Three Virginia Players Who Saw Their Stock Rise in the Win Over William & Mary

Who impressed the most in the dominant 55-16 victory?

Sep 13, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Harrison Waylee (21) celebrates with Cavaliers defensive back Ja'Son Prevard (10) after scoring a touchdown against the William & Mary Tribe during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Hoos coaching staff allowed a lot of the depth chart to get valuable, early-season reps in the week three victory. A lot of athletes on both sides of the ball were able to show the coaching staff how the work in the off-season and during practice paid off.

Let's see who saw their stock shoot up the board with the opportunities they were given against The Tribe.

1. RB Harrison Waylee

9️⃣7️⃣ 𝐘𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒.

Longest run ever for Virginia Football belongs to @hwaylee02 😤#GoHoos 🔶⚔️🔷 pic.twitter.com/dNOmstE7qk

— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) September 14, 2025

Not only did Harrison Waylee rip off the longest rush in UVA football history (97 yards) -- he led the way for a rushing attack that finished with just under 380 yards. The Wyoming transfer cracked the 100-yard mark for the first time as a Cavalier. Plus, his three total scores marked a career high.

Waylee also finished with a PFF grade of 76.8 in across 15 snaps -- the 7th highest on the entire Hoo's offense. What is even more impressive is how the grad transfer managed to dominate with such a crowded backfield. Eleven players tallied at least one rush, while six rushed for 20 yards in the win.

2. RB Noah Vaughn

Noah Vaughn is another running back who put together a stat sheet that jumps off the page. Vaughn finished with 101 yards on the ground, including a 54-yard explosion, despite leaving the game early with an ankle injury. He finished his day with an average of over 12 yards per attempt.

The Tennessee native's 170 yards through three weeks already surpassed his yardage total from 2024 (120). He has also reached that mark in 14 less rushing attempts, good enough for an average of 7.7 yards per rush. Even though it is still early, that is a jump of over four yards per attempt compared to last year.

Head coach Tony Elliott weighed in on having two running backs fighting their way up the depth while also having one of the nation's top rushers so far this season in J'Mari Taylor.

"It's just a competitive group, and what they're doing is they're embracing the competition, and it's making each one of them better. Really, I'm at a place where you can throw any one of them out there. To me, it doesn't have to be a certain one."

3. DE Billy Koudelka

Sep 13, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers defensive end Billy Koudelka (93) runs onto the field prior to the game against the William & Mary Tribe at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

While the offense is getting most of the shine in the 55-16 victory, it is important to highlight the moments the defense stepped up.

Sophomore DE Billy Koudelka appeared in just four games as a walk-on freshman last year. Although he came into the season as the second backup at Bandit DE, he is getting more opportunities to have an impact on the field.

Koudelka notched UVA's first solo sack of the season against The Tribe, tying his total from last year. He also is halfway to his tackle total from all of last season as well.

Not to mention the Lynchburg product measures in at an impressive 6'8" and 255 pounds. The high school multi-sport athlete was blessed with the natural gifts necessary for being a successful edge rusher.

Koudelka will continue to learn from veteran edge rushers Mitchell Melton, Fisher Camac and Cazeem Moore.