How Should Virginia's 2025 Season Be Graded?

The Cavaliers accomplished a lot of things in 2025, but still came up short in the ACC Championship and did not reach the College Football Playoff

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott enters the field before the game against the Duke Blue Devils during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

By all accounts, the Virginia Cavaliers have had one of the best seasons in school history.

They were given a win total of 6.5 to start the season and they blew that out of the water by reaching 10 wins. They made their first appearance in the ACC Championship since 2019 and were one win away from making the College Football Playoff. The transfer class was largely a huge success, with quarterback Chandler Morris playing like one of the best in the ACC, running back J'Mari Taylor leading the conference in rushing, and multiple defenders helping turn UVA around and make them one of the better defenses in the conference.

However, what was a really good season could have been the best in school history if a couple of more things had gone their way. They had a chance to their first ever outright conference championship and make their first ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. All they had to do was beat a 7-5 Duke squad that they had blown out just weeks prior.

They did not play their best game of the season and were not able to win the championship game. They still won double-digit games and are going to a bowl game for the first time under head coach Tony Elliott, but when you have a chance to have an extra special season, you gotta take advantage because you never know if you are going to get back to the same position ever again.

What grade do they deserve?

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) passes the ball as Duke Blue Devils defensive end Kevin O'Connor (15) and linebacker Luke Mergott (34) pressure in the fourth quarter during the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

When grading each ACC team's season, CBS Sports analyst Chip Patterson gave the Cavaliers an "A" for their 2025 campaign:

"Offseason investments paid off not just with a breakthrough season for Tony Elliott but one of the best seasons in school history. There is obvious disappointment from falling just short of an ACC championship and the College Football Playoff after an overtime defeat to Duke in Charlotte, but this is still just the second 10-win season in program history. Early season wins against Florida State and at Louisville built the confidence that the Wahoos could hang with anyone in the league, and even though the wins weren't always pretty, the winning DNA was real. That's a credit to Elliott and his staff, getting a team with heavy transfer influence on the same page to put together a historic season. Grade: A"

I think an A is completely fair. Wake Forest was the only other team in the conference that was given an "A".

For Elliott to have another strong season, they are going to have to replace a lot of production on both sides of the ball when the transfer portal opens up.