Biggest Decision Facing Virginia Coach Tony Elliott Before Fall Camp Begins

Tony Elliott knows quarterbacks. As Clemson's offensive coordinator, he groomed several of them, including future NFL signal-callers Tajh Boyd, Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence.

So when Elliott anointed Beau Pribula as his starter entering training camp, the decision seemed well-founded. Pribula and Eli Holstein dueled through spring practice, giving Elliott time to evaluate both transfers' ability to fit into his offense. He clearly preferred Pribula's mobility and arm strength.

Still, though, there's an old saying than any team is only as good as its backup quarterback. Which means Elliott needs to decide just how many first-team practice repetitions to give Holstein when workouts begin on Wednesday.

Why is this important?

Let's be clear: Pribula can use all the preseason work he can get. He's new to the system, and although he's a redshirt senior, he has just 10 college starts to his credit (all last season at Missouri).

Besides a new playbook, he also needs to familiarize himself with his new teammates, including a wide receiver corps that includes only one returning regular (slot man Kam Courtney).

Rhythm and trust are vital in any passing game, and the more Pribula can work on timing and route recognition with Courtney, Rico Flores Jr., Da'Shawn Martin, Jacquon Gibson, Tyson Davis and promising freshmen DaMari Carter and Dylan Cope, the better they should be against N.C. State in the Aug. 29 season opener.

The same goes for running backs Peyton Lewis, Jekail Middlebrook, and Xavier Brown, and tight ends Dakota Twitty and John Rogers.

At the same time, Elliott needs to factor Pribula's injury history -- as well as his own team's experience from last year -- into his preseason game plan.

Pribula missed two midseason games at Missouri in 2025 with an ankle injury. His athleticism allows him to make off-schedule plays, but it does increase his chance of taking hard shots -- even when working behind an experienced offensive line.

Elliott also has to think back to last year's 16-9 loss to Wake Forest, when starting quarterback Chandler Morris left with a first-quarter concussion. His backup, Daniel Kaelin, had a bit of a deer-in-the-headlights look and failed to get the Cavaliers into the end zone in their only regular-season ACC defeat.

Holstein started 10 games at Pittsburgh in 2024 and the first four contests of last season before losing his job to freshman Mason Heintschel. He also spent his freshman year at Alabama, so he might not need as much preparation as a normal backup.

Still, there's no substitute for practice. And if Pribula should go down, it would help Holstein to have built a rapport with his new teammates -- especially against some of the better defenses the Cavaliers will face later in the season.

Elliott is no stranger to organizing a successful offense in the ACC. Because practice time is finite, finding the right ratio of preseason snaps to prepare Pribula for his starting assignment and to keep Holstein ready if needed will be a challenge for even an experienced coach.

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