Five Key Takeaways From UVA’s Signing Day Press Conference With Tony Elliott

What did UVA's head coach Tony Elliott have to say during his signing day press conference?

Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott looks on during a timeout against the Missouri Tigers during the second quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

National Signing Day came and went in the blink of an eye. Between recruitment and use of the transfer portal, the Virginia Cavaliers are looking quite steady ahead of their 2026 campaign. Head coach Tony Elliott recently sat down with the media for a signing day press conference and shared his thoughts on his updated roster.

During the press conference, Elliott weighed in on the players he brought to UVA, those he retained and his general level of confidence heading into the season. Having said that, here are five key takeaways from the conference.

1. Elliott Is Valuing Skill Over Age

Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

When it comes to college football, age does not always dictate the skill level of a player. In fact, some of the most promising athletes on the field are the young guns who weren't expected to thrive as much as they have. Elliott emphasized playing the ones who are the most skilled, regardless of age. This mindset plays out in favor of his less-experienced athletes who are seeking out opportunities on the field. As Elliott stated during his media appearance:

"I think the messaging inside the program is, man, the best player's going to play. So it doesn't matter what your age level is. If you're the best player, you're going to play. I think when you look at it from a high school perspective, you have to take into consideration how quickly that young man gets to the field. How quickly can you project him to get on the field?"

2. There’s Confidence in His Wide Receiver Room

Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Kameron Courtney | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers were incredibly fortunate to be able to retain Kameron Courtney and Jahmal Edrine, and even more so because they landed Da'Shawn Martin, Rico Flores Jr., Jacquon Gibson and Tyson Davis. Between the two returners and four new acquisitions, Elliott appears to have confidence in this area.

"The guys who transitioned on, you didn't want to see it. But it makes sense, and for me, as long as it makes sense, then I can live with it. But then once you find out what attrition you're gonna have, then you've got to go attack and replace, and so I feel like we brought in four really good players that are going to help us. I don't know exactly what we have until we get them out there in our system and watch them run around and in the schemes that we ask them, but I like them so far, watching them work and watching them run these last couple of days. I like the skill set. Now we'll just have to see how it all plays out. Come together, and then it creates a great opportunity for the young guys who are in our program. All of our first years played last year for us, and we're excited about their potential, and then we were able to get Kam Courtney to stick around and come back, and so I like the group as a whole."

3. Retention Was Key

Virginia Cavaliers offensive lineman McKale Boley | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Having a roster filled with not only experienced players but also experienced players who are already accustomed to a given program is a major benefit for teams. Although Elliott faced a substantial amount of loss this offseason, he was able to hold onto a few notable names. This was a high priority for the Cavaliers once the portal opened, but he also lost a handful of players simply because they were out of eligibility.

"Man, it was critical, retention, because it's not just the player that you're keeping in your program, but you're keeping your program in your program, so to speak, right? So now the guys that have really helped build the culture, like when you look at on the offensive line, you got (McKale) Boley coming back, you got (Noah) Josey coming back, you got Monroe (Mills), Makilan (Thomas), man, we're hopeful that maybe we can get a couple other guys pending waivers to be able to come back," said Elliott. "So you're keeping not only the talent, but you're keeping the culture in-house. And so that was critical to make sure that all the guys that we could retain, we were able to retain them. And then we really focused more on the defensive side of the ball in the trenches because that's where we had the biggest amount of natural attrition."

4. Elliott Faced More Loss Than Expected

Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Bottom line, every college football program is going to face at least some loss to the transfer portal each year. However, Elliott lost more than many expected this time around; it didn't take long for his players to start dropping off the roster. Of course, much of that has to do with outside voices influencing the players, as Elliott explained. Players are looking for more opportunities, and sometimes that requires them to commit to another program.

"I think you can go back and nitpick and say, yeah, well, we might have, could have gotten two more targets for this guy, another target for that guy, but that's extremely hard to do when you're trying to win ball games," he stated. "I think the challenge is going to be going forward because guys want to play, right? Guys want to play. And then there's also some influences outside the program that their voices are becoming louder for the young people."

5. Stars Align for Beau Pribula, Eli Holstein and UVA

Missouri Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Virginia's quarterback room was up in the air with three entering the portal and starter Chandler Morris having been denied an additional year of eligibility. Major gaps were left on Elliott's roster, and they needed to be filled rather quickly. With the additions of Missouri transfer Beau Pribula and Pittsburgh transfer Eli Holstein, the UVA is now equipped with a reliable quarterback room. During Elliott's press conference, he weighed in on what led up to their signing.

"... as we got toward the end of it and we got a little bit of clarity of the direction that the situation with Chandler was headed, we just kind of put our cards on the table, and it was what they were looking for. And I think having a chance to come in and visit and see it and feel it and understand the culture that we have established in our locker room sold the guys and their competitors, and they were looking forward to it, the opportunity to go compete. And they're going to bet on themselves. And they trusted that we were being transparent and truly had an opportunity to compete. And I think that's how it came about."