By Jason Wise Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
The Cavalier football team will enter this season ranked No.18 in the nation and are already receiving a level of national attention that is quite different from last season. In 2002, the Cavaliers were unranked until the final standings and were forced to play in the Continental Tire Bowl after being passed up by the Gator and Peach Bowls. One aspect of the Cavalier program that has not changed, however, is their reliance on quality play from freshmen.
In only his third season as head coach, Al Groh has brought in the two most celebrated recruiting classes in the school's history. Last season freshmen led the team in rushing, sacks and touchdowns, as well as making up an integral part of the offensive line and backfield. Groh did not shy away from playing freshmen, using 14 true freshmen last year and starting many at key positions. Freshmen were thrust into the game and responded extremely well. Wali Lundy led the team in rushing, was second to Billy McMullen in receiving and had 11 touchdowns -- more than anyone else on the team. Darryl Blackstock set an ACC freshman record for sacks with 10, leading all freshmen across the nation in both sacks and tackles for loss.
"They're the guys who give us the best chance to win," Groh said of why he plays freshmen so much. "We better get them ready. Our first session out in the stands in the stadium last year indicated that we had a group of players who had talent, were hungry to play and to win, and they had a personal résumé of being competitive."
Once again a burden to produce early will befall a multitude of freshmen, whose response to the pressure will help determine Virginia's ability to live up to the national expectations this year.
"We're going to play a significant amount of new players again," Groh said. "I don't think it will be the same number. Our mentality is that we're only going to play the players that give us the best chance to win, whether they are a first game freshman or a fifth-year senior. That's on a week-to-week basis and a season-to-season basis."
Many Cavalier fans have been waiting for over a year to see linebacker Ahmad Brooks play for their team. Ever since Brooks signed his letter of intent, he has drawn rave reviews. During spring practice alongside redshirt freshman Kai Parham, with whom Brooks hopes to take on the inside linebacker duties abandoned by Angelo Crowell and Merrill Robertson -- both now playing in the NFL -- those high expectations have only been raised.
Brooks, who enrolled in the spring semester, benefited from spring practices which helped him learn the system. However, most freshmen have less than a month to learn and implement Groh's complex NFL schemes.
"I give all the credit to those guys," defensive captain Almondo "Muffin" Curry said of the freshmen. "Those guys did an exceptional job as far as learning the system.We're in an offense and defensive system that's like an NFL-type system.There's a lot to learn on each side of the ball."
Ian-Yates Cunningham, a freshman offensive guard, hopes to work his way through the season with the first team in much the same way left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson did last year.
More freshmen now look to contribute in at a position unforeseen just weeks ago. After the season-ending injury to top wide receiver Michael McGrew, young freshmen will have the chance to prove themselves at receiver as well. Freshman Fontel Mines is a 6-foot 5-inch target with many accolades from his high school career. Emmanuel Byers was another top recruit this past season whose skills and speed might find some playing time despite his five-foot nine-inch stature.
Once again Virginia's freshmen bear the burden of being instant impact players or contributing to a disappointing season -- a burden for which Groh makes no apologies.
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