Coming off another disappointing season, Virginia football needs a good year to reverse the program’s nosedive. The Cavaliers addressed needs in the transfer portal, but question marks remain across this roster. The official depth chart comes out next week, but here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the 2024 Virginia Cavaliers.
Quarterback:
The battle between sophomore Anthony Colandrea and graduate student Tony Muskett has reached a major development — Colandrea will start against Richmond. The two quarterbacks are antithetical, opposite in demeanor, playstyle and even appearance. But despite their differences, they shared one quality in 2023 — decent but unconvincing play. Not all of it was their fault, and both of them experienced highs last season, but neither seized the job. And so, heading into the season opener, there is still the possibility that Muskett is given ample playing time. Elliott raised the possibility of the position being shouldered by a “combination of both of them.” But as the late John Madden said, “If you’ve got two quarterbacks, you’ve really got none.”
Running Back:
The departures of Perris Jones and Mike Hollins leaves nearly 700 rushing yards on the table. Elliott and company will likely lean on a backfield committee to absorb the losses.
Fifth-year Kobe Pace should end up being the starter. As a bruising runner whose playstyle you can set your watch to, he might not be flashy, but Pace is dependable. He is an adept pass-catcher, decisive, gets downhill in a hurry and has never fumbled in his college career. That alone might woo a coaching staff weary of turnover-prone quarterbacks. Behind Pace is junior Jack Griese, who plays a similar brand of football and can come in and take some wear off of Pace’s tires if need be.
Another player to keep an eye on is junior Xavier Brown. After a promising true freshman 2022 season in which Brown showcased his explosiveness, his 2023 season was marred by an elbow injury. He is still currently sidelined with a shoulder injury, but if he regains his old form, he could be a fantastic complement to Pace.
Wide Receiver:
Receiver is the team’s deepest and most talented position group and will once again be a strength this season. Senior Malachi Fields, the offense’s new starter after Malik Washington’s departure, will look to build on his strong 800-yard junior season. And while there’s no replacing Washington, the Cavaliers sure did try. In fact, they just about cloned him in acquiring Notre Dame graduate transfer Chris Tyree in the portal. An undersized but explosive slot receiver who brings graduate experience and elite toughness, Tyree possesses undeniable similarities to Washington.
To round out their similarity, he’ll also wear number four for good measure. Tyree is part of a transfer class of receivers that includes junior Andre Greene Jr. from North Carolina and junior Trell Harris from Kent State. The receiving room will be further bolstered by the eventual return of junior JR Wilson, whose strong offseason was disrupted by a knee injury. While it is possible to get caught up in who slots in where on the depth chart, what matters is that everyone can contribute.
Tight End:
Though Virginia didn’t utilize tight ends heavily in the passing game in 2023, the staff decided to acquire two graduate transfers in that position — Sage Ennis from Clemson and Tyler Neville from Harvard. Graduate student Sackett Wood returns after a season in which he led Virginia tight ends with 141 receiving yards. The team deployed two-plus tight end sets only 13.9 percent of the time in 2023, but perhaps they will lean into it a bit more with the new talent.
In all likelihood, the optimal way of getting the best 11 players on the field will be through lighter personnel groupings. But the impact of Virginia’s renovated tight end room could be felt more in the run game by enabling more diverse personnel groupings that present challenges for opposing defenses.
Offensive Line:
If this group does not play better this season, fingers must be pointed at the coaching staff for not sufficiently addressing it in the transfer portal window. Muskett and Colandrea were pressured on 38.7 percent of their dropbacks — an untenable rate. The team brought in graduate transfer Drake Metcalf from Central Florida, but an Achilles injury has him sidelined until deep into the season at best. Therefore, junior offensive tackles Blake Steen and McKale Boley must make a leap to keep Virginia’s quarterback upright. The coaches’ restraint in the portal signals they believe in Steen and Boley.
Defensive Ends:
This season, the Cavaliers deferred on the portal and decided to run it back with in-house players along their defensive line, but this feels irresponsible after Virginia totaled the fewest sacks in the ACC in 2023. At defensive end, sixth-year Kam Butler and graduate student Chico Bennett Jr. return for another season. Virginia’s hope is that Bennett bounces back from an injury-riddled 2023 campaign and regains his 2022 form. If he doesn’t, though, the group seems awfully thin. Getting sophomore Mekhi Buchanan and other young players like freshman Jewett Hayes into the mix will be important looking toward the future.
Interior Defensive Line:
The interior defensive line has a nice blend of youth and experience at defensive tackle this season. Graduate Jahmeer Carter and senior Michael Diatta return with a wealth of wisdom. Meanwhile, sophomores Jason Hammond and Anthony Britton look to show how they have grown since year one. If either of these two players can come into their own, it is plausible that the entire front could improve. After all, there’s nowhere to go but up following a porous season of up-the-middle defense.
Linebacker:
Even if the defensive front is lackluster, Virginia’s linebackers will not be. The sky is the limit for the uber-talented sophomore linebacker Kam Robinson. Robinson was a freshman All-American and a blinding bright spot on an otherwise dull defense. Beside him, senior James Jackson comes off his most productive campaign as a Cavalier, notching another season of improvement. If these two remain healthy, they seem certain to be one of the ACC's best linebacker tandems.
Cornerback:
Corner play for the Cavaliers left something to be desired last season. Sophomore Dre Walker and graduate student Malcom Greene return after playing in a combined 19 games last season. But the team also went shopping for the position and brought in three transfers — graduate students Kempton Shine from Eastern Michigan and Kendren Smith from Penn, as well as junior Jam Jackson from Robert Morris. The Cavaliers run predominantly nickel sets — meaning that there are five defensive backs on the field — so defensive coordinator John Rudzinski will have plenty of combinations to play around with.
Safety:
With first-team All-ACC senior Jonas Sanker and the crafty veteran sixth-year Antonio Clary, the Cavaliers are well suited on the back end. Furthermore, the addition of graduate transfer Corey Thomas from Akron gives them a Swiss Army knife of sorts — someone who is half safety, half linebacker and a lot of chaos. Fans skeptical of the defensive line’s ability can relax a little knowing the team can rely on dependable players at the third level of the defense.
Special Teams:
Junior kicker Will Bettridge and fifth year punter Daniel Sparks will once again start in 2024, with Sparks taking over Matt Ganyard’s kickoff duties. Coastal Carolina transfer and fifth-year-long snapper Payton Bunch will start as well.
Overall, the 2024 Cavaliers are well-positioned with abundant depth and competition across most positions. If the defense can stay healthy and the offensive line can finally protect the quarterback, Virginia has the potential to surprise in the ACC.
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