Three Players To Watch On Saturday Night When Virginia Hosts Its In-State Rival Virginia Tech

Virginia has a chance to clinch an ACC title berth with a win over its rival Virginia Tech at home at Scott Stadium. It's been a great year for the Hoos under head coach Tony Elliot and hthey have a chance to finish the regular season off the right way. Let's take a look at some key players to watch.

1. Chandler Morris

latest — Nov 1, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) warms up before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Morris was a big-time transfer portal acquisition from North Texas this past offseason. Since coming over, he has been a big part of the resurgence of the Hoos program. Morris has thrown for 2,404 yards and 14 touchdowns. His veteran presence has also played a big part and been key in unlocking the passing game this season. Morris had his second 300-yard game of the season against Duke and threw two touchdowns. Morris ranks top 40 in QBR this season with a 68 quarterback rating. His head coach talked about Morris and what he has meant to the team.

"Yeah, and he spoke to the team after practice yesterday. I let each one of the captains speak throughout the course of the week, and he talked about the importance of this game, playing in Scott Stadium for the last time, how important that is to him and to a lot of the guys that have been here before him. It's a game of significance. It's a state championship. It's a rivalry game.

It's one of the goals on our goal board. When we have five, it's one of the team goals. So there's a lot of significance, and I don't think he's thinking about playing well in this game for anything outside of this building. He wants to play well in his game because he loves his teammates. He understands the importance of the rivalry for all of the folks associated with Virginia football and support Virginia football. And he wants to play well in his last go-round."

2. J’Mari Taylor

Taylor needs just 73 yards to hit the 1,000-yard mark for the second time in his career and first time with Virginia. He leads the ACC with 917 rushing yards and is second with 13 touchdowns, only behind Haynes King. He’s been a bright spot for Virginia this season after spending a big part of his career with North Carolina Central. He’s been a bright spot for the Cavaliers this season and is playing some of his best football as of late. In his last three games, Taylor has rushed for 336 yards and four touchdowns. In a big win over Duke, he rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns. He’s continued to battle despite being banged up and has come up big for the Cavaliers all season.

"First of all, available. He finds a way to stay healthy. Even though he's banged up a little bit, he is available. And then on Saturday, no matter how he's feeling, he just plays. And then I think his ability has really come to light, especially at this level in this league. His ability to make people miss, his ability to run behind his pads, his ability to have the vision to find the cuts,” said Elliot.

“He's just a competitor. And so being available every single day, he's a competitor, and he enjoys playing football. And he shows up every day ready to work and get back."

3. Ethan Minter

The sophomore safety has gone overlooked for a good part of the season for the Hoos, but has been a valuable contributor on defense. This season, he has 42 tackles, two passes defensed, and an interception. He has recorded four or more tackles in his past three outings for Virginia. An area of his game where he has been elite this season is his tackling. Don’t just take my word for it. According to Pro Football Focus, Minter has an 82.7 tackling grade, which is the third-highest on the team. He has also been an excellent run defender, which bodes well for the Cavaliers when they have to stop the run against Virginia Tech. Minter has a 76.3 grade. With the changes at the linebacker position, the Hoos will need their defensive backs and defensive line to help complement the team and continue to play at a high level defensively. Monter is one who could have a big game on Saturday.

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•Virginia Cavaliers Release Depth Chart Ahead of Matchup vs Virginia Tech

•Virginia Linebacker Kam Robinson Out For The Rest Of The Season

•Predicting Where Virginia Will Land in the Latest CFP Rankings