Ty’Lyric Coleman is finally getting his shot, and Virginia sounds convinced the wideout is ready to run with it.
After four years in Charlottesville, the Danville native is headed into the season with a much bigger role than he’s ever had in Tony Elliott’s program. Coleman has appeared in 14 games and caught six passes for 62 yards in his career, but this summer changed the tone around him. He worked with both the first- and second-team offenses throughout training camp and held his own.
“He’s maximizing his opportunities,” offensive coordinator Des Kitchings said.
That progress has shown up in more than just practice reps. Quarterback Beau Pribula said Coleman has flashed plenty during camp, especially in the two scrimmages.
“Ty’Lyric’s been great,” Pribula said. “He's shown a lot of really good flashes, especially [in the] two scrimmages ... I think he's one of the most talented receivers we have, and he’s just working on being consistent.”
Coleman said the belief around him has been obvious, from teammates to Elliott himself.
“One hundred percent,” said Coleman, who lives with defensive end Fisher Camac and tailback Noah Vaughn. “Coach E makes it very evident that he believes in me. He makes sure that I know that all the time.”
Virginia opens the season Saturday against ACC rival NC State at Scott Stadium, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m., and Coleman is expected to play a meaningful role in the offense. For No. 8, that kind of moment has been a long time coming.
“It’s every high school kid's dream to play early and make an impact soon,” Coleman said. “But realistically, I just needed to grow, not only on the field, but off the field, just grow my understanding of football completely. I just look forward to helping out the team this year.”
He pointed to experience as a big reason for the jump. Coleman said the game has started to slow down for him as he’s gotten deeper into the system and gained a better grasp of the playbook, the scheme and opposing defenses.
“I guess I've just been in the system long enough. I’ve got a better understanding about the playbook and understanding the scheme and the defenses, and it's just starting to slow down a little bit for me,” he said.
That preparation has built the confidence Virginia’s staff keeps talking about. Coleman said earning a place in the receiver rotation feels good, but he believes it comes back to the work he’s put in.
“To have earned a spot in the receiver rotation is “a great feeling,” Coleman said, “but I feel like I'm prepared, because I worked a very, very long time for this, and your confidence is in your preparation.”
That line fits neatly with the way Mims describes him. The receivers coach said Coleman has become more vocal, more dependable and more polished in all the ways that matter inside a program.
“He's been more vocal in the meeting room. He's been a much better leader.
He's taken care of his body. He's given us availability.
He's made plays when his number's called, and because of those things, he's playing with confidence. It’s oozing out of him, and it's been really, really cool to see.
Honestly, he's one of the most athletic kids on our team, and there's been so much untapped potential. But I think he's tapping into it now, and you just want to see it come to fruition for the kid.”
Mims also said the change has been visible every day.
“I just wanted to tell him how proud of him I was,” Adam Mims said, “because he looks like a different young man, and this has been really, really cool to see.”
Coleman’s path to this point was never a straight line. At Dan River High School, where he also played basketball and ran track and field, he wasn’t heavily recruited by FBS programs. Most of the interest he heard came from FCS and Group of Five schools, and Virginia was his “first big-time” scholarship offer.
“So I just took the opportunity,” he said.
As a junior in high school, Coleman picked off seven passes, and he was originally expected to begin his college career at safety. Virginia eventually moved him to wide receiver, and Mims said the transition took time.
“We knew that he was going to be a project,” Mims said. “We knew that he was somebody that still needed some fine-tuning.
He was still learning how to play the position. He was still learning how to be a football player.
And it took some good, it took some bad that he had to go through, just like with most players. But now, again, you're seeing all of that work, all of those trials and tribulations, kind of come to a head.
And he's taking advantage of every opportunity.”
Coleman, a media studies major, seems to have reached the point Virginia has been waiting for. The talent was always there. Now the opportunity is too.
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