the recruit: Jordan Lomax

Name: Jordan Lomax
Position: DB
Hometown: Upper Marlboro, MD
School: DeMatha
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 185

ESPN: 78; #20 CB
Rivals: 5.5; three stars; MD #12
Scout: three stars; #63 S

Offers: Louisville, Maryland, New Mexico, Stanford

I love DeMatha. When Jordan Lomax committed back in April, it made four straight years that a DeMatha kid had signed up for UVA. In the fall of 2011 it'll be like a DeMatha reunion. Rodney McLeod should be a four-year starter by then. Jeremiah Mathis is a redshirt freshman making a position switch and still he's listed on the two-deep at DE. Lomax will enter UVA with two of his DeMatha teammates, one of whom committed four days after he did and the other being Kyrrel Latimer, after a year of prep school.

Lomax's recruitment didn't take long; he was onboard with UVA less than a week after getting his offer. And he must be a hell of a recruiter himself, because the very next commitment Mike London received was from his teammate Kelby Johnson. Lomax favored Pitt early but never got a formal offer from them.

It was an injury to Latimer, in fact, that launched Lomax into the spotlight for colleges to see. Lomax started DeMatha's third game of the season in Latimer's place, and shone. DeMatha being the factory that it is, juniors don't usually start, but Lomax played his way into a starting rotation that night. Al Groh and his "Next Man Up" philosophy would be proud. But it's London that impressed Lomax, who simply says the coaching staff "makes you want to go." Only two weeks after his visit to UVA, and one week after his offer, Lomax was ready for the blue and orange.

At DeMatha, he's a two-way player; common among WR/DB prospects but a little bit more impressive at a program like DeMatha's. At UVA, it'll be DB, but it's still a bit up in the air whether that'll be at safety or corner. His size says "cornerback" but at DeMatha, he's a safety, and his attributes as listed by his ESPN evaluation lead you to believe safety is his place. Me, I'm interested in seeing what happens in his senior season when the starting spot in the secondary is his and his alone. ESPN having him as a top-20 CB in the country is pretty high praise, but the other ratings are middling-ish.

Regardless of ratings, you wish all your players could be developed at a program like DeMatha. There's an automatic excitement level in getting a player out of there. They come ready to go, and judging from his showing in his first start (against a really good Friendship Collegiate squad) Lomax is no exception. Of all the DB prospects currently onboard, Lomax is one of the most versatile, and if he proves himself a quality cornerback he could find himself with very early playing time. We'll need a new starting CB in 2011, the position is currently the thinnest on the whole roster, and there is much playing time to be had. You need at least three good CBs, because the nickel package isn't exactly uncommon. Super-recruit Brandon Phelps is also likely to come in as a cornerback, but if there's playing time available, never bet against the DeMatha guy.