When then-senior quarterback Tony Muskett went down with an injury in the 2023 season opener, dread descended over the Virginia sideline. Muskett was supposed to lead the Cavaliers back to bowl game contention, and instead he suffered the first of multiple injuries he faced last year. With overwhelming confidence, swagger and talent, enter then-freshman quarterback Anthony Colandrea.
Today, the Virginia signal-caller has proved to be exactly what this program needs. His leadership and talent could end up leading this 2024 team to the best record in the past few years. But before becoming an All-ACC contender, Colandrea had to overcome a load of adversity.
Colandrea’s Cavalier career began, of course, with an underdog story. Clocking in at six feet tall and just 183 pounds — undersized for a Division I quarterback — Colandrea was just a three-star recruit in the high school class of 2023, ranked as the 45th best quarterback in his class. Most quarterback commits ranked that low rarely get playing time, let alone a starting job for an ACC program. Still, Colandrea battled.
Hailing from St. Petersburg Fla., Colandrea’s recruitment likely took a hit due to the abundant talent from across the state even though he threw the seventh most passing yards across all levels of Florida high school football in the 2022 season. Despite a strong high school career, Colandrea did not receive a ton of interest from Division I teams. Of his 19 total offers, only two came from a powerhouse conference — Virginia and Kentucky. The Wildcats, who compete in the prestigious Southeastern Conference, were one of Colandrea’s initial offers — but he did not sign.
Instead, he signed with the Cavaliers July 8, 2022 just a few weeks after Coach Tony Elliott extended an offer. In fact, Colandrea ended up enrolling at the University a semester early — just six months after committing — to start getting reps with Virginia. His decision clearly paid off. Colandrea earned a start in the 2023 Spring Game, throwing for 218 yards and a touchdown.
“I’ve said it for a while about Ant [Colandrea], he’s a ball player,” Elliott said.
The blond-haired Floridian was forced to start the 2023 home opener versus James Madison after Muskett’s injury. Although Virginia lost, Colandrea made a loud entrance with a total of 377 passing yards.
The young underdog quarterback continued to shine over the course of the 2023 season, making repeated highlight plays — even if those were occasionally paired with excessive celebrations or frustrating turnovers. However, Colandrea and Muskett then traded starting duties throughout 2023, with an intriguing competition spilling over into the summer for the starting gig in 2024. Colandrea emerged victorious.
Despite being under-recruited, undersized and beginning his career as a backup — Colandrea emerged from his difficult circumstances like a phoenix from the ashes. Fast forward to 2024, and Colandrea is one of the best quarterbacks in the conference — if not the country.
Notably, he has completed over 75 percent of his passes, a 13 percent increase from 2023. After two weeks of play, Colandrea ranks ninth in completion percentage and 10th in passing yards nationally. Both marks are ahead of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft, such as junior Quinn Ewers of Texas and senior Carson Beck of Georgia.
With his impressive statistics, Colandrea is not just exceeding expectations — he is redefining them. Every time he takes the field, there is a chance of an electric scramble or a 50-yard touchdown pass. Every other ACC program passed him up, and now he is making them all pay. Entering a primetime home game versus rival Maryland, the Colandrea-led Cavaliers are 2-0 for the first time in Elliott’s tenure.
As a bonus, Colandrea is a captivating leader. When junior wide receiver Trell Harris dropped what would have been a 50-plus yard touchdown against Wake Forest Saturday, Colandrea did not abandon his teammate in frustration. Instead, Colandrea checked in with Harris on the sideline and hyped up his brother in arms. Ultimately, Colandrea connected with Harris seven times for 91 yards and a touchdown after that error — showcasing exemplary leadership.
Regardless of whether or not Colandrea is showered with honors by national media throughout the season, he has stepped up to be everything Virginia needs in order to succeed — an elite passer, rusher and leader for the Cavalier football program.
“It’s a blessing to be in the position I am in,” Colandrea said.
Fans are getting excited about Virginia and for good reason. The Cavaliers are two wins away from surpassing their win total in each of the past two years, and it is only September. After a few rough seasons of Virginia football, Colandrea has brought hope back to Charlottesville — and the best is yet to come.
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