Virginia
2024 Virginia Football Preview: A Make-or-Break Year for Tony Elliott
![2024 Virginia Football Preview: A Make-or-Break Year for Tony Elliott 2024 Virginia Football Preview: A Make-or-Break Year for Tony Elliott](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2047,h_1151,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/cavaliers_now/01j63bxcwfj1xqd9x40s.jpg)
Simply put, winning hasn’t come easily in Scott Stadium as of late. The ‘Hoos showed flashes in the second year of Coach Tony Elliott’s tenure; however, late-game gaffes and several blowouts led to a 3-9 season and a 2-6 finish in the ACC. Nonetheless, one can dream of greener pastures in the upcoming campaign for the Cavaliers.
Let’s preview some of the personnel and make some predictions as to how the 2024 Virginia football season will shake out.
Notable Offensive Returners: Graduate Student C Brian Stevens, Junior OT McKale Boley, Junior OT Blake Steen, Senior OG Noah Josey, Senior OG Ty Furnish, Senior QB Tony Muskett, Sophomore QB Anthony Colandrea, Fifth-Year RB Kobe Pace, Senior WR Malachi Fields, Sophomore WR Suderian Harrison, Junior WR JR Wilson, Graduate Student TE Sackett Wood Jr.
Notable Defensive Returners: Graduate Student DE Chico Bennett Jr., Sixth-Year DE Kam Butler, Sixth-Year DE Ben Smiley III, Graduate Student DT Jahmeer Carter, Senior DT Michael Diatta, Sophomore DT Jason Hammond, Senior LB James Jackson, Sophomore LB Kam Robinson, Graduate Student DB Malcolm Greene, Sophomore CB Dre Walker, Senior S Jonas Sanker, Sixth-Year S Antonio Clary
Notable Offensive Transfers: Graduate Student OL Drake Metcalf (UCF), Graduate Student WR Chris Tyree (Notre Dame), Junior WR Andre Greene Jr. (North Carolina), Junior WR Trell Harris (Kent State), Graduate Student TE Tyler Neville (Harvard)
Notable Defensive Transfers: Fifth-Year LB Dorian Jones (Louisville), Graduate Student DB Kendren Smith (Penn), Graduate Student CB Kempton Shine (Eastern Michigan), Graduate Student S Corey Thomas Jr. (Akron), Junior CB Jam Jackson (Robert Morris)
Offensive MVP: Brian Stevens, Center
The anchor of the Virginia offensive line, graduate student Brian Stevens will hopefully shore up a unit that conceded 3.58 sacks per game in 2023 — good for 123rd out of 130 Division 1-FBS teams. Stevens, however, graded as the top ACC run-blocking center in 2023 and held the fourth-highest grade among all FBS centers (77.3) by Pro Football Focus. The former Dayton transfer spent most of the year recovering from a double-hip surgery last January, yet he should be ready to go for Week 1 against Richmond. A healthy Stevens — bolstered by a more experienced offensive line — will be vital for the success of both quarterbacks and expected bell cow Kobe Pace.
Defensive MVP: Jonas Sanker, Safety
Sanker, like Stevens, is the seasoned leader of his unit and a returning First-Team All-ACC selection, Virginia’s only defensive representative outside of defensive tackle Aaron Faumui (Honorable Mention). The Charlottesville native tallied a career-high 107 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 11 pass breakups in a season which witnessed few defensive bright spots outside of freshman linebacker Kam Robinson. While his numbers may dip with sixth-year safety Antonio Clary back in the fold, Sanker will provide a backbone to a defense sorely hoping for an improved year; after all, the Cavaliers finished 116th nationally in scoring defense last season with 33.75 points per game allowed.
Impact Transfer: Chris Tyree, Wide Receiver/Return Specialist
Landing Notre Dame’s Swiss Army Knife in the offseason was a massive get for the ‘Hoos. The Chester, Va. native appeared as a running back, wide receiver, kick returner and punt returner for the Irish in his four-year career in South Bend, totaling 3,284 all-purpose yards. While Tyree will immediately provide a spark for the special teams unit, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect him to fill a Malik Washington-esque slot receiver role in an offense that isn’t experiencing much turnover elsewhere. The 5’10’’ pass-catcher caught a career-high 26 balls in 2023 as a wide receiver and may be a safety valve for both quarterbacks in the Virginia offense. He may play some snaps in the backfield, as well.
Ceiling: 7-5
Call this a lofty ceiling after a 3-9 season, but it’s not far-fetched to foresee a major bounce-back from the Cavaliers with both quarterbacks intact, a defense returning several key starters, and a transfer class poised to contribute immediately. The schedule features several high-caliber road games against potential Top-25 teams — at Clemson, Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech — yet the home slate is manageable. Notable, moreover, is Virginia’s slim margin of defeat last season, as the Cavaliers were tied or leading in the fourth quarter against Boston College, NC State, Miami, and Louisville. The Cavaliers must avoid late-game lapses (a late 73-yard TD conceded against the Cardinals comes to mind) so as to flip the script this season. Stealing only two of those games away would have resulted in a 5-7 year for the ‘Hoos.
