team.
What position Cheatham will play remains up in the air. He could be an H-back, middle linebacker or quarterback, Stoudt said.
“They’re going to figure that out once he gets there,” the coach added.
Cheatham is a physical, downhill runner. Hanover runs the veer, and Cheatham is the primary ball carrier.
He carries the ball 20 to 30 times a game, but that style of offense comes at a price. He injured his hand during his sophomore year, forcing him to miss two weeks. In the season opener of his junior year, he broke a bone in his ankle, costing him eight more weeks.
But Cheatham, who prefers to run over defenders instead of around them, is still one of the area’s best ball carriers. He averaged 153 rushing yards as a sophomore and was named second-team All-Metro.
He also displayed an improved throwing ability in 2015. In the first week of the season against Dinwiddie, before he suffered his injury, he completed 7 of 15 passes for 91 yards.
Cheatham is the first Richmond-area player to commit to the Cavaliers since they hired Bronco Mendenhall.
Virginia got only one scholarship recruit from greater Richmond in 2016, Atlee wide receiver Cole Blackman.
