Virginia’s offense enters preseason practice with a lot to prove and a lot to sort out.
The Cavaliers open camp Wednesday as they start laying the groundwork for the 2026 season, which begins Saturday, August 29 against NC State at Scott Stadium with a 3:30 p.m. kickoff. And after last year’s breakthrough under Tony Elliott, the big question is whether this group can keep the momentum going with a roster that looks very different in the spots that matter most.
The 2025 offense gave Virginia its best season under these coaches so far. The Hoos averaged 30.8 points per game, good for a tie for 37th nationally, and piled up 417.9 yards per game to rank 29th in the country.
Virginia also scored 51 touchdowns, with 47 of them coming from the offense. For the first time in the Tony Elliott era, the Cavaliers cleared 30 points per game, topped 400 yards per game, and reached more than 50 touchdowns.
Now comes the harder part: doing it again with new pieces in several key roles.
Virginia does have some stability up front and at tight end. The Cavaliers return offensive linemen McKale Boley, Noah Josey, and Drake Metcalf, along with tight ends Dakota Twitty and John Rogers.
But outside of that core, the offense is set to look fresh. Virginia will be breaking in new starters at quarterback, running back, and receiver, and it also has two new linemen to fit in alongside the returnees.
That leaves preseason practice with plenty of important answers to chase as the Cavaliers try to piece together the next version of their offense.
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Why Virginias Freshman Class Suddenly Matters More Than Fans Expected
Virginias 2026 freshman class did not arrive with much buzz, at least not by the recruiting rankings. But the roster math is changing quickly for the Cavaliers, and that makes this group more relevant than the usual first-year class. With experienced starters in place, Virginia still has some spots where depth will matter, especially at linebacker and wide receiver, and that opens a path for freshmen to get on the field sooner than many fans expected.
Dylan Cope has already drawn attention in spring practice and looks like one of the newcomers most likely to factor into the rotation. The bigger picture is that Virginia may not be asking this class to carry the team right away, but it could be leaning on it in meaningful ways during the season, which gives the group a chance to matter long before the long-term recruiting grade catches up. [Read more 🡒]
Virginias Biggest Camp Test Might Be Up Front Again
Virginias training camp is shaping up as a real proving ground up front, where the defensive line has been reworked with experience and competition in mind. The Cavaliers brought in seven veteran transfers to battle with returning pieces such as senior Fisher Camac, junior Billy Koudelka and grad student Ezekiel Larry, giving the staff a deeper pool to sort through as it tries to settle the line before the season begins.
The challenge is that the jobs are not just open, they are layered with uncertainty at both tackle and end, which means every rep in camp matters. With several players jockeying for starting and backup roles, Virginia is still trying to find the right mix of size, production and reliability, and the answers up front may end up telling the story of how far this defense can go. [Read more 🡒]