Everything that you need to know about Virginia's offensive line entering fall camp

Fall camp officially begins on Wednesday (7/29) for the Virginia football program, and though there are definitely questions in the wide receiver room heading into camp, the Cavaliers' offensive line is undoubtedly the most seasoned and talented overall unit on the team.

With a projected starting five that has played over 11,000 career snaps and started a combined 162 games, UVA has the most experienced offensive line group in the nation.

Let's take a quick look at all 20 players in the team's offensive line room:

Returners:

McKale Boley (GR Student) — Boley is undoubtedly one of the leaders of the Cavaliers' offensive line and is entering the 2026 season having started 36 career games for Virginia at left tackle. He's consistently one of the highest-rated offensive linemen in the ACC when it comes to pass blocking, and he could end up being one of the top offensive tackles the program's ever had when it's all said and done.

Ben York (RS So.) — York has silently been a very valuable piece of UVA's offensive line. Not only has he solidified himself as the backup left tackle, but OC Des Kitchings has often used him as a sixth offensive lineman in short-yardage situations due to his above-average run-blocking skills.

Monroe Mills (GR Student) — After missing the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL that he suffered in spring camp last year, it appears that Mills is back to full health and ready to dominate at right tackle in 2026. He came to Virginia as the top-ranked OT in the 2025 transfer portal, and he was a 31-game starter for Louisville and Texas Tech from 2022-2024.

Jon Adair (RS Fr.) — Adair was impressive as a true freshman last season, playing in six games and showing the ability to play both left and right tackle. He has good size (6'5", 308 Lbs.) and movement skills, and could potentially be the top swing tackle for UVA in 2026 if the coaching staff values his pass protection skills over Ben York's.

Noah Josey (GR Student) — Josey has been pancaking ACC defensive linemen since the moment he stepped onto the field against Louisville in 2021. Since then, he's started 42 games at left guard for Virginia, and is the longest tenured Cavalier in the offensive line room. With great seasons in 2026, Josey and McKale Boley could both hear their names called fairly early in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Cole Surber (RS Jr.) — Surber has been a reliable backup at offensive guard over the past two seasons, and he'll continue holding down that role in 2026 behind Noah Josey and Makilan Thomas.

Grayson Reid (RS Fr.) — Reid has been impressive in practice for the Cavaliers, showing the versatility to provide quality snaps at both center and guard. He could compete for one of the top rotational or depth-level roles in 2026 if someone like Cole Surber or Grant Ellinger can't solidify themselves in fall camp.

Makilan Thomas (GR Student) — Like Monroe Mills, Thomas was slated to see starter-level snaps last year before missing the entire season with an injury that he suffered in practice. He started at both left and right tackle for Arkansas State before transferring to UVA in 2025, with the plan of moving inside to offensive guard. As of right now, it looks like Thomas currently has the inside track to start at right guard in 2026 with a clean bill of health.

Grant Ellinger (RS So.) — Ellinger is someone whom former OL Coach Terry Heffernan recruited very hard to Virginia in 2024. He appeared in all 14 games in 2025 and is a stalwart on special teams, but he hasn't seen much game action along the offensive line yet. That could change this year, as he looked great in the spring and could lock down the backup right guard spot heading into 2026.

Dane Steele (RS Jr.) — Steele joined the program as a walk-on in 2023 after earning All-State and All-Conference honors at Covenant Day School in Charlotte, NC. His last name may sound familiar to UVA football fans, as his father, Gary Steele, played at Virginia from 1988-1992. He's only appeared in four regular-season games since joining the team, but Steele has been a crucial piece of the team's scout team offensive line.

Drake Metcalf (GR Student) — Metcalf started 14 total games along the Cavaliers' offensive line last season, 11 at right guard and 3 at center (Florida State, Louisville, and Washington State). He officially moved to center full time this offseason and should continue to work as the starter in fall camp.

