Virginia's special teams have a chance to be...special

Even if you're a rabid Virginia fan and you don't know the name Solomon Beebe, don't feel bad. Along with the Cavaliers' ACC rivals, you may get multiple chances to learn about him this fall.

Beebe didn't move the needle as much as several other incoming transfers during the spring, but he has an opportunity to be one of the most impactful newcomers. Before he even plays a single game for the Cavaliers, the junior is already a candidate for a national award.

Beebe, who played two seasons at UAB, is on the preseason watch list for the Paul Hornung Award, given annually to the nation's most versatile player. That came after he rolled up 1,222 all-purpose yards (338 rushing, 284 receiving, 600 on kickoff returns) for the Blazers last fall.

With plenty of depth in the running back room, Beebe's most likely contribution for Virginia in 2026 is as a return man, a spot where the Cavaliers are looking for a successor to the graduate Cam Ross.

"He had a great return in Saturday night's scrimmage," said Keith Gaither, who sees a lot of Beebe, since he coaches Virginia's running backs and oversees its special teams.

Much has been made of Virginia's returning depth and experience on offense and defense, but the kicking game also can play a huge role in deciding wins and losses. Virginia fans need only look back to last season's 16-9 loss to Wake Forest, when the game's only touchdown came on Carlos Hernandez's 88-yard punt return for the Demon Deacons.

That's why the Cavaliers are hoping their depth will allow them to shine in all three phases of the game. They're one of the few teams in the nation that return their kicker (Will Bettridge), punter (Daniel Sparks) and kickoff specialist (Elijah Slibeck).

Bettridge was named to the preseason watch list for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's best place-kicker, after making a school-record 24 field goals in 30 attempts last fall. And Sparks, a seventh-year senior, was a preseason all-ACC choice after setting a school record with a 47.2-yard gross punting average last fall. Slibeck delivered 42 touchbacks on his 69 kickoffs.

"We have three guys that are pretty elite when they're at their best," Gaither said "We're very fortunate."

Now he's got to find a player or players to replace Ross, who returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown against Coastal Carolina last season and averaged 7.8 yards per punt return.

Beebe seems like a natural candidate. He had a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for UAB against Akron last season and an 81-yard scoring run against No. 18 Memphis. He's unlikely to beat out Jekail Middlebrooks, Peyton Lewis or Xavier Brown for time at running back, so Gaither will look to get him on the field somehow.

"We'll line him up as a slot receiver, put him in the backfield. He can cover kicks, he can return kicks," Gaither said.

The job is not guaranteed, though. Gaither mentioned receivers Jacquan Gibson and Da'Shawn Martin and running backs Lewis and Noah Vaughn as potential kickoff returners, and receivers Josiah Abdullah and Kam Courtney among the candidates to return punts. (It's rare to find someone who's good at returning both kicks and punts, which is why Ross was so valuable last year.)

Return men get the glory on special teams, but successful teams also need players willing to block for their teammates and tackle opponents in the open field. That's where Gaither hopes to exploit Virginia's depth among its linebackers, defensive backs, receivers, running backs and tight ends.

Gaither said the NCAA's new "five for five" rule will allow him to use promising freshmen on special teams, now that there's no danger of burning a redshirt season. He mentioned linebackers Derek Uran and Dallas Brannon and receiver Dylan Cope as first-year players who should get playing time on special teams as well as on offense or defense.

"You want to play as many young guys as you can because if you don't play them, they're going to leave [via transfer]," Gaither said.. "So we've got the luxury, we've got a ton of depth."

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