Virginia is getting more respect this preseason, just not much of it.
After shocking the league a year ago by going from a projected 14th-place finish in the 17-team ACC to a regular-season title, the Cavaliers were slotted sixth in Tuesday afternoon’s preseason media poll. That’s a step up from last summer, but it still leaves Tony Elliott’s team outside the top tier in the eyes of the voters who cover the conference.
Miami, last season’s College Football Playoff runner-up, was the clear favorite. The Hurricanes collected 165 of 188 first-place votes and finished with 3,159 points, well ahead of SMU’s 2,794 points and six first-place votes. Louisville (2,569), Clemson (2,520) and Georgia Tech (2,006) rounded out the top five, with Virginia close behind at 1,981 points.
N.C. State, which opens against Virginia in Week Zero at Scott Stadium, was picked seventh. Virginia Tech landed eighth under first-year head coach James Franklin.
Virginia’s placement came despite what the Cavaliers did last season, when a 32-man transfer class helped fuel a school-record 11 wins and a Gator Bowl victory over Missouri. Elliott has had to reload again, replacing 13 starters from that bowl game, but he brought in 31 more transfers this offseason. Among the biggest additions are presumptive starting quarterback Beau Pribula from Missouri, receiver Rico Flores Jr. from UCLA and safety Brandyn Hillman from Michigan.
The poll still didn’t show much faith that Virginia can repeat that kind of success. The Cavaliers did not get a single first-place vote, while every team in the top five received at least two. Even Stanford, which was picked last, somehow picked up one first-place vote.
There is some history behind the skepticism. Virginia went 11-23 combined in Elliott’s first three seasons and has only put together back-to-back winning seasons once in the last 20 years.
That said, the Cavaliers have reasons to believe internally. They enter the season with the nation’s most experienced roster, including an offensive line projected to feature five graduate students with 162 combined collegiate starts. Senior linebacker Kam Robinson is also back after an ACL tear ended his 2025 season.
The schedule helps, too. Virginia plays only one of the five teams ranked ahead of it, with SMU the lone exception. That gives the Cavaliers a straightforward route toward one of the two ACC championship game spots on Dec. 5 in Charlotte: keep stacking wins, and they should be in the mix.
Virginia’s quieter preseason profile showed up elsewhere as well. The only Cavaliers recognized on preseason All-America teams and national watch lists released by the ACC earlier Tuesday were Robinson and offensive tackle McKale Boley, both named preseason fourth-team All-Americans by Phil Steele magazine. Athlon Sports and Walter Camp did not include a Virginia player on either of their teams.
Pribula, Hillman, Boley and Robinson were among 12 Cavaliers named to the 2026 Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl 1000 watch list. The others were cornerback Jacobie Henderson, defensive ends Fisher Camac and Matthew Fobbs-White, offensive linemen Noah Josey, Monroe Mills and Makilan Thomas, punter Daniel Sparks and quarterback Eli Holstein.
Fisher also made the preseason watch list for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which honors a defensive player for character and athletic ability. Junior safety Ethan Minter was selected as a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his community service.
The ACC’s preseason all-conference team is scheduled to be announced later this week.
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For Virginia, the list was a reminder that the Cavaliers have more than one player drawing attention before camp even opens. McKale Boley, Noah Josey, Kam Robinson and Daniel Sparks all made the preseason team, giving Tony Elliotts roster a little more visibility in a league that tends to reward established names. The bigger question, though, is whether that recognition can translate into a season that matches the preseason optimism, especially with Miami quarterback Darian Mensah taking the ACCs top individual honor by a wide margin. [Read more 🡒]
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For Virginia, the appeal goes beyond individual recognition. De Ridder should have a stronger supporting cast around him this time, which could open the door to an even more productive season and a bigger national profile. The question now is whether that combination of team growth and individual momentum can push him from respected conference standout to the kind of name that starts to carry real weight well beyond the ACC. [Read more 🡒]