Tony Elliott Says No Quarterback Change is Coming for Virginia Right Now

Beau Pribula had another tough game on Saturday against Florida State, but head coach Tony Elliott says that Pribula's job is safe for now

Oct 3, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Beau Pribula (7) throws the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Beau Pribula left Missouri and came to Virginia, everyone knew the kind of quarterback he was. Whether it was with the Tigers or Penn State, Pribula was known as a talented runner who had a hard time reading defenses and making tough throws from the pocket if they were not schemed open.

Pribula could not have had a better start to the season. He ran for over 100 yards against NC State and was 9-11 through the air, throwing a pair of touchdowns. But even in that game against the Wolfpack, it was pointed out that Pribula did not have to make any difficult throws and players were schemed wide open. If defenses could take away his legs, could he make them pay?

In the other two games against Power Four competition, the answer has been no. West Virginia limited Pribula on the ground, and he could not make them pay through the air. On Saturday against Florida State, it was the same. There was a lot more that went wrong than just Pribula playing poorly, but it was shocking to see the offense be so ineffective against what has been one of the worst defenses in the ACC this season.

Despite all that, UVA head coach Tony Elliott said on Tuesday that the Cavaliers are not interested in making a quarterback change right now:

"10 sacks.. is that all on the quarterback? No, he missed two throws, right? And so if you're going to change the quarterback then I need to change a lot of other positions."

Elliott said after the game on Saturday that he thought about inserting Eli Holstein into the game, but he never did.

He is not wrong.

The offensive line got a lot of attention heading into this season and rightfully so. They are one of the oldest units in the country and they were one of the ACC's best last season. That has not been the same so far in 2026.

Not only that, but the running game has been disappointing. This was supposed to be a deep and talented running back room, but nothing has been able to click so far. The wide receiver room was a big question mark coming into the year and those questions have been justified. Nobody has been able to separate and be a consistent weapon for this offense and help out the passing game.

But given the state of the ACC, after Miami that is, there is still time for this team to get right and get back to Charlotte to play for the conference championship and Elliott echoed that on today as well:

"If we play like we're capable of playing, we can win every game left on our schedule."

For that to happen, Pribula and the rest of the offense need to get going and get going quickly. They will have a chance to show improvement is being made on Saturday when they host Syracuse, who comes into the game with a record of 2-2.