Virginia came out of preseason camp with a clearer identity and a roster that looks deeper than it has in a long time. Wednesday closed the Cavaliers’ four weeks of work, and after Thursday’s day off, everything turns toward the Aug. 29 opener at home against N.C. State.
The biggest takeaway is simple: Tony Elliott has options. Virginia is bringing back the nation’s most experienced roster, with 48,313 career FBS and FCS snaps, and that experience is spread across a group that can go three deep at several spots. Defensive line, running back and even wide receiver all have real depth, and that kind of cushion matters when the season starts throwing punches.
Quarterback is the headliner, and Virginia believes it has upgraded there too. Chandler Morris delivered a school-record 11 wins in his lone season as the starter, but the Cavaliers seem to have even bigger expectations for transfer Chandler Pribula after his stops at Penn State and Missouri.
Coaches and teammates have been sold on his strong arm, mobility and football IQ, and coordinator Des Kitchings appears ready to widen the offense around what Pribula does best. That said, one obvious issue still hangs over the passing game: the receivers have not yet fully clicked.
Virginia spent the offseason rebuilding that group after last season’s top four pass-catchers moved on because of graduation, transfers or legal issues. There is a pecking order forming, but injuries and the adjustment to a new system have slowed things down.
Rico Flores Jr., who has played at Notre Dame and UCLA, is expected to have a big role even though he has not been a No. 1 target before. For now, slot receiver Jacquon Gibson may be Pribula’s most reliable option until somebody else earns that trust.
The portal has reshaped the roster in a major way. Virginia added 30 newcomers, and last season’s success was already fueled by transfer help from players like Morris, running back J'Mari Taylor, receiver Cam Ross, safety Devin Neal, defensive ends Mitchell Melton and Fisher Camac. Elliott has kept using the portal aggressively, landing players from Power 4 programs such as Missouri, Tennessee, Michigan, Wisconsin, Baylor and Rutgers, while also finding fits from smaller schools.
That mix shows up all over the depth chart. Gibson came from UMass, Jekail Middlebrook from Tennessee, Makilan Thomas from Arkansas State, Nnanna Anyanwu from UTSA, Justin Townsend from Columbia, Ezekiel Larry from Yale, Da'Shawn Martin from Kent State and Tyson Davis from Central Michigan. Virginia is clearly hunting for players who fit the program as much as they fit the scheme.
Elliott’s approach says a lot about where he thinks the program is right now. It took him four years to get to a winning season, and now he believes the staff has found a formula.
Virginia cannot simply outspend national powers for elite high school talent, so it leans into players who value academics and being good teammates, but who also need a fresh start after things did not work out elsewhere. If the Cavaliers keep stacking wins, they may not have to depend on the portal as heavily down the road.
The offensive line should help make all of that work. McKale Boley and Monroe Mills at tackle, Thomas and Noah Josey at guard, and center Drake Metcalf have combined for 162 college starts.
That experience has helped the unit communicate and stay in sync during camp, even though Mills, Thomas and Metcalf all began their careers somewhere else. Behind them, Virginia has depth too, with sophomore Alex Payne and grad transfer Ryan Brubaker available if injuries hit.
That front should give Pribula time and help the running game stay on schedule. Middlebrook has emerged as the favorite to start over Peyton Lewis, the former four-star recruit, because of his versatility and his ability as a receiver.
Still, both are expected to play, along with Xavier Brown and possibly senior Noah Brown, as Kitchings pushes the run game. Elliott has talked about building a “dominant” ground attack, and the pieces suggest Virginia is going to try.
There is caution built into all of this, especially with key injuries. Linebacker Kam Robinson, Virginia’s most dynamic player on either side of the ball, is still working back from ACL surgery that ended his 2025 season.
The Cavaliers would love to have him against N.C. State quarterback C.J.
Bailey, but Elliott has emphasized patience. Xavier Brown, cornerback Omillio Agard and receiver Carty are also being handled carefully as they recover from ACL, wrist and hamstring issues, respectively.
The defense has its own layers. In the secondary, Donavan Platt returns at spur, while Ethan Minter and Corey Costner are back at safety.
Hillman, Agard and Jacobie Henderson join them with Big Ten experience, giving Virginia another experienced group on the back end. The Cavaliers allowed just 15 touchdown passes in 14 games last season, and they’ll try to lower that number even more this fall.
For all the experience and all the additions, Virginia still enters the season outside the rankings. The Cavaliers were picked sixth in the ACC in media voting and received one 25th-place vote in this week’s Associated Press poll, even after winning the 2025 ACC regular-season title.
That kind of outside view did not bother them last year, when they were picked 14th in the conference. It does not seem to bother them now.
In Other News...
Virginia Suddenly Has A Major Backfield Question Before Week 1
Virginia entered the final stretch before Week 1 with a new off-field issue to sort through in the backfield, as running back Solomon Beebe was arrested and charged with three counts of animal cruelty, court documents show. The charges are classified as Class I misdemeanors and stem from separate alleged incidents involving his pet pitbull, adding an unwelcome layer of uncertainty around a position group the Cavaliers were counting on to settle into rhythm before the season opens.
Albemarle County authorities seized the dog after the allegations surfaced, according to the court documents, and the University of Virginia declined to comment on the ongoing legal matter. For a team trying to keep its focus on football, the situation leaves another question hanging over the roster just as the calendar turns to game week. [Read more 🡒]
Carla Williams Just Put Virginia Fans On Notice Before 2026 Opener
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Williams message was as much a call to action as a status update. With the new season approaching, she urged continued investment and support from the Virginia community, framing strong engagement around football as something that can lift the entire athletic department and help shape what comes next for the Cavaliers. [Read more 🡒]
Virginias Cornerback Battle Just Got More Interesting
Virginias secondary got a little more crowded this spring with the arrival of Jacobie Henderson, a transfer from Rutgers who landed in Charlottesville for his final year of college football. Henderson joined the Cavaliers after entering the portal, giving Virginia another experienced option as it looks to keep building on the momentum of recent team success.
The fit makes sense on paper, especially with defensive coordinator John Rudzinski having recruited Henderson quickly once he became available. Several UVA coaches knew him from the high school recruiting process, which only adds to the intrigue around a cornerback room that already had a competition brewing. Henderson now enters that mix with a real chance to push for playing time right away. [Read more 🡒]