The state of Virginia’s 2009 class was talented and deep with over sixty prospects accepting Division 1A football scholarships. It’ll probably be tough for the 2010 class to duplicate that amount of Division 1A recruits, but there is no question there is talent in the class. There certainly are big-time talents at skill positions, but, early on, the offensive and defensive lines appear to be the deepest.

We start our early look, though, at the quarterback position and defending Group AAA, Division 6 state champ Oscar Smith High School (Chesapeake). Tigers signal caller Phillip Sims, a 3-year varsity starter who amassed 3,167 yards passing with 38 touchdowns to only four interceptions last season, is our early number one junior in the state. Alabama, Boston College, Clemson, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech are among the programs that have offered early on.

“He is very intelligent about the game of football,” Oscar Smith head coach Rich Morgan said of the 6-2, 200-pound Sims. “He understands coverages and pass protections. He calls his own pass protections. He is very intelligent. Physically speaking, I think his arm strength is number one. I’ve never played against a player or coached a player with his arm strength.”

There is no question that Sims is a big-time target for Virginia and Virginia Tech, two programs in need of a quarterback in the 2010 class, but there is a real chance that he leaves the state. It does appear, though, that he’ll at least give the in-state programs a serious look.

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