Virginia’s offense is still a work in progress in training camp, but a few things are already clear as the opener against NC State gets closer.
The biggest one: this isn’t going to be a unit built around the same three receivers grinding through every snap. Des Kitchings wants depth to matter, and after six days of workouts, that approach is showing up in how the staff is sorting out roles across the board.
“As a former receiver myself, we all think we could play every snap,” Kitchings said last week. “But to play 75 snaps at the caliber we need you to play for an extended period of time, that's really just not doable, honestly.
“So those guys, just every day we challenge them. Everybody's been challenged.
The coaches have been challenged. Because again, for us to take the next step as a program is about what's going to be our winning edge, how can we gain these next inches.
We talked about [how] as you try to climb the mountain top, the air gets thinner. So the details, the precision in everything you do becomes even more magnified.”
That’s why the receiver competition is still very much alive. Rico Flores Jr., the UCLA transfer, looks like the front-runner at X.
Jacquon Gibson, the UMass grad transfer, has drawn praise from both Kitchings and Tony Elliott and may have the edge in the slot. But Virginia expects to rotate plenty of options there, with Kam Courtney, Da’Shawn Martin, Tyson Davis, DaMari Carter and Dylan Cope all in the mix.
The staff is paying close attention to how that competition plays out from rep to rep. Martin, who had 33 catches at Kent State last season, got a reminder last week when Elliott called him out for not going full speed on a corner route. Elliott said Martin responded by turning up his intensity, not wanting to lose ground in the battle.
At quarterback, the physical tools that made Pribula appealing first to Penn State and then to Missouri are easy to see. He has the mobility and arm strength that jump out right away. But after winning the job over fellow transfer Eli Holstein, he’s also starting to show signs of becoming more than just the guy taking snaps.
Last year, Chandler Morris won over his new teammates quickly because of his toughness. Pribula is trying to build that same kind of presence, and Elliott says the signs are there.
“You start to see him being a little more vocal with the guys in the locker room.,” Elliott said. “Then I observe how he interacts with the guys in the dining room, and he sits with a lot of different people engaging with different position groups, which tells you that, hey, this guy understands as a quarterback, you've got to galvanize the entire team, not just one side of the ball or your skill guys.
You've got to be able to sit down and talk to D-Linemen, you've got to be able to engage with defensive backs, right? So they'll all follow you.”
Up front, Virginia’s line brings experience, but not necessarily simplicity. Five graduate students are expected to start, which might sound like a dream assignment for new offensive line coach Joey Orck. It isn’t that easy.
Orck is stepping into the job after Terry Heffernan, now Stanford’s offensive coordinator, and he has to turn that veteran group into a unit that actually meshes. There’s talent there, but it may not be plug and play, especially with McKale Boley and Noah Josey the only established pieces on the left side.
There are still moving parts on the right. Monroe Mills missed all of last season with an injury and is set to make his Virginia debut at right tackle.
Maklian Thomas is shifting from tackle to right guard after spending almost all of his time at Arkansas State on the edge. Drake Metcalf is also settling in at center after most of his career at guard, though he did move to the middle for part of last season.
Elliott said the focus inside the building is less about outside buzz and more about how the group comes together and performs.
“I think externally there's a ton of expectations and I don't go on social media, so I don't know exactly what all they are, but I know there's a lot of talk about those guys,” Elliott said. “I think internally the expectation is consistency in performance on the field and then leadership off the field, right? ...
So it's like, ah, it's a, for us it's come together first right? And then we'll focus on all of the other stuff.
But the biggest thing is the leadership is probably the biggest expectation from the people in the building, but also from that group internally. They want to lead, and now they kind of have the credibility to be able to do it.”
Orck’s job doesn’t stop with the starters, either. Virginia also needs backups like Alex Payne, Ryan Brubaker and Grant Ellinger ready to step in if injuries hit.
In Other News...
Virginia May Finally Have The Pass Rush Depth Fans Needed
Fall camp has brought a more encouraging tone around Virginias pass rush, with defensive coordinator John Rudzinski spending part of his media availability breaking down a group that looks deeper than it has in recent seasons. Fisher Camac, Matthew Fobbs-White, Jewett Hayes and Devon Baxter all drew mention as players who could help give the Cavaliers more pressure off the edge, and the overall message was one of cautious optimism about what that room might provide this fall.
Camac, in particular, sounds like a player the staff believes is on an upward track. Rudzinski pointed to his athleticism and his study habits as important pieces of his development, the kind of traits that can help a pass rusher turn flashes into steady production. Virginia has been looking for more consistent disruption in that area, so the real question now is whether this group can translate camp promise into something the defense can count on once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Virginias Martin Carrere Could Solve A Backcourt Question This Fall
Martin Carrere arrives at Virginia with a profile that should make him interesting in more than one way. The 6-foot-9 forward transferred from VCU, brings shooting touch and some ball-handling ability, and fits into the kind of versatile mold Ryan Odom seems eager to explore as he pieces together the roster for the 2026-27 season. Carreres scoring numbers were modest last year, but his skill set gives Virginia a player who can help stretch the floor and do a little more than just play on the wing.
What makes Carrere especially intriguing is the possibility that he could end up easing some of the pressure in the backcourt. Virginia does not look especially deep behind Chance Mallory at point guard, and that could push the Cavaliers toward leaning on bigger, multi-skilled options to help start offense. If Carrere can handle the ball well enough to serve as a secondary initiator, it would give Odom a flexible answer to a roster question that may matter all winter. [Read more 🡒]
Beau Pribula Now Holds The Key To Virginias Ceiling
Virginias quarterback decision is now official, and with Missouri graduate transfer Beau Pribula tabbed as the starter, the Cavaliers have settled the most important position on the field heading into the season. Tony Elliott has been consistently upbeat about what Pribula has brought to the program, pointing to his leadership and poise, along with the way he has already connected with teammates and handled himself around the media.
John Rudzinskis view adds another layer to why this choice matters so much for Virginia. The defensive coordinator has emphasized Pribulas athleticism, his command of the offense and his ability to make life harder on the defense, which is exactly the kind of profile that can change what the Cavaliers are capable of this fall. The job now shifts from winning the competition to proving the ceiling really is higher with him at the controls. [Read more 🡒]