Virginia 2027 3-Star QB Luke Gaither lands first SEC offer

Recruiting update with 3-star 2027 Virginia QB Luke Gaither.

2027 Virginia QB Luke Gaither with Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliot. / Gaither family.

Defying expectations, the Radford Bobcats (Radford, VA) had something to prove during the 2024 season after losing 18 seniors to graduation. Refusing to back down from the challenge, the team rallied to an 8-4 campaign with their dynamic sophomore quarterback helping lead the way. The college ready arm has brought five offers to the table with Luke Gaither (6-4, 180) landing his first SEC scholarship opportunity.

Appalachian State, Liberty, Toledo, and UNLV have offered the 2027 talent… add Arkansas to the list.
“That was really big for me,” Gaither said. “That was one of the best days in my life. More schools have reached out to me because of that offer; that boosted my recruiting a lot. It would not happen without (QB) coach Baylin (Trujillo). He’s been preparing me for throwing in front of colleges.”

Receiving the offer directly from senior quality control offense coach Miles Fishback, Gaither spoke about how the Hogs’ offer was dropped, “He said I have everything a QB needs – height, frame, and arm. He told me to keep working hard and he hopes to see me there one day.”

The interested parties in Gaither include Virginia, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Penn State, and Kansas State.

The Cavaliers got the in-state prospect on campus in January.

“I went to Virginia’s Junior Day,” Gaither shared. “I was the only 2027 invited to that. The visit went great. They are supposed to come to school on Friday to see me in person. That would be awesome to get that (offer) from my home state.”

Gaither continued giving detail to the Junior Day visit, “We ate lunch, and I talked with the coaches. I talked with coach (Tony) Elliot for about 10 minutes. He introduced himself, and he knew who I was. We toured the campus. There were only two quarterbacks there; we had a meeting about what they expect from quarterbacks there, and then we went to the basketball game.”

Preparing for any potential throwing sessions this winter, Gaither covered what he is focusing on with his workouts.

“I am working a lot on my power in my arm,” Gaither stated. “It is there, but I want a few more yards. I am working a lot on footwork, my head towards the target, and reading the defense. The basic things I am working on, but you have to start with those.”

The big arm has already been on display to a national audience this winter.

“I am playing 7-on-7 for the Certified Dogs out of Orlando,” Gaither said. “We did well at Batlle Miami. We were fifth or third, we ended up losing. It was an experience. I had a great time. Everyone there was awesome, not a bad player there.”

Gaither threw for 2,475 yards and 20 touchdowns in the 12 games played.

Over the fall months, Gaither visited Notre Dame, Virginia, Appalachian State, Toledo, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina.

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