Virginia Inks Former Stanford Linebacker & No. 1 Overall Lacrosse Prospect Ricky Miezan

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia men’s lacrosse head coach Lars Tiffany announced the signing of Ricky Miezan on Wednesday (Dec. 21). A native of Alexandria, Virginia, Miezan spent the last five seasons at Stanford University where he played inside linebacker for the Cardinals. Prior to joining the Stanford football team, Miezan was the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect as standout midfielder at Episcopal High School.

“After a standout football career as a Stanford linebacker, Ricky could not be more excited to pick up a stick again and be back playing lacrosse,” said Tiffany. “What we are gaining here is a caring man with a big heart; a man who also happens to bring to the field a howitzer of a shot and blazing speed. And unlike most of the roster, Ricky will actually be intentionally reducing his weight and max lifts somewhat as he shapes his body into a downhill dodging, and feeding, offensive midfielder.”

AT STANFORD (2018-22)

• Two-year starting inside linebacker (2021-22)
• Appeared in career 29 games and posted 129 total tackles
• Team Captain (2022)
• Three-time Pack-12 Academic Honor Roll (2019-21)
• Athon Preseason All-Pac-12 fourth team (2022)
• Shrine Bowl Watch List (2022)
• Season-high five tackles with two tackles-for-loss at Washington (2022)
• Finished second on the team in total tackles (68) in 2021
• Made a career high nine tackles against Notre Dame (2021)
• Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year nominee (2021)
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Pac-12 fourth team (2021)
• Played in and started in 2020 season opener before an injury ended his season
• Made first career start and finished with a career-best four solo tackles, including one for loss, at No. 12 Oregon (2020)
• Played in the first two games before suffering a season-ending injury (2019)
• Made collegiate debut against Oregon State (2018)

HIGH SCHOOL

• Prepped at Episcopal (Va.) under head coach Panos Voulgaris
• First played football as a junior in high school
• 55 tackles and seven sacks as a senior
• 2017 Under Armour All-America
• 2017 all-state first team
• 2017 all-IAC first team
• 2017 all-MET honorable mention
• 2016 all-IAC second team
• Led football team to 2016 IAC title
• School-record 65-yard punt
• Also competed in soccer, lacrosse and track
• Nation’s third-rated lacrosse player as a senior
• Nation’s top-rated lacrosse player as a junior
• 2017 all-state first team in lacrosse
• Three-time All-IAC first team in lacrosse
• 2017 all-MET second team in lacrosse
• 2016 team MVP in lacrosse
• Two-time lacrosse team captain
• Led track team to third-place finish at 2016 state meet in 400m relay
• Led soccer team to 2015 IAC title

PERSONAL

• Full name is Frederic Robert Miezan
• Born in Washington, D.C.
• Son of William and Julie Miezan
• Father competed in the 1996 Olympic Games as a sprinter on the 4x100m relay team for Cote D’Ivoire
• Has one brother, Willy
• Brother played soccer at Longwood
• Father and brother were born and raised in Ivory Coast
• Grandfather coached Ivory Coast Olympic kayaking team