Virginia enters the opener with a strange kind of luxury: almost the entire offensive line is back, while nearly everything else around it has changed. That makes the Cavaliers’ front five the obvious starting point as they begin sorting out an offense that still has plenty of questions.
The line is built around two returning third-team All-ACC selections, including left tackle McKale Boley. Virginia also brings in a pair of veterans who were expected to be impact transfers last season before injuries interrupted those plans.
On this week’s depth chart, the projected starting five includes two seventh-year players, two sixth-year players and one young fifth-year player. In other words, this group has seen just about everything.
That matters because the rest of the offense is still coming together. New quarterback Beau Pribula arrives after a rough season at Missouri, where he finished 11-9 TD-INT with a 7.2 YPA.
Virginia also has a mostly new receiving corps, which leaves the Cavaliers with real uncertainty as they try to find their rhythm. The staff added ex-Pitt starter Eli Holstein as well, a move that could look smart if the quarterback situation needs more than one answer.
The ground game has some turnover too. Virginia found explosive runs in Raleigh last season and averaged more than 8.0 yards per carry in that game, but 1,000-yard rusher J’Mari Taylor is gone. Jekail Middlebrook, who rushed for 752 yards at Middle Tennessee last season, is the name at the top of the depth chart to start 2026.
The simplest path for Virginia is clear enough: win up front and keep the pressure off the passing game while Pribula settles in. If the Cavaliers can move NC State’s defensive front, they can cover for a lot of the uncertainty elsewhere on offense.
That’s what makes this such a useful early test for the Wolfpack. It’s not just a look at NC State overall - it’s a chance to see whether the defensive front is ready to be more disruptive, because that’s the kind of step the defense needs if it’s going to be better in 2026. And Virginia is bringing a challenge that should make the answer hard to miss.
In Other News...
NC State Linebacker Gives Wolfpack Another Preseason Boost
Popo Aguirre has already given NC State another preseason talking point before taking a snap for the Wolfpack, landing on the 2026 Hispanic College Football Player of the Year Watch List. The inside linebacker is in his first season in Raleigh after spending three years at Miami, and his addition to the list adds to a growing bit of recognition for a roster that has already seen six players earn preseason watch list honors this year.
The award is presented by the Hispanic Football Hall of Fame, which also works to highlight Hispanic contributions to the sport. For NC State, Aguirre's inclusion is another sign that the program is drawing attention at multiple spots on the depth chart, and it gives the Wolfpack one more player to track as preseason recognition continues to stack up. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Opens With A Bigger Test Than Fans Expected
Dave Doeren spent part of the lead-up to NC States opener making sure nobody inside the program treated Virginia like a soft landing spot. The Cavaliers are coming off the best season in program history, and under ACC Coach of the Year Tony Elliot they return the look of a team that knows what it is doing on both sides of the ball. Doeren pointed to Virginias experience as a real part of the challenge, with a roster that should be far more settled than the average early-season opponent.
For the Wolfpack, the assignment gets more complicated because Virginia also brings a quarterback situation that demands extra planning and a defense with some uncertainty attached. Doeren emphasized the value of earning a win over a strong opponent right away, which is exactly why this one carries more weight than a typical September opener. The only catch for NC State is that the Cavaliers may not be quite as settled as they appear, with one of their key defensive pieces still working through a major injury recovery heading into the game. [Read more 🡒]
NC State's Defensive Line Just Got A Big Week 0 Boost
With the season opener against Virginia drawing near, NC State defensive line coach Elisha Shaw spent time this week laying out what he wants to see from his group in Week 0. The focus starts up front, where the Wolfpack will be tested by a Cavaliers offensive line that comes in with experience, and Shaw said the preparation has centered on fundamentals, film study and technique as much as raw talent.
The defensive line also has a clearer picture of its rotation after KaTron Evans became eligible to play, giving the group another important piece as camp turns into game-week mode. Shaw pointed to the development of both veteran and younger linemen as a steadying force, which makes the opener more than just a first look at Virginia. It is also an early chance to see how quickly NC State can translate its offseason teaching into a consistent pass rush and run defense. [Read more 🡒]