FIve what-ifs for the 2026 Virginia football season

Every football team enters each game with a thorough game plan. But bad things happen, and the best-laid strategies can go out the window thanks to factors that are out of a coach's control: an ill-timed injury, inclement weather or just a bad bounce.

Virginia seems prepared to defend its 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title, but the Cavaliers will certainly encounter some adversity in that bid. Here are five what-if scenarios that could complicate matters, along with plausible solutions:

1. What if Beau Pribula gets injured?

A sidelined quarterback is arguably the biggest blow a team can suffer. Virginia's lone regular-season ACC loss in 2025 came against Wake Forest after Chandler Morris was knocked out with a concussion. And Pribula himself missed two games last fall at Missouri with an ankle injury (and later sat out the Tigers' Gator Bowl loss to Virginia).

Fortunately for the Cavaliers, Eli Holstein also transferred in and competed for the starting quarterback job in the spring. He has starting experience at conference rival Pitt, where he was a five-time ACC Rookie of the Week in 2024, and began his career at Alabama.

Holstein opened the 2025 season strongly, throwing four touchdown passes against Duquesne and Central Michigan, but struggled against West Virginia and Louisville and was replaced by true freshman Mason Heistchel. The Cavaliers hope they won't need him in anything more than mop-up duty, but if not, they'll hope experience brings maturity.

2. What if Kam Robinson's not back to full speed?

Robinson seemed poised for all-ACC honors last season as a junior, but the dynamic linebacker missed the first three games with a collarbone injury, then tore his ACL in a November victory over Duke and sat out the rest of the season. He still made quite an impact, returning two interceptions for touchdowns and ranking third on the squad with 64 tackles in just eight games.

ACL tears can be tricky, taking up to a full calendar year to completely heal. Players like Robinson who rely on speed can find it frustrating if their explosiveness doesn't immediately return.

By all accounts, Robinson is progressing nicely and could be ready for the season opener against N.C. State. Even if he's not, an otherwise forgiving early schedule should allow defensive coordinator John Rudzkinski to ease him back into action. Even at less that full speed, Robinson should be among Virginia's best defenders. Until he's ready, senior Landon Danley will take a bigger role.

3. What if the freshmen aren't ready?

Expecting an 18-year-old to play a significant role on a Power Four conference team is a big ask, and Virginia's high school recruiting class isn't one of the ACC's most highly regarded. Still, a few true freshmen normally earn significant playing time, even on veteran teams.

Fortunately for Tony Elliott, his team has more experience -- nearly 40,000 combined collegiate snaps, according to a CBS Sports survey -- than any team in the nation. Barring a plague of injuries, getting contributions from freshmen like receiver Dylan Cope or linebacker Derek Uran would be a luxury.

4. What if the defensive line struggles?

Virginia already suffered an off-field setback when Zion WIlson, a massive transfer defensive tackle from East Carolina, was declared ineligible by the NCAA. He subsequently signed a free agent contract with the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.

Rudzinski had hoped that Wilson would be a run-stuffer. Without him, that responsibility falls to returning starter Jason Hammond and backup Anthony Britton.

A big part of Virginia's defensive success in 2025 stemmed from a strong run defense that forced opponents into obvious passing situations. Keeping opponents behind the chains is vital to taking the heat off a talented secondary that may take time to find cohesion.

5. What if Virginia suffers an early ACC loss?

Last season's Week 2 loss to N.C. State didn't count in the ACC standings, and Virginia won its first five league games. Another trip to Charlotte is possible, but in a 17-team conference, teams can't realistically afford more than one league loss if they hope to advance.

Again, this year's schedule doesn't feature contenders Miami, Clemson or Louisville, so Virginia won't often be an underdog, especially early on.

And if it's any value, the Cavaliers showed some real resilience last year. Each of their three losses was followed by an impressive performance in their next outing: a 55-16 romp over William & Mary after losing to N.C. State, a 34-17 thumping of Duke after the Wake Forest setback and a 13-7 decision over Missouri after dropping the ACC title game in a rematch with the Blue Devils.

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