Five bold predictions for Virginia Football In Fall Camp

Fall camp is just two days away — and it will mark the start of the final competition for starting roles and top backups. Coach Tony Elliott has a roster full of competitive depth, which should make for some intriguing position battles as Virginia prepares for its season opener.

Here are five bold predictions for fall camp.

Omillio Agard and Jalen McNair dazzle, earn major snaps

Perhaps the most arduous in-house competition will be at defensive back. There are far too many talented contributors, and limited reps available. Fall camp will be crucial for all those involved. Look for Agard and McNair to stand out and earn significant snaps.

McNair is an athletic playmaker who could be a strong fit in the Antonio Clary role. Agard, meanwhile, could be a starter or at least a primary backup. Both of their previous schools (Buffalo for McNair and Wisconsin for Agard) did not want to lose them this offseason. These two are some of the more underrated pickups the Cavaliers made this offseason.

John Rogers wins battle to be No. 2 tight end, opens up the offense

One of the most important battles this fall camp will be at tight end. Sage Ennis, a crucial component of this offense, is gone. Virginia is in need of an elite blocker who can also be a redzone threat. But what if the Cavaliers go a different direction?

Rogers filled in throughout the second half of the 2025 season to mixed results. Rogers is more receiver than blocker — but he has since added a few pounds and now enters 2026 as a sophomore with experience.

Perhaps a combination of Twitty and Rogers can feature more vertical tight end designs than Twitty and Ennis had. Elliott could shift the 12-personnel designs and maximize the talent his tight ends have. Rogers might be a secret weapon, with more upside than Connor Cox or Lukas Ungar.

Ryan Brubaker earns sixth man role on the offensive line

Virginia’s best five linemen are McKale Boley, Noah Josey, Drake Metcalf, Makilan Thomas and Monroe Mills. Those should be the starters. If any of them miss time, the Cavaliers will turn to their top reserves — Brubaker, Alex Payne, Noah Hartsoe, Grant Ellinger, Ben York or Jon Adair.

Brubaker could be the next man up. Most likely, Metcalf and Thomas would slide inside from right guard and right tackle, respectively. The easiest Plan B for Virginia could be to put Brubaker at center and move Metcalf and Thomas back to their native guard and tackle.

As talented as Payne and the others are, Brubaker has SEC experience and veteran status. The biggest detriment to Brubaker is his injury history. He could wind up being a steal from the portal this offseason.

Peyton Lewis steals return reps from Solomon Beebe

When Virginia added Beebe from UAB, the assumption was that he would inherit Cam Ross’ returner snaps. Athlon Sports named Beebe Second Team Preseason All-ACC as a kick returner. However, there is no guarantee that Beebe takes every return opportunity.

Lewis is an athletic specimen with elite north-south speed and above-average strength. If Jekail Middlebrook ends up becoming the starting running back, it could behoove the Cavaliers to find other ways to get Lewis involved. A possible solution is to have Beebe and Lewis split return reps — perhaps Beebe as the punt returner and Lewis as the kick returner.

Dylan Cope plays his way onto the field

Virginia has a logjam at the wide receiver position — but no one is completely entrenched as a starter. It would not be impossible for Cope, a talented freshman, to vault up the depth chart and emerge as the fifth or sixth receiver.

As five in five defines the latest trends in college football, freshmen will no longer redshirt. The Cavaliers will want to get their rookies involved somehow. Cope should stand to benefit, even on a team that expects to contend for the ACC Championship.

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