Adam Mims Wins Offseason, Virginia Revamps Wide Receiver Room With Transfers
On January 30th, 2023, Virginia football announced the promotion of Adam Mims to the position of wide receivers coach. At the time, most of the discussions around this staffing move centered around the big shoes Mims had to fill as he was replacing the fan-favorite and much-beloved Marques Hagans, who left after 12 years on the UVA coaching staff. Mims also faced the significant challenge of replacing the production of receivers like Dontayvion Wicks and Keytaon Thompson.
Less than a year later, the decision to promote Mims seems to be one of the most underrated moves of Tony Elliott's time so far at Virginia. In his first season serving as wide receivers coach, Mims had a big hand in perhaps the greatest season by a Cavalier wide receiver in UVA football history.
Malik Washington arrived at Virginia for his final year of eligibility having never once posted a 100-yard receiving game in his four years at Northwestern. In his one season as a Cavalier, Washington went over 100 yards receiving in 10 of UVA's 12 games. He shattered Virginia's single-season receiving records with 1,426 receiving yards and 110 receptions, which also broke the ACC's all-time single-season receptions record and led the entire country in that category in the regular season. Washington deservedly earned First-Team All-ACC and was selected as an All-American by 13 different publications. While Washington's own talent and work ethic deserves the lion's share of the credit for his legendary individual season, Adam Mims also merits some serious recognition for his coaching of Washington.
Likewise, Mims was considerably responsible for the development of Malachi Fields, who had started only one game at UVA prior to the 2023 season, but who proved himself as a reliable pass-catcher and highly-capable No. 2 receiver next to Washington. Fields recorded 58 receptions for 811 receiving yards and was an All-ACC honorable mention. In 2023, Malik Washington and Malachi Fields were the most productive wide receiver duo in Virginia program history. Mims also produced some valuable contributions from true freshmen Suderian Harrison and Jaden Gibson as well as JR Wilson, who had barely played before the 2023 campaign.
Unfortunately for Mims and the Cavaliers, Malik Washington has exhausted his eligibility and will not be on the field for Virginia in 2024. But Mims made a great effort to try to replace him through the transfer portal, showing that he can recruit just as well as he can coach.
The best chance UVA has at a possible successor to Malik Washington is Notre Dame transfer Chris Tyree. He has a similar build at 5'10", 192 pounds (Washington is 5'8", 194 pounds) and is fantastic at picking up yards after the catch as a former running back. A former five-star recruit and Virginia native, Washington recorded 3,284 all-purpose yards in his time with the Fighting Irish, including 82 catches for 945 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. While Virginia can only hope that Tyree follows in Washington's footsteps next season, Mims says he's not looking for "another Malik Washington", but hopes for similar production out of Tyree.
"I think Chris is going to be able to step in and be able to provide a lot of the production that Malik had," Mims said on National Early Signing Day back on December 20th. "Not necessarily looking for another Malik Washington, but somebody who can be as productive and successful as Malik was and he has already proven it at a high level which is really nice."
Tyree wasn't the only receiver Mims and the Cavaliers brought in from the transfer portal. UVA also picked up a commitment from North Carolina receiver and Richmond native Andre Greene. A 6'2" athletic wideout and highly-touted four-star prospect coming out of high school, Greene had offers from several programs including Clemson and Penn State, but decided to commit to UNC. He didn't play much in his time in Chapel Hill, appearing in 11 total games in two seasons, but his potential is still sky-high. Penn State was in the running again when Greene hit the portal, this time with Marques Hagans leading the charge as Penn State's wide receivers coach. Adam Mims won that head-to-head recruiting battle with his predecessor and earned the commitment from Andre Greene, who visited both schools, but ultimately chose the Cavaliers.
Finally, Virginia added Kent State receiver Trell Harris, who had 26 catches for 400 yards and a touchdown across 11 games with the Golden Flashes. Harris had an impressive list of suitors in the transfer portal with Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Indiana, West Virginia, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, and others recruiting him. But Mims won that recruiting battle, too, securing a third talented addition to UVA's wide receiver unit.
Now, Virginia's receiving corps is looking very promising for the 2024 season, with Malachi Fields leading a solid group of returners that includes JR Wilson, Suderian Harrison, Jaden Gibson, and Ethan Davies, among others. And now the Cavaliers are adding Chris Tyree, Andre Greene, and Trell Harris, who are each enrolling at UVA in January and participating in spring football activities.
And with Virginia returning two quarterbacks who started six games in 2023 in Anthony Colandrea and Tony Muskett, a Cavalier passing offense that ranked fourth in the ACC last season could be even better in 2024.
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