Not that it really matters.

After all, in his fifth year as a Cavalier, Seals has never played a single down on offense or defense. Yet he has carved out a significant niche for himself on special teams, which is why he is still around as a graduate student and the third-oldest player on the team.

After being named UVa's outstanding special teams player as a redshirt junior, Seals was invited to play out his final season of eligibility despite receiving his undergraduate degree in economics last spring. He is a valuable member of three special teams units and has three tackles on 16 kickoffs.

"I would say he's picked up where he left off last year," said UVa coach Al Groh. "But as well as he did last year, he's even more effective this year."

Seals, who will turn 23 in November, adds stability and experience to a young corps of special teamers. He blocks on kickoffs and punts. He also is on the kickoff coverage team.

Most of his good work goes unnoticed by the casual fan, but he briefly grabbed the spotlight in Virginia's most recent game, a 34-21 victory over South Carolina two weeks ago.

After the Cavaliers tied the score at 14 midway through the second quarter, Seals made a textbook tackle on kickoff returner Ryan Brewer. Seals fought off a block, wrapped up Brewer and lifted him in the air before driving him to the ground. In the process, Seals' helmet knocked the ball from Brewer's grasp. Jermaine Hardy picked up the fumble and raced 17 yards for a touchdown.

"An incredible play," Groh said.

But not a lucky one. Seals takes pride in his duties and often studies film on his own time with fellow special teams specialist Trey Moeller. He frequently talks to special teams coach Corwin Brown in mapping out strategy for the upcoming game.

"He has ambition for it. He studies it hard. He puts a lot of time into watching tape, asking questions," Groh said.

"Hey, it's my only chance to play," Seals said with a smile. "I love to get out there any way I can, so I try to focus a lot of attention on special teams. I want to be as prepared as possible."

Spoken just like a former walk-on. A second-team all-Group AA linebacker at Magna Vista High in Martinsville, Seals joined Virginia's team when no Division I-A schools offered him a scholarship. His brother, George, lettered as a reserve center for the Cavaliers in 1998 and '99.

Seals earned playing time as a blocker on punts and kickoffs as a redshirt freshman, then missed nearly the entire 2000 season with a sprained ankle. Still, Groh said he was struck by Seals' enthusiasm and energy the next spring, so the new coach gave the appreciative player a scholarship. Ever since, Seals has shown he deserves it.

When covering kickoffs, Seals often is the first Cavalier downfield. That means he occasionally has to slam into a wedge of blockers. He has been part of some big collisions as a blocker and cover man, but he revels in the role.

"Kickoff return is fun. It's really challenging. It's a really hard position to play," Seals said. "A guy is running full speed at you and you're trying to stop him. He's got a 40-yard head of steam. Then kickoff coverage is the same thing. You're running full speed and guys are trying to hit you. It's fun."

To Seals, it is also a science of sorts. There are better athletes on Virginia's special teams units, Groh says, but none who are as adept at dealing with different circumstances.

"He's been under a lot of kicks in two years. He's got a little feel for how to do his job," Groh said. "It's not just running down the field hard. He knows how to read the returns. He knows when to weave. He knows when to take on. He knows when to stack the guy. He's got a little arsenal of things to do, almost like a pass rusher. That comes from doing it a lot."

Seals' tackle in the South Carolina game ended up as a SportsCenter highlight. Friends e-mailed him pictures of the play. But while Seals says he was "pretty excited" by the big hit, he was upset by what happened next - a 95-yard touchdown return by USC's Matthew Thomas.

"It was a moment of happiness, then crap," he said. "Those long returns are frustrating. They're the worst. I read that was the first kickoff return touchdown we've given up in 28 years. That's ridiculous. That's absurd."

Virginia's special teams have had all sorts of problems this season, but there have been bright spots. Moeller caused a fumble on the second-half kickoff against South Carolina. Ryan Sawyer, another key special teams contributor, forced Colorado State's kickoff returner to cough it up. That's three turnovers created by UVa's kickoff coverage team in three games.

But Seals isn't satisfied. He won the George Welsh Special Teams Award ("Everyone tells me that's ironic," Seals said when asked about the award's name) and is on his way to earning it again. Yet he takes it personally when opponents make long returns.

Hey, special teams is his thing.

"It's exciting to me every time I'm out there," Seals said. "I mean, I could have gone to William & Mary or Richmond and played a lot. But I love playing in big games. The atmosphere during the South Carolina game was awesome. For me to be able to make an impact, it's incredible. It's so much fun."

Six-foot-8 Luol Deng of Blair Academy in New Jersey and 6-8 Terrance Roberts of St. Anthony's in Jersey City will both be taking their official visits to UVa this weekend.

According to recruiting analyst Mike Sullivan of rivalshoops.com, Deng is the top-rated small forward in the 2003 class while Roberts is the No. 9 power forward. In terms of overall rankings, Deng is listed as No. 2 prospect in 2003 behind prep megastar LeBron James, who is likely headed for the NBA instead of college. Roberts is the No. 26 overall player according to Sullivan.

Deng, whose list has been pared to Duke, UVa, Missouri and Indiana, will be one of the highest-rated recruits Virginia has entertained in recent memory.

Deng, originally from the Sudan, has multi-dimensional skills and should be a small forward or even a big guard at the collegiate level. Deng's brother, Ajou, played at Connecticut before transferring to Fairfield University.

His father, Aldo, was formerly the minister of transportation in the family's native Sudan before fleeing the country after the Sudanese government was overthrown. The family, which includes eight brothers and eight sisters, was granted political asylum in England and currently resides in London.

Deng averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds and five assists last season for Blair Academy, which also features highly rated 6-9 Charlie Villanueva.

Roberts, who missed his entire sophomore season because of knee injury, averaged 12 points and eight rebounds as a junior for St. Anthony's for what coach Bob Hurley Sr. labeled a very guard-oriented team.

"Terrance is a very lean and very graceful player. He's a very agile player and very coordinated. He's very mature and advanced for his age," said Hurley, whose highly regarded program has produced a plethora of Division I basketball players.

Roberts is listed as a power forward by most recruiting analysts but his talents could ultimately be just as suited for the small forward position as well.

"He's very versatile. He has a nice jump shot and a good overall shooting touch. I can see people seeing him as a power forward initially at the collegiate level but I think he could develop into a three-man as well. He is a very athletic player," Hurley said. "He has a lot of potential down the road. In two or three years, it could be that he was one of the best players in terms of this class."

Currently, Virginia along with Maryland, Florida and Syracuse are among the schools pursuing Roberts.

Another one of UVa's targets, 6-6 swingman Gary Forbes of Brooklyn's Benjamin Banneker Academy will visit Charlottesville next weekend. Forbes, who was forced to cancel his visit to UVa last weekend because of a scheduling conflict, is being pursued by both Virginia and Georgia Tech.

The Cavaliers are also hoping to receive a visit from 6-3 point guard Mustafa Shakur of Philadelphia, who is being heavily recruited by Arizona and N.C. State.

Virginia already has a commitment for its 2003 class in Roanoke guard J.R. Reynolds. Reynolds, who will play this season at Oak Hill Academy, verbally committed to the Cavaliers last November.