Five Questions for Virginia Football Entering Fall Camp

Our five most burning questions for the UVA football team to answer during fall camp

Author:
Matt Newton
Publish date:
Aug 3, 2022 1:17 PM EDT

In this story:

Tony Elliott, Virginia Cavaliers head football coach — Tony Elliott and the Virginia Cavaliers begin fall camp this week.
Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

The race is on for Tony Elliott and his staff to prepare the Virginia Cavaliers for the 2022 college football season, which begins in precisely one month. As UVA begins fall camp this week, there are endless questions for the Cavaliers to answer as they roll towards the season opener against Richmond on September 3rd.

Today, we narrow it down to our five most burning questions the Virginia football team needs to answer during fall camp:

1. What will be the state of the offensive line?

This one is a no-brainer. And we covered the topic extensively last week as we broke down what UVA offensive line coach Garett Tujague said about his unit ahead of fall camp. This is undoubtedly the biggest question mark for the Cavaliers this season. How far along can Tujague get this group by the time the season starts? Who will end up being the starting five and how is the depth? A functioning offensive line could be all that stands between Brennan Armstrong and the UVA offense having another record-breaking season.

2. What will the quarterback depth chart look like?

Speaking of quarterbacks, obviously the return of Brennan Armstrong makes the position of quarterback the one in which UVA has the most confidence coming into this season. The bigger question mark is what the depth chart will look like behind him. Jay Woolfolk won the backup job last season and ended up starting in a big game against Notre Dame when Armstrong went down with a rib injury.

But that was last season.

Since then, UVA has changed coaching staffs and Jay Woolfolk spent the better part of the spring with the Virginia baseball team. Woolfolk was a valuable contributor for the Hoos on the diamond, serving as a reliable hard-throwing arm out of the bullpen, but what did it cost him in terms of re-earning the backup quarterback spot? Of course, Tony Elliott, offensive coordinator Des Kitchings, and quarterbacks coach Taylor Lamb will not be awarding positions on the depth chart based on last season or the assessments of Mendenhall's coaching staff. There are now nine quarterbacks on the UVA roster, including junior Jared Rayman and January enrollee freshman Davis Lane Jr., who both got the chance to practice with the team this spring. Is there a chance that someone else could beat Woolfolk out for the backup spot?

3. What will the UVA defensive scheme be under John Rudzinski?

The state of the Virginia defense is also a major question mark, probably second only to the offensive line. UVA returns some starters and other solid contributors on that side of the ball, but the Cavaliers also fielded a defense that ranked 121st (out of 130 Division I teams) in total defense - yards per game allowed - in the 2021 season.

New defensive coordinator John Rudzinksi, who came to UVA after spending the last 14 years at Air Force, has kept his plans for the Virginia defense pretty close to the vest so far. We haven't heard much beyond that the Cavaliers will be "multiple" on defense, meaning they will have a few different looks/schemes they can implement depending on the opponent or game situation. Rudzinski and the UVA defensive coaches have not shied away from the team's glaring weaknesses from last season, firmly acknowledging that missed tackles and big plays were the achilles heel of the 2021 Cavaliers. How much Virginia improves in those areas will determine the success of this program in year 1 of the Tony Elliott era.

4. How are Virginia's returning injured players?

Tony Elliott provided an injury report ahead of fall camp, informing the media that four players - sophomore wide receiver Malachi Fields, fifth-year running back Ronnie Walker Jr., junior kicker Justin Duenkel, and freshman wide receiver Dakota Twitty - will miss fall camp due to injury. While those losses are not insignificant, having the rest of the roster close to 100% healthy is certainly a blessing as the Hoos prepare to start the season. Associate head coach Marques Hagans noted that fall camp is the time that makes him the most nervous because injuries are inevitable and they are most unfortunate when they occur during camp with the season right around the corner.

There are a few specific players to keep an eye on with regards to injury status as they return from significant injuries suffered last year. Fifth year receiver Billy Kemp IV underwent surgery on his left leg in mid-December. Perhaps the most underrated member of UVA's elite receiving core, Kemp's value in the slot, on special teams, and as a leader on this team cannot be overstated. Virginia is better with him on the field.

This fall will also mark the highly anticipated return of Lavel Davis Jr., who burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2020 before missing all of last season with an ACL injury in spring 2021. Davis had 515 receiving yards and five touchdowns on just 20 catches in 2020, ranking 1st in the ACC and 2nd in the nation with an average of 25.75 yards per reception. Having Lavel Davis Jr. return to what was already a top five receiving unit in college football has to be a scary sight for opposing defenses. If Davis can return to his first-year form, he has the potential to be a superstar.

Finally, fifth-year running back Ronnie Walker Jr., who suffered a serious injury in early April and missed all of spring football, is reportedly on track to make a return in late September. How much will we see him workout with the UVA running backs in fall camp and where will he find himself on the depth chart when he makes his return?

5. Which transfers will have the greatest impact?

We'll be going more in depth on Virginia's impact transfers in a future article, but today we ask how much of an impact will UVA's transfers have on both sides of the ball?

On the defensive line, grad transfers Kam Butler (Miami Ohio), Jack Camper (Michigan State), and Paul Akere (Columbia) are all experienced and could be asked to make big plays early in the season. On offense, Miami running back Cody Brown as well as offensive linemen John Paul Flores (Dartmouth) and Andrew Canelas (Lehigh) could find spots near the top of the depth chart depending on how fall camp plays out.

On special teams, UVA could be looking at Minnesota transfer Daniel Sparks to serve as the starting punter and Wisconsin receiver Devin Chandler could factor into Virginia's return game as well.

Stay tuned to CavaliersNow for extensive coverage of fall camp as we march towards the start of the Virginia football season.

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