Solomon Beebe Brings Versatility and Energy to Virginia Backfield
Solomon Beebe may not have gotten the warmest welcome from the Virginia weather, but the former UAB running back is already feeling right at home in Charlottesville. The Alabama native arrived just in time for a winter storm that briefly shut things down - not exactly ideal for someone who prefers heat over snow.
“Not too fond of that,” Beebe said with a laugh. “I like it where it’s hot.”
But while the temperatures dropped, the welcome from his new teammates and coaching staff was anything but cold. Beebe, one of Virginia’s key additions from the transfer portal this offseason, has spent his first month on Grounds getting acclimated to the program, especially bonding with the running back room.
“Everything is going pretty well,” Beebe said. “All the guys are pretty cool, down to earth and chill.
It’s been pretty exciting for the most part. And the longer I’m around and that they’re around, I feel like the better we can have a better relationship on and off the field.”
That chemistry-building process is already underway, with returning backs like Xavier Brown, Noah Vaughn, and Xay Davis helping Beebe get up to speed - not just with the playbook, but with the culture.
“They helped me to build my relationship with all the guys, not just the running backs,” Beebe said. “You can tell just the amount of brotherhood that everybody has for each other, and how much everybody just loves the game. I really learned that getting to know all those guys, the coaches and other staff members.”
Virginia brought Beebe in after losing two experienced backs in J’Mari Taylor and Harrison Waylee. He’s one of three new running backs joining the Cavaliers ahead of the 2026 season, and his versatility makes him a particularly intriguing piece for head coach Tony Elliott.
At UAB last season, Beebe showed he could do a little bit of everything. He rushed for 338 yards and six touchdowns, caught 31 passes for 284 yards, and made a major impact on special teams with 600 kick return yards on 23 attempts - an impressive 26.1 yards per return, which ranked 13th in the FBS.
“I like to think my biggest strength is my versatility and my speed,” Beebe said.
That versatility is exactly what caught Elliott’s eye.
“He’s a guy that is a back, but you could see his ability in the slot,” Elliott said. “So that gives you some creativity, some flexibility. And so now if you go into some empty sets, you’re not worried about having a back on the field because he can do all of the receiver stuff.”
That flexibility could be a game-changer for Virginia’s offense, especially with Cam Ross no longer in the mix in the return game.
“You can see that not only can he impact the passing game, but he can also be a return guy for you and help us in the return game,” Elliott added. “That’s one area where you overlook it, but having those guys that have flexibility to be able to go impact the return game - and then when you have backs back there in the return game, it can change things.”
Beebe admits he didn’t follow Virginia closely during the season, but when he did catch them on TV, he was struck by the team’s togetherness - especially in tough moments.
“The more I watched, the more I thought, yeah, these guys, they come together whenever something gets hard,” Beebe said. “Even if they lose, they’re still together, still one team.”
He also leaned on a familiar face to get more insight into the program: former Virginia and UAB center Brady Wilson. But it was during his official visit in early January that things really clicked.
“I got a chance to just kick it with [running backs] Coach [Keith] Gaither, and at the end of it, Coach Elliott - they really helped me make my decision,” Beebe said. “But then the campus life - I mean, besides the cold - it was pretty good.”
What sealed it for Beebe was more than just the facilities or the pitch from the coaches. It was the culture, the vision, and the sense of purpose.
“Not only about their culture, but how they like to win,” he said. “Just spending the day with Coach Gaither and everybody really helped me, and really made my decision more clear that I wanted to pursue UVA.”
Now, the focus shifts to the grind - and Beebe is all in. He knows the spring won’t be easy, but he’s already hard at work with strength and conditioning coach Adam Smotherman to get his body right.
“He’s already doing a little number on me,” Beebe joked. “But it ain’t anything I can’t handle.”
Between the weight room and the nutrition staff, Beebe’s putting in the work to be ready when the pads come on.
“I want to focus just on body building,” he said. “I know spring is not all good sunshine and rainbows.
So I’m gonna work. I really just want to be able to solidify my spot on the depth chart, and really want to be a reliable source for UVA.”
Reliable, versatile, explosive - that’s what Beebe is aiming to bring to the Cavaliers in 2026. And if his early days in Charlottesville are any indication, Virginia may have found a key piece to elevate its offense in more ways than one.