Floor: 2-10
Assuming the same woes — a lackluster pass rush, costly turnovers, and late-game management — plague Virginia, we can expect another rough season in Charlottesville. Outside of the three uber-difficult road games, the Cavaliers will travel to Winston-Salem to take on Wake Forest, a team they haven’t beaten since 2007. Exercising demons may be a theme for this year’s team. Some under-the-radar games will come against the Sun Belt’s Coastal Carolina and the FCS’ Richmond, the latter of whom shocked Virginia in the ‘Hoos’ 2016 home opener, 37-20. I don’t believe that Coach Tony Elliott will go quietly in a make-or-break season, but he absolutely cannot afford a loss in either of these two contests.
Elliott’s Dilemma:
Coach Tony Elliott’s seat is scalding. So, what kind of a performance from his team will merit a longer leash, and which will result in an immediate firing? With only six total wins in his first two seasons, Virginia’s head coach must win at least five games this year to keep his job and reassure the fanbase, administrators, and boosters that this program can reach bowl eligibility status in the near future. Five is iffy, though, and true safety might mean six games won. Elliott‘s situation is unique — considering the tragedy which befell the program in 2022 — and it’s important to consider that he now has some help from the University in the form of a revamped, state-of-the-art facility. I do believe, however, that less than five wins should be reason for Athletic Director Carla Williams to move on from Elliott.
Richmond: Win
@ Wake Forest: Loss
Maryland: Loss
@ Coastal Carolina: Win
Boston College: Win
Louisville: Win
@ Clemson: Loss
North Carolina: Win
@ Pitt: Win
@ Notre Dame: Loss
SMU: Loss
@ Virginia Tech: Loss
The schedule gauntlet ramps up significantly after a home game against Louisville, so it’s imperative that Virginia takes care of business in the early stages (v. Richmond, @ Coastal, v. Boston College) and try to steal one against Louisville and/or North Carolina. While this program hasn’t since enjoyed a season remotely as successful as the 2019 campaign, the veteran leadership within this group may bring Virginia faithful a bowl appearance and a glimmer of hope. The stakes are higher than ever.
Oh, if the Adventures of CavMan makes a return (on the new JumboTron at Scott Stadium), this team might not lose a home game in 2024.
Virginia Football Projected Depth Chart 4.0: Final Projections Before Gameday
Anthony Colandrea Announced as UVA Football’s Starting Quarterback
Virginia Football: Ten Cavaliers Who Raised Their Stock in Fall Camp
Virginia CB Kempton Shine Impresses in First Fall Camp as a Cavalier
Virginia Football Position Overview: Analyzing UVA’s Defensive Line in 2024
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Virginia
Virginia Football Projected Depth Chart 4.0: Final Projections Before Gameday
![Virginia Football Projected Depth Chart 4.0: Final Projections Before Gameday Virginia Football Projected Depth Chart 4.0: Final Projections Before Gameday](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4454,h_2505,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/cavaliers_now/01j62m7hgr5et0qvvpwx.jpg)
Fall camp has concluded and just one week remains until the start of the 2024 Virginia football season. With the Cavaliers set to open their season against Richmond on August 31st, we’re going to take one more crack at projecting what UVA’s two-deep depth chart will look like when it is revealed by Tony Elliott on Tuesday.
Of course, this is just an educated guess at what UVA’s week 1 depth chart could be and does not at all reflect the opinions of the coaching staff, with the obvious exception of Anthony Colandrea being named Virginia’s starting quarterback on Saturday morning.
With that said, here is our Virginia Football Projected Depth Chart 4.0:
Offense
Position |
Starter |
Backup |
---|---|---|
QB |
Anthony Colandrea |
Tony Muskett |
RB |
Kobe Pace |
Xavier Brown |
WR |
Chris Tyree |
Suderian Harrison |
WR |
Malachi Fields |
Andre Greene |
WR |
Trell Harris |
Kameron Courtney |
TE |
Sackett Wood |
Tyler Neville |
LT |
McKale Boley |
Houston Curry |
LG |
Noah Josey |
Ugonna Nnanna |
C |
Brian Stevens |
Ethan Sipe |
RG |
Ty Furnish |
Charlie Patterson |
RT |
Blake Steen |
Jimmy Christ |
Notes
- Of course, the headline on the offensive side of the ball is that Tony Elliott has named Anthony Colandrea the starting quarterback for Virginia’s season opener against Richmond next Saturday. This marks the first time that Colandrea will start over a (presumably) healthy Tony Muskett and offers a resolution on the biggest point of suspense for UVA’s week 1 depth chart release this week.
- Xavier Brown appears to be back in practice after missing a big chunk of fall camp with a shoulder injury, so we’ve got him back on the depth chart as Kobe Pace’s backup at running back. Expect Pace, Brown, and Jack Griese to get carries in the season opener.
- We still have Kent State transfer Trell Harris as the third starting receiver with JR Wilson out with an injury. Wilson should at the very least contend for a starting spot when he returns, but since this is a week 1 depth chart projection, he’s still absent from it.
- There are no changes at offensive line or tight end from our previous projections.
