Ten questions Virginia football must answer as it opens training camp

Preseason camp is a time for optimism across college football. Every team is undefeated and has high hopes that could get quashed at some point by injuries, losses and plain bad luck.

Virginia largely managed to avoid adversity in 2025, when the Cavaliers set a school record with 11 wins (including a Gator Bowl triumph over Missouri) and won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.

With the nation's most experienced roster, Tony Elliott has the makings of another contender. But like all coaches, he and his staff have questions to answer as they prepare for a consequential season opener Sept. 28 at home against N.C. State. Here, in no particular order, are 10 of the most compelling ones:

1. Can they run it back?

Elliott and his staff did their best to parlay last season's success into a productive offseason, in the NCAA transfer portal (with 30 veteran newcomers), improved high school recruiting and, perhaps most importantly, continued investment from alumni and donors.

Momentum can be a real thing, but it doesn't necessarily help you block, tackle or win a game in the following season. Each team starts essentially from scratch each summer, and veteran players may realize that more than their younger teammates.

A forgiving schedule that doesn't include ACC heavyweights Miami, Clemson or Louisville gives the Cavaliers a chance to return to the ACC championship game. But they'll have to earn it and avoid overlooking any opponent, regardless of its record.

2. How's Kam Robinson's knee?

This one may hold the key to the entire season. There's no question that the senior linebacker is the most talented and dynamic player on Virginia's roster, but he's recovering from a torn ACL in November that caused him to miss the ACC title game and the Gator Bowl.

At last week's ACC Kickoff media event, Robinson admitted that for the first three months of his rehab, he wasn't seeing the desired results and became frustrated. But he has shown dramatic improvement lately, so much that Elliott predicted he may be available to chase down N.C. State quarterback CJ Bailey in the season opener.

Robinson was a bit less optimistic himself, but said he hopes to play against the Wolfpack. He's not likely to be at his full explosive self immediately, but even at 80 percent, he can help a defense that ranked second in the ACC in scoring defense in 2025 while he missed six games.

3. Is Beau Pribula the real deal?

Virginia fans missed a chance to see Pribula in action for Missouri in the Gator Bowl, which he sat out after entering the portal. He had some outstanding moments and some less-than-stellar ones in his one season for the Tigers after transferring from Penn State, throwing 11 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

Pribula, who beat out Pittsburgh transfer Eli Holstein to enter fall camp as QB1, gives offensive coordinator Des Kitchings a bigger, faster and more mobile option than Chandler Morris, who thrived in the offense last season. He'll also work behind a veteran offensive line (more on that later). If he can find a rhythm with a new receiving corps, he could be in for a strong senior season.

4. Who will Pribula throw to?

Virginia's top four receivers from 2025 in terms of receptions and yards are gone. Trell Harris' transfer to Oklahoma and Jahmal Edrine's dismissal on sexual assault charges turned what could have been a strength into a question mark.

There are plenty of candidates, but few with head-turning pedigrees. Rico Flores Jr. has the size (6-2, 211) and background (having played at Notre Dame and UCLA) to be the go-to guy, but he's never been his team's No. 1 target and focus of opposing secondaries.

Returning slot receiver Kam Courtney joins transfers Da'Shawn Martin (Kent State), Jacquon Gibson (UMass) and Tyson Davis (Western Michigan) and true freshman Dylan Cope in competing for playing time at the other two spots. Kitchings also likes to use his tight ends, so Dakota Twitty could also factor in.

5. What's the running back pecking order?

Last season, J'Mari Taylor established himself as the Cavaliers' workhorse, running for 1,062 yards and 14 touchdowns. Harrison Waylee (556 yards, six scores) provided a strong change of pace.

This time, transfers Peyton Lewis (Tennessee) and Jekail Middlebrook (Middle Tennessee) figure to split the carries. Neither has Taylor's power, but Lewis is fast and Middlebrook is versatile. Returnee Xavier Brown also plans to have a say before things are settled.

If Kitchings can cobble together a rushing attack similar to the one that averaged 178.7 yards per game last season, Pribula won't face as much pressure as he might otherwise.

6. Will the offensive line be as good as advertised?

Very few good football teams have bad offensive lines. On paper, at least, the Cavaliers have an outstanding one with five projected graduate student starters having a combined 162 college starts.

But a successful offensive line requires communication, teamwork and sacrifice. And Virginia has a new position coach in Joey Orck, who hopes to build on Terry Heffernan's success.

If newcomers Monroe Mills (who missed last season with an injury) and Makilan Thomas form a cohesive unit with returnees McKale Bole, Noah Josey and Drake Metcalf -- and if they can stay healthy -- Virginia's offense can be potent, even with all the new skill position starters.

7. Who'll provide the pass rush?

As with many offensive statistics, Virginia's two top sack producers from 2025 (Daniel Rickert with 6.5 and Mitchell Melton with 5.0) graduated. Senior Fisher Camac had 4.5 but, like Flores on offense, will become the primary focus of the opponent's blocking game plan.

Like many other positions, there's a slew of transfers hoping to make their mark: Nnanna Anyanwu (UTSA), Devon Baxter (Michigan), Kervins Choute (UConn), Matthew Fobbs-White (Baylor), Ezekiel Larry (Yale) and Justin Towsend (Columbia). Larry led the Ivy League with 10.5 sacks in 2025.

Robinson is also a dangerous blitzer. Defensive coordinator John Rudzkinski would love to get a consistent four-man rush and unleash Robinson and an occasional defensive back strategically. In its three losses last season, Virginia managed just one total sack. In a league with several top quarterbacks, the rush needs to be consistent.

8. Can the secondary mesh?

Only two ACC teams allowed fewer passing yards per game than Virginia (195.6) or fewer touchdown passes (145) last season. Only two had more interceptions than the Cavaliers' 14.

Two starters are back: safety Ethan Minter and cornerback Donovan Platt. There's no shortage of transfers looking to uphold that tradition, led by former Michigan safety Brandyn Hillman and former Wisconsin cornerback Omilla Agard.

Like the offensive line, a successful secondary requires communication and trust. Summer camp will offer a chance for this athletic group to get to know each other.

9. Will the special teams be special?

Last season, Daniel Sparks enjoyed the best statistical punting season in school history, averaging 47.2 yards per kick. Will Bettridge converted on a school-record 24 of 30 field goal attempts and all 49 of his PATs. Virginia held opponents to 15.4 yards per kickoff return.

Sparks can be a field position flipper, and Bettridge is almost automatic from 45 yards and in, although he's never hit from 50. If the Cavaliers can find a dependable return man and improve their punt return coverage, they could leave opponents with long fields.

10. Will the transfers blend well again?

It's not an exaggeration to say that last season's class of 31 transfers helped save Elliot's job after three sub.-.500 seasons. Led by Morris, Taylor and Devin Neal, they seized the opportunity to do big things in their final college season.

There are 30 veteran newcomers this year, and again many will be trusted with similarly big roles. It's up to Elliott and his staff to integrate them into his program and get them to buy in. If they're successful in that goal, this team has a chance to produce back-to-back winning seasons for just the second time in the past two decades.

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