Sophomore Anthony Colandrea will be the starting quarterback for the Virginia Cavaliers in the 2024 season opener against Richmond, Coach Tony Elliott announced Saturday. While graduate student Tony Muskett will be waiting in the wings for an opportunity to reclaim the starting role, Colandrea gets the first attempt at the job Aug. 31 at Scott Stadium.
Colandrea was the primary quarterback in seven games for the Cavaliers in 2023 going 1-6. Colandrea posted a 62.6 percent completion percentage on his passes, totaled 1958 passing yards and threw 13 touchdowns to nine interceptions. Colandrea and Muskett split time with the first-team offense throughout offseason practices.
Both players offer pros and cons, but Colandrea’s skillset adds an extra gear to Virginia’s offense. The underclassman had a pair of games in which he passed for over 300 yards and threw for multiple touchdowns in five of his starts — Muskett only did so twice. Colandrea finished 2023 with the most passing yards of any true freshman in a Power Five conference.
The decision to start Colandrea shows that the coaching staff believes he will continue to grow as a player and build upon a freshman campaign full of both highlights and backbreaking mistakes. When he is at his best, Colandrea is a dynamic player with the ability to decimate an opposing defense through electric scrambles and deep passes. At his worst, the young quarterback forces errant passes that lead to costly interceptions or dead-end drives.
The commitment to Colandrea is certainly an exciting choice, one that could fuel a significant increase in the win column this year. No matter how the 2024 season shapes up, expect Colandrea to contend for a spot on the SportsCenter Top 10 highlights throughout the season.
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