Virginia’s sudden eligibility wrinkle could open the door for a pair of familiar defensive linemen, but Tony Elliott isn’t pretending the path is clear yet.
The NCAA’s latest ruling means student-athletes who began competition in the 2022-23 academic year and used up their eligibility this past season will be able to play in 2026-27. In practical terms, that could give Virginia a chance to bring back Jacob Holmes and Cazeem Moore, two reserve defensive linemen who played important roles in 2025.
Elliott said Monday the development caught him off guard.
“Yeah, so that was a crazy deal, wasn't it?” Tony Elliott said Monday. “It kind of came out of nowhere.”
The timing makes everything trickier. Virginia opened fall camp Wednesday and is only 25 days away from its first regular-season game, which leaves the program sorting through a fast-moving rule change while trying to get ready for the season already on the calendar.
When the NCAA adopted its five in five eligibility rule in June, student-athletes from the high school Class of 2022 were not grandfathered into the new system. Now that has changed, and the fallout is still being worked through.
“I wasn't expecting that,” Elliott said. “Wasn't planning for that, but I know we're going to do everything from an administration standpoint, from a program standpoint, to position Virginia to be successful in the future.
I think the challenging thing is that each day there's an update, right? There's more information.
So I think you got to be very careful in the interpretation so that you get it right. But I know that our folks are looking into it.”
Virginia has already been in touch with Holmes and Moore as the situation develops. Elliott said the two have been part of the conversation, though nothing has been settled.
“Yeah, there's been contact because as we learn more, there's more information that you have to be able to answer the questions that are arising on both sides, right?” Elliott said. “So there's been communication, but still, in terms of the direction, we're still just waiting on things to get ironed out.”
Even if the rule eventually allows both players to return, Elliott made clear that simply showing up would not be enough. The Cavaliers would have to weigh conditioning, health and how those veterans would fit into a roster that has changed since they last played.
Without the benefit of offseason training, spring practice, summer workouts or the early stretch of fall camp, those players would be behind physically and operationally. They would also be walking into a room that already includes new faces and new competition.
“And again, you didn't plan on those guys being a part of your program, so you made decisions and went out and provided opportunities to guys that have been here putting in work,” Elliott said. “So you just would have to work through the dynamics of integrating those guys back into the team, especially with the newer guys that you have on the roster.”
Virginia has also added several defensive linemen through the transfer portal, which could make playing time harder to come by if Holmes and Moore do return. At the same time, that depth could ease them back in and keep them from having to carry a heavy load right away.
Still, Elliott stressed that nothing is settled. The question of whether grandfathered players can transfer remains another moving piece, with the current sense being that they cannot unless they entered the portal during the original window - though that could still change.
“There’s a lot more layers to it than maybe what you initially think,” Elliott said. "It's like, oh, hey, this is the new rule. Well, there's unintended consequences, right that I think now, because of the landscape, people have a little bit more caution when it comes to, right?”
For now, Virginia is waiting for the rest of the details to come into focus before making any decisions. If Holmes and Moore can be brought back, Elliott left little doubt the Cavaliers would consider it.
“So we're going to position ourselves to be successful and competitive, but at the same time, we're going to make sure that we do things the right way,” Elliott said.
In Other News...
Virginia May Have A Late Answer To Its Defensive Line Need
Virginias search for more help up front may not be limited to the players already in camp. After a recent training camp practice in Charlottesville, Tony Elliott acknowledged the staff has been in contact with Jacob Holmes and Cazeem Moore, two former defensive linemen who could potentially factor into the Cavaliers plans for the fall.
For a defense still sorting out its depth and rotation, any late reinforcement along the line is worth monitoring. Elliott did not offer a timetable or any certainty, but the fact that Virginia is exploring familiar options suggests the staff is still looking for ways to stabilize a position group that can shape the tone of the entire defense. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Odom Set A Virginia Standard Fans Will Feel In March
The 2025-26 Virginia basketball season ended in the NCAA Tournaments second round against Tennessee, but the bigger takeaway around the program was the sense that Ryan Odom had already started to establish something sturdier than a one-year run. Odom came out of the year talking less about the disappointment of the finish and more about the community and character inside the team, the kind of language that usually signals a coach believes the foundation is in place even if the final result was not.
As the Cavaliers look ahead to 2026-27, the schedule is shaping up to offer little room to ease in, with top programs waiting throughout the year. For Virginia, the point is not just to get back to the tournament but to go deeper once it arrives, and the early read on Odoms tenure is that he may have already given fans reason to believe March will feel different next time around. [Read more 🡒]