(Photo Credit: Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Key Players Returning:
OG Noah Josey, OT McKale Boley, DE Chico Bennett Jr., DE Kam Butler, DE Aaron Faumui, LB James Jackson, NB Jonas Sanker, FS Coen King, SS Antonio Clary, KR Demick Starling, PK Will Bettridge and PT Daniel Sparks.
Key Players Departing:
QB Brennan Armstrong, WR Keytaon Thomson WR Dontayvion Wicks,, OC Jestus Johnson III, OG Derek Devine, OT Johnathan Leech, DE Paul Akere, LB Nick Jackson, LB Hunter Stewart, CB Fentrell Cypress II, CB Anthony Johnson, FS Langston Long and PR Billy Kemp IV.
Top 10 Recruits:
4 Star Recruits: CB Cam Kelly (North Carolina transfer) and LB Kam Robinson (Tappahannock, Virginia).
3 Star Recruits: DS Malcolm Greene (Clemson transfer), WR Malik Washington (Northwestern transfer), RB Kobe Pace (Clemson transfer), DS Devin Clark (Marietta, Georgia), EDGE DJ Jones (Tampa, Florida), EDGE Mehki Buchanan (Acworth, Georgia), OT Jimmy Christ (Penn State transfer) and QB Anthony Colandrea (St. Petersburg, Florida).
2022 Results:
G01 RICHMOND W 34-17
G02 @ Illinois L 3-24
G03 OLD DOMINION W 16-14
G04 @ Syracuse L 20-22
G05 @ Duke L 17-38
G07 LOUSVILLE L 17-34
G07 @ Georgia Tech W 16-9G
08 MIAMI (FL) L 12-14
G09 #17 NORTH CAROLINA L 28-31
G10 PITTSBURGH L 7-27
Misc. Team Information:
2022 Record: 3-7 (6th in ACC Coastal)
Home: 2-4
Away: 1-3
Neutral: 0-0
ACC: 1-6
Non-AAC: 2-1
Head Coach: Tony Elliott
Virginia: 3-7
Career: 3-7
Bowls: 0-0
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: None
Rushing: Perris Jones (81 car., 365 yards, 4.5 avg., 2 TD)
Receiving: Sackett Wood Jr. (12 rec., 165 yards, 13.8 avg., 0 TD)
TDs Scored: Perris Jones (4)
Sacks: Ben Smiley (1.5)
Tackles: Jonas Sanker (63)
Tackles For Loss: O. Agunloye/Michael Diatta/Langston Long (2)
Interceptions: Jonas Sanker (1)
Pass Deflections: Langston Long/Jonas Sanker (2)
Forced Fumbles: Langston Long/Jonas Sanker (1)
Kick Returns: Demick Starling (14 ret., 306 yards, 21.9 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: Ethan Davies (5 ret., 120 yards, 24.0 avg., 0 TD)
Kicking: Will Bettridge (7-10 fg/fga., 70%, 12-14 xp/xpa., 33 pts.)
Punting: Daniel Sparks (46 punts, 2113 yards, 45.9 avg., 12 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters
QB: 11 Tony Muskett (SR/TR)
RB: 5 Kobe Pace (SR/TR)WR: 8 Malachi Fields (RS SO)
WR: 6 Derrick Starling (SR)WR: 4 Malik Washington (GR/TR)TE: 85 Grant Misch (RS SR)
LT: 52 McKale Boley (SO)LG: 77 Noah Josey (RS SO)OC: 51 Ty Furnish (RS SO)RG: 55 Brian Stevens (GR/TR)RT: 71 Ugonna Nnanna (SR/TR)KR: 4 Malik Washington (GR/TR)PK: 41 Will Bettridge (SO)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 82 Kam Butler (GR/TR)
NT: 90 Jahmeer Carter (SR)
DT: 94 Aaron Faumui (SR)
DE: 15 Chico Bennett Jr. (GR/TR)
LB: 33 Josh Ahern (RS SR)
LB: 7 James Jackson (JR)
NB: 20 Jonas Sanker (JR)
CB: 13 Sam Westfall (GR/TR)
CB: 8 Malcolm Greene (GR/TR)
FS: 9 Ceon King (RS SR)
SS: 00 Antonio Westfall (GR/TR)
PR: 1 Suderian Harrison (FR)
PT: 38 Daniel Sparks (SR/TR)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: B
Running Backs: C
Wide Receivers: C
Offensive Line: C
Defense
Defensive Line: B
Linebackers: B
Secondary: C
Special Teams
Kick Returners: C
Punt Returners: C
Kickers: C
Punters: A
Schedule:
09/02 vs. Tennessee Volunteers | Virginia trails the series 1-3. The Cavaliers lost (22-23) the last meeting between schools 1991.
09/09 JAMES MADISON DUKES | Virginia leads the series 2-1. The Cavaliers won (21-14) the last meeting between schools in 1983.
09/15 @ Maryland Terrapins | Virginia trails the series 32-44-2. The Cavaliers lost (26-27) the last meeting between schools in 2013.
09/22 NC STATE WOLFPACK | Virginia trails the series 22-36-1. The Cavaliers lost (21-38) the last meeting between schools in 2020.
09/30 @ Boston College Eagles | Virginia trails the series 1-6. The Cavaliers won (43-32) the last meeting between schools in 2020.
10/07 WILLIAM & MARY TRIBE | Virginia leads the series 31-6-1. The Cavaliers won (0-43) the last meeting between schools in 2021.
10/21 @ North Carolina Tar Heels | Virginia trails the series 57-66-4. The Cavaliers are 4-6 since 2013 and their last series win (44-41) was in 2020.
10/28 @ Miami (FL) Hurricanes | Virginia trails the series 8-12. The Cavaliers are 3-7 since 2013 and their last series win (30-28) was in 2021.
11/04 GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS | Virginia leads the series 22-21-1. The Cavaliers are 5-4 since 2013 and their last series loss (27-30 OT) was in 2018.
11/09 @ Louisville Cardinals | Virginia trail the series 5-6. The Cavaliers are 4-5 since restarting the series in 2014 and their last series win (34-3) was in 2021.
11/18 DUKE BLUE DEVILS | Virginia leads the series 40-34. The Cavaliers are 7-3 since 2013 and their last series win (48-0) was in 2021.
11/25 VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES | Virginia trails the series 38-60-5. The Cavaliers are 1-8 since 2013 and they lost (24-29) the last meeting between schools in 2021.
Predictions:
Home: 3-3
Road: 0-5
Neutral: 0-1
ACC: 1-7
Non-ACC: 2-2
Overall: 3-9 (13 in ACC)
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