Defense
Position |
Starter |
Backup |
---|---|---|
DE |
Kam Butler |
Ben Smiley |
NT |
Jahmeer Carter |
Anthony Britton |
DT |
Michael Diatta |
Jason Hammond |
Bandit DE |
Chico Bennett |
Terrell Jones |
WILL LB |
James Jackson |
Trey McDonald |
MIKE LB |
Kam Robinson |
Dorian Jones |
SPUR |
Corey Thomas |
Malcolm Greene |
Left CB |
Kempton Shine |
Jam Jackson |
Right CB |
Dre Walker |
Kendren Smith |
FS |
Jonas Sanker |
Caleb Hardy |
SS |
Antonio Clary |
Elijah Gaines |
Notes
- We’ve moved Malcolm Greene from cornerback to the SPUR/nickel spot because he’s been moving around the UVA secondary and it seems his most likely final landing spot is behind/alongside Corey Thomas Jr. at SPUR.
- We’ve got Kempton Shine and Dre Walker as our projected starters at cornerback, with Jam Jackson and Kendren Smith right behind them. Those four guys seem to be very close as the cornerback position battle was probably the tightest and most competitive on the roster during fall camp.
- There are no changes at linebacker, safety, or on the defensive line.
Special Teams
Position |
Starter |
Backup |
---|---|---|
Punter |
Daniel Sparks |
Elijah Slibeck |
Kickoff |
Daniel Sparks |
Vadin Bruot |
Placekicker |
Will Bettridge |
Vadin Bruot |
Punt Return |
Ethan Davies |
Suderian Harrison |
Kickoff Return |
Chris Tyree |
Kobe Pace |
Long-Snapper |
Payton Bunch |
Luke Byrne |
Notes
- There are no changes to our projected special teams depth chart.
Anthony Colandrea Announced as UVA Football’s Starting Quarterback
Virginia Football: Ten Cavaliers Who Raised Their Stock in Fall Camp
Virginia CB Kempton Shine Impresses in First Fall Camp as a Cavalier
Virginia Football Position Overview: Analyzing UVA’s Defensive Line in 2024
Virginia Football Injury Report: Brian Stevens Returns, McKale Boley ‘Hopeful’
Virginia
Alabama man to face charge of kidnapping teen girl in Springfield
![Alabama man to face charge of kidnapping teen girl in Springfield Alabama man to face charge of kidnapping teen girl in Springfield](https://www.masslive.com/resizer/v2/ATEMK2K4BRFONHEX7GLPM6Q7VA.jpg?auth=e808c30891a2fe73221c775969ea26762fcd0f1807734a044f44490cb9b7c23d&width=1280&quality=90)
An Alabama man is in custody in Springfield, charged with kidnapping a 13-year-old girl from a Springfield home in late July.
Springfield Police Department spokesperson Ryan Walsh said 31-year-old Paul Areliano was arrested in Front Royal, Virginia, where he was being held on a fugitive from justice warrant pending rendition to Massachusetts. On Tuesday, Springfield detectives flew to Virginia to bring Areliano back to face a single count of kidnapping.
Walsh said the girl remained in the custody of Virginia authorities after Areliano was arrested. He said while the girl spends summers in Springfield, she also lives in Alabama.
Virginia
TikTok food critic Keith Lee boosts business at Virginia restaurants
![TikTok food critic Keith Lee boosts business at Virginia restaurants TikTok food critic Keith Lee boosts business at Virginia restaurants](https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/08/33884253605-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=1200%2C675)
A TikTok food critic with millions of followers demonstrated how he can make or break a restaurant with a single video when he visited the D.C. area this week.
Las Vegas native Keith Lee stopped by Okonomi Asian Grill — also known as the “Asian Chipotle” for its custom rice bowls — in Fairfax, Virginia, and business has been booming.
“I literally opened this by myself,” owner Alex Kang said. “So, six months I was doing 130-hour workweeks.”
There were times when he only got six orders a day.
“I can’t sustain this with six orders,” he said. “That’s like 60 bucks. What can you do with 60 bucks?”
Ever since Lee posted a video about Okonomi, they’ve had to put signs on their door saying they can only serve people who order online because they’ve been so busy.
“It’s definitely wild,” Kang said. “I mean, it’s any restaurant owner’s dream to have this much exposure.”
Lee also went to the Flavor Hive food truck in Alexandria where one of the specialties is the walking nacho. Customers bring their own bag of chips – any size, same price – and they fill it up with meat and toppings.
“We had people bring in a size for a whole village,” owner Shihan Chowdhury said. “We still fill it up.”
Flavor Hive also serves quesadillas and tacos.
“It looked really good,” customer Alexia Urieta said about Lee’s TikTok. “When you saw the picture, you could see the flavor in the picture. So. really wanted to come out and try it.”
For those who can’t afford the food, Flavor Hive will give it to them for free.
“Some people will come and say, ‘Hey I don’t get paid until this day, I don’t get paid until that day, can I pick up a meal?’ We’re always open to that,” Chowdhury said.
Lee donated $3,000 to Okonomi because they’ve been dealing with theft issues recently. Kang said he’ll use some of the money to feed local teachers and the rest to provide bonuses to his staff.
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