Virginia Football Post Spring Stock Report: Defensive Line

This will probably be one of the most fun units to watch in 2026 for the Virginia Cavaliers. With so many great additions, new players, youth, and veterans thrown into the mix, Virginia should be an elite group on the defensive line. Let’s take a look at the post-spring report and why this should be one of the best units on the team.

Starting Group

Starters: Fisher Camac, Nnanna Anyanwu, Jason Hammond, Anthony Britton

Backups: Sichan John, Zion Wilson, Matthew Fobbs-White, Justin Townsend, Devon Baxter

Out of this group, the most fun to watch will be Anyanwu alongside Camac. That duo could be a problem for opposing offenses next season. Virginia didn’t waste any time in attacking the portal and bringing in a number of defensive linemen to add depth to this group and make it more complete. They have a few players who should make an immediate impact. One is Anyanwu, who has been impressive so far for the Cavaliers in the spring and is turning heads.

“You look at his frame, those frames are very, very hard to find. That 6 '5", 240-to-250-pound guy, that can run. And so those were the things that drew me to him. And then so far, since he's been here, he's just been fun to get to know. And again, he's another one that's eager to learn, wants to be good, and he seems like he's a really, really good team guy,” said head coach Tony Elliot.

NFL Potential

Virginia, unfortunately, didn’t have a player who was drafted in the NFL draft for the first time since 2021, which was very surprising. However, this year, they could have multiple guys who should be drafted in 2027. One of those is Fisher Camac, who is the best player on the defensive line for the Cavaliers. He is massive at 6’7, explosive, and plays with a different tenacity. He could be the next great pass rusher to come through the Virginia program, who is a bona fide NFL prospect, going back to Chris Long in the late 2000s. Camac will need to take a big step forward to have that type of buzz for himself, but his defensive ends coach, Chris Slade, chimed in on what that next step looks like

“I think he has a shot of being really good. He hasn't even reached the ceiling yet. That's the thing about him, the big thing for Fisher, he's got on paper he's exactly what the NFL scouts want. He's 6’6 6’7 about 265. Like I said, he has the look. He's just got a shot of being really good. I think if he's just, he has a few things like they all do to work on, but if we can just get him to play with more aggression, I think that's the big thing right now and use his length and play with confidence. I mean, it's in there. We're just trying to pull it out. Once we can pull that out of him and just get him going and playing, probably playing a little more power, a little more aggression, a little more anger. This is the D-line. I think he has a shot of being in conversation for an all-conference player, in my opinion,” said Slade.

A deeper unit

This unit is loaded, and the Cavaliers won’t have to worry at all about keeping guys fresh throughout the season and rotating in guys who are hungry for reps and opportunities. A couple of guys who could rotate in and get reps are Darrion Henry-Young, Jonathan Allen, Ezekiel Larry, and Kervins Choute. Choute was a late add for the Cavaliers post-spring and after the portal window closed, but he should add to the depth of the unit. Virginia has a number of guys, and this group should make some noise on the defensive line and will be a respected unit in the ACC.

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