Three UVA Players to Watch on Saturday When Virginia Takes On NC State

Here are three players to watch this Saturday when Virginia takes on NC State

Aug 30, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Cam Ross (6) carries the ball to score a touchdown against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers during the second half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Virginia started the season off with a resounding win over Coastal Carolina last week and now face a much bigger test on the road against NC State. The Wolfpack are of course a conference opponent, but this game does not count in the conference standings. It will be a crucial test for both teams and both programs could use a win on Saturday.

Heading into Saturday, who are the three players to watch for on Virginia?

1. QB Chandler Morris

Aug 30, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) throws the ball to Cavaliers wide receiver Jahmal Edrine (7) during the second quarter against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

It was a good debut for transfer quarterback Chandler Morris. He was accurate and efficient leading the Cavaliers offense, but he went down in the third quarter of the game and did not return. Morris is back practicing and head coach Tony Elliott expects his full effort this Saturday:

"My expectation is to play his tail off. We're gonna need him, and he was back in practice yesterday in full go. And so my expectation is that he has a great week of prep and he's ready to go and brings his best game."

Elliott said that he loved the way that Morris played on Saturday:

"Yeah, you just showed maturity was, you know, it took us a couple of drives to really settle in. You got a group of pretty much new guys playing together, but I thought he did a good job of settling in, and once he got settled, he was able to distribute the ball, manage the system, and put together some scoring drives. Loved to see him go down feet first right there, but that's what you love about him is he's such a competitor. He was that close to the goal line, and even down on the field when I got to him, he had a little bit of a sense of humor. He said that wasn't very successful. But he's like, Coach, I was so close, and all I saw was the goal line. So I think we got to see the competitor, but then also we got to see a little bit of the gamesmanship of what he can do as a veteran quarterback."

NC State has a solid quarterback, but UVA might have the advantage in this one if Morris plays well.

2. RB J'Mari Taylor

Dec 17, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Central Eagles running back J'mari Taylor (36) straight arms Jackson State Tigers safety Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig (7) during the second half during the Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

For all of the good things that Virginia did last week, running the ball was not one of them. The Cavaliers had 164 yards on 43 carries, which equals out to less than four yards per carry.

I think the ground game for Virginia has the potential to be a lot better than what it showed, and I expect a bounce-back game from running back J'Mari Taylor. Taylor was the lead back coming into the game, but he only had 32 yards on 10 carries. Taylor and Xavier Brown can be a good duo in the backfield but they will need to perform better on Saturday.

3. WR Cam Ross

Aug 30, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Cam Ross (6) scores a touchdown against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Who doesn't want to see the follow up that Cam Ross has in store on Saturday?

For the performance that Ross had on Saturday, he has been named both the ACC’s Receiver and Specialist of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday (Sept. 2). Ross is the first player in program history to receive both honors during his UVA career.

Ross was sensational in Virginia’s 48-7 season-opening win over Coastal Carolina (Aug. 30), totaling an ACC-best 224 all-purpose yards. He returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, which tied the longest kick return in program history and marked UVA’s first kickoff return score since 2019. He was one of only two Power 4 players to record a 100-yard return in Week 1. Ross also hauled in seven catches for 124 yards and a touchdown to notch his fourth career 100-yard receiving game, the most of any Cavalier on this year’s roster. His 224 all-purpose yards ranked third nationally in Week 1.

In addition to his recognition from the ACC, Ross, who graduated from St. John’s College High School (Washington, D.C.), was named the DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Football Player of the Week. He was also named to Pro Football Focus’s ACC Team of the Week as a wide receiver.

Ross has started off his year with a great start and will look to continue that on Saturday in Raleigh.