When Steve Burns resigned as Michigan men's coach last month the Wolverines lost more than their leader of 19 years.

As it turns out, they also bid farewell to standout 2012 commit Zachary Carroll, our No. 15 ranked player in the country who decided that he needed to make a change of his own.

Carroll altered his verbal and has now committed to Virginia, giving the Cavaliers one of the most talented defenders in the country.

A former U.S. U17 National Team player, alongside other defenders like Kellyn Acosta, Mobi Fehr, Allessandro Mion and Nathan Smith, Carroll has the size (6-foot-3) and technical ability that will give him an edge at the college level.

His change of heart is a blow to the Wolverines, who lose their local Vardar SC product, but isn't uncommon given the role a head coach plays in the recruiting process – Carroll bought into Burns as much as he did the Wolverines.

Virginia was always high on Carroll's list, so he took a campus visit last weekend during which he also dropped in on North Carolina. 

The Cavaliers proved to be the best fit and have indeed received a holiday gift.

 

In other news, Northwestern got a verbal commitment from 2013 standout Jeffrey Hopson. Hopson is a strong central midfielder who is ranked No. 100 in his class.

A consistent force for St. Louis Scott Gallagher, Hopson also considered aligning with SMU and Indiana.