Noah Hartsoe (GR Student) — Hartsoe played in all 14 games last season as the backup center and will compete for that role again in fall camp with incoming transfer Ryan Brubaker.

Dane Wleklinski (Jr.) — Wleklinski was a higher-end 3-star recruit for Tony Elliott and Co. in the 2024 class, but he hasn't really lived up to the hype yet. He's only appeared in 6 total games for Virginia after being a priority recruit for programs like Duke, Cincinnati, and West Virginia. Let's see if he can make some headway in the offensive tackle rotation in 2026.

Jim Harris Jr. (So.) — Harris Jr. was one of the program's more intriguing offensive line recruits in 2025. He didn't play much as a true freshman, but he looked impressive in limited snaps at left tackle against William & Mary last year. He has good size (6'5", 295 Lbs.) and decent technique already, which bodes well for his outlook at UVA going forward.

Will Rosen (Jr.) — Rosen is another former walk-on who's been a valuable scout team player at offensive guard, and he's worked at center on occasion in practice when needed.

Newcomers:

Ryan Brubaker | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Alex Payne (RS Fr.) — Payne was one of Virginia's top incoming transfers this offseason, making the move from USC to UVA as a former blue-chip offensive tackle recruit. He obviously has a ton of upside and could be a valuable rotational tackle in 2026, with a possible leg up in the competition to start at offensive tackle in 2027.

Ryan Brubaker (GR Student) — The coaching staff entered the transfer portal period with the goal of adding a high-quality player capable of providing depth at both center and offensive guard. It looks like they accomplished that goal with Brubaker, who might be locked into the backup center spot as long as he can edge out Noah Hartsoe in camp.

Dylan Biehl (Fr.) — Biehl is a very intriguing offensive guard prospect who's apparently gained 15-20 Lbs. since being on Grounds this year. He's very strong and was a dominant offensive tackle at Lambert High School in Georgia over the past couple of years. Though he'll reportedly play offensive guard at Virginia, he certainly shows the above-average footwork to play on the outside if needed.

Mikey Gildea (Fr.) — Gildea was a top-notch offensive lineman at The Hun School in Princeton, New Jersey, in 2025. He played both guard and tackle during his high school career, and he was an elite run blocker, which should translate easily to the collegiate level. He'll begin his career at offensive guard for new UVA OL Coach Joey Orck, and he could break into the 3-deep as a true freshman.

Luke Hatfield (Fr.) — The in-state offensive guard from Haymarket, VA, was the Cedar Run District Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 and was a 3x All-District honoree. Very few offensive linemen have won the District OPOY Award, and he's the first blocker to win it since 2021. He's powerful and absolutely dominated defenders at the point of attack in the run game; he'll just need to work on the technical aspect of pass protection at UVA.

What will the initial two-deep look like?

	STARTER	BACKUP
LT	McKale Boley	Ben York
LG	Noah Josey	Cole Surber
OC	Drake Metcalf	Ryan Brubaker
RG	Makilan Thomas	Grant Ellinger
RT	Monroe Mills	Jon Adair

Biggest question mark

Will Makilan Thomas and/or Monroe Mills look rusty in 2026?

With how good Virginia's offensive line currently is, there really aren't many questions here. As long as Makilan Thomas and Monroe Mills don't have any setbacks with their injuries (broken foot and ACL tear, respectively), then the only thing to potentially "worry" about is their initial in-game performance following the injuries.

Thankfully, UVA has a couple of games against lower-end opponents such as Norfolk State and Delaware during the first month of the 2026 season, so Thomas and Mills could have some leeway in case they start off slow this season. Let's just hope they can knock the rust off early, as the Cavaliers undoubtedly have the talent to make another ACC Championship run in 2026/2027.

Bottom line

UVA has one of the top-ranked offensive line units in all of college football heading into the 2026 season, and as long as they perform like they should, Virginia fans could end up watching one of the best offensive line units that the program has ever had.

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