Three reasons Virginia football is more talented than narratives suggest

The Cavaliers are closer towards continued success than a major setback

Virginia records the game-sealing safety against Washington State. | Courtesy Virginia Athletics

In ESPN’s Football Power Index, Virginia is ranked sixth in the ACC — a notable step back from an appearance in the ACC Championship game. Additionally, many outlets do not have the Cavaliers as a preseason-ranked team. 

It would not be crazy for coaches, players, media, fans, alumni, students and others to ask one great big question — why?

Virginia has experience, high-end talent and the momentum to be a highly competitive football team in 2026. The Cavaliers may perform much better than naysayers expect. There are three big reasons why Virginia is closer towards another stellar season rather than a significant step backwards.

The most experienced roster in the country

Virginia has the most experienced team in the nation. It features ample continuity and graduate transfers. But what does that mean? In short, the Cavaliers will probably be a well-disciplined team that seldom commits penalties. They will also likely be a team that performs well in the fourth quarter (as opposed to crumbling under pressure) and a team that does the little things well.

Conversely, all of Virginia’s opponents feature significantly fewer starts and snaps on their rosters. Experience counts — especially if a 24-year-old lineman is matched up against an 18-year-old college rookie. The impact might not define a game, but it will certainly be felt.

Offense built to succeed

A lot of negative discourse around Virginia stems from doubts about Beau Pribula. However, the Cavaliers do not need their new signal-caller to dominate. Pribula is in an ideal situation in which he is protected by one of the nation’s most experienced and skilled offensive lines. He also has a sextet of promising running backs in the stable. 

If Virginia has an offensive line that is bigger, stronger, and more agile than opposing defensive lines, and great running backs, why wouldn’t its offense thrive?

Schedule is not all that challenging

Look at Virginia’s schedule this year. It only faces four teams with a winning record in 2025. Yes, teams like Virginia Tech and Syracuse should improve. But at the moment, the Cavaliers have a strong chance to beat every team on their schedule — save for a tough task at SMU.

The question does not lie in where the wins will come from. Instead, when looking at this relatively titan-free schedule, the better question is where multiple losses will come from. Overall, Virginia’s body of work is worthy of a preseason ranking. Future success should preemptively warrant a prefix too.