Virginia’s season opener against NC State is almost here, and with game week down to its final hours, the Cavaliers are starting to take shape around a blend of familiar faces and fresh transfers. The roster has plenty of names Virginia fans already know well - Noah Josey, Kam Robinson, Dakota Twitty and others - but this team is also built around several newcomers who are expected to carry real weight.
That mix of returning starters and transfers is the big storyline as Virginia heads into 2026, and a few pairings stand out as especially important in the push to get back to the ACC Championship game. Three duos, in particular, will sit at the center of what the Cavaliers want to be.
On defense, the edge rush has a simple assignment: turn pressure into sacks. Virginia did a good job forcing quarterbacks into uncomfortable spots last season, but too often the finish wasn’t there. That kind of near-miss can be costly, especially when mobile quarterbacks are involved.
Camac and Fobbs-White are both coming in with a reputation for creating pressure without always piling up big sack totals. Still, if each one can get to six or more sacks, Virginia’s chances in the biggest games improve quickly. The Cavaliers need their edge starters to make that jump.
On offense, Middlebrook and Lewis are positioned to become the engine. Virginia may lean on the run more heavily than it ever has, and that begins with its top two backs. There’s even a chance the two are on the field together in certain packages.
That setup would likely mean a more balanced snap split than what J’Mari Taylor and Harrison Waylee handled last season. Des Kitchings could also use some 22 personnel looks to get the most out of the talent in the backfield.
The third key pairing comes at tight end, where Cox is the likeliest candidate to step in as the No. 2 option. Virginia needs him to fill the Sage Ennis role, and the bigger issue is keeping both Twitty and Cox healthy. When those two are available, this offense has the kind of firepower that can put up 40-plus on most of the teams on the schedule.
Cox is already known more for blocking than catching, and that should help the run game right away. But if he can add more as a receiver, Virginia’s ceiling rises with him. Ennis tied for the team lead with five receiving touchdowns last season, and he did it while serving as the primary blocking tight end.
In Other News...
Virginia Now Faces A Troubling RB Situation Off The Field
Virginias backfield picture took an unwelcome turn this week when Solomon Beebe, one of the Cavaliers running backs, became the subject of an off-field legal matter that reached beyond football. The incidents at the center of the case reportedly occurred in August, and the university has stayed quiet while the process plays out, declining to comment because of the ongoing legal proceedings.
For now, head coach Tony Elliott said Beebe is still part of the running back rotation and the return game, which leaves Virginia in the delicate position of balancing football plans with a situation that is far from resolved. The Cavaliers will keep moving forward on the field, but this is the kind of storyline that can linger around a team until there is more clarity. [Read more 🡒]
Gelnovatch's Take On Virginia's Frustrating Opener Will Spark Debate
No. 11 Virginias mens soccer season opener had the kind of early-season edge that can tell you plenty about a team, even in defeat. At Klckner Stadium, UCLA came away with a 2-1 win after striking first and then answering Virginias push, while Marco Dos Santos supplied the Cavaliers lone goal in a match that tested the home side from the start.
George Gelnovatch had plenty to sort through afterward, from the way Virginia handled the pressure to what the performance might mean heading into the next game. The result left the Cavaliers with an immediate reminder that rankings do not guarantee comfort, and it also set up a lively conversation around how much stock to put in an opener that featured stretches of control, but not enough finishing to turn it into a different kind of night. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Faces A New ACC Test Against A Revived Florida State
Florida States basketball program looks nothing like the group Virginia has seen in recent years. Under first-year coach Luke Loucks, the Seminoles have brought a sharper edge and a more aggressive style for the 2025-26 season, enough to make them a far more difficult ACC assignment than their recent history might suggest. The discussion around this matchup has centered on how individual pieces fit, where Florida State can pressure teams and where Virginias structure still gives it a clear path to control the game.
Even with the Seminoles improvement, the Cavaliers still appear to have an edge in how the frontcourt battle should unfold. Virginias experience and versatility are the kind of traits that can blunt a bigger but less settled opponent, and that makes the center matchup one of the key layers in this ACC test. Florida State has clearly raised its ceiling under Loucks, but the question hanging over this one is whether that jump is enough to make it a real threat against a Virginia team built to handle exactly this sort of challenge. [Read more 🡒]