Virginia's updated depth chart projection reveals some interesting camp shakeups

The first week of Virginia football's 2026 fall camp practices has officially wrapped up, and quite a few interesting topics have popped up regarding the current roster construction and overall depth chart.

Today, we're going to dive into some fall camp notes and take a look at what the mid-camp depth chart most likely looks like.

Quarterback

QB - Beau Pribula, Eli Holstein, Cole Geer

Notes: No changes here after Beau Pribula was named the starter during ACC Kickoff.

Running Back

RB - Jekail Middlebrook, Peyton Lewis, Xavier Brown/Solomon Beebe

Notes: Middlebrook seems to have taken over as the starter after a strong spring and first week of fall camp, though Lewis should still get a lot of work on early downs. Xavier Brown and Solomon Beebe are in line to handle a bulk of the workload as the third-down backs.

Wide Receiver

Josiah Abdullah | UVA Athletics/Jamie Holt

"X" - Rico Flores Jr., Dillon Newton-Short, Isaiah Robinson

"Z" - Da'Shawn Martin, Jacquon Gibson, TyLyric Coleman/Dylan Cope

Slot - Kameron Courtney, Tyson Davis, Josiah Abdullah

Notes: OC Des Kitchings and Co. are still trying to figure out the best combination of receivers to roll out with the first-team, but Flores Jr., Martin, and Courtney are undoubtedly the favorites right now. Martin and Jacquon Gibson have lined up everywhere, and true freshman Dylan Cope continues to stand out.

Tight End

TE - Dakota Twitty, Connor Cox, John Rogers

Notes: Cox and Rogers are currently battling for the backup/TE2 role in camp, but Cox's experience and blocking ability likely gives him the edge.

Offensive Line

LT - McKale Boley, Ben York, Jim Harris Jr.

LG - Noah Josey, Cole Surber, Mikey Gildea/Dylan Biehl

C - Drake Metcalf, Ryan Brubaker, Noah Hartsoe

RG - Makilan Thomas, Grant Ellinger, Grayson Reid

RT - Monroe Mills, Alex Payne, Jon Adair

Notes: A couple of coaches have mentioned how well USC transfer Alex Payne has taken to the program and how he's looked in camp, so he could easily leapfrog Jon Adair or even Ben York at left tackle in 2026. Everywhere else is pretty much the same as it was entering camp.

Defensive Line

Anthony Britton | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

BANDIT - Matthew Fobbs-White, Jewett Hayes, Ezekiel Larry (DPR)

DE - Fisher Camac, Nnanna Anywanwu, Billy Koudelka/Justin Townsend

DT - Jason Hammond, Darrion Henry-Young, Chase Morrison

DT - Anthony Britton, Sichan John, Kervins Choute/Jonathan Allen

Notes: Fobbs-White is set to play Bandit in 2026, the same role that Mitchell Melton played last season. One of the biggest surprises of camp has probably been that Jewett Hayes has been running with the first-team unit while Fobbs-White is out nursing his lower-body injury, so it looks like Hayes stepped up quite a bit this offseason. Yale transfer Ezekiel Larry will act as the team's designated pass rusher this season, similar to how DC John Rudzinski used Daniel Rickert in 2025. The coaching staff likes what they see from Sichan John, Darrion Henry-Young, and Chase Morrison inside as well.

Linebackers

Aug 30, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Maddox Marcellus (11) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

MIKE - Kam Robinson, Landon Danley, Justin Rowe

WILL - Maddox Marcellus, Caleb Hardy, Myles Brown

Notes: With Kam Robinson out, we've been seeing a healthy dose of Danley, Hardy, and Brown in camp. Justin Rowe also looks like a completely different player after gaining around 20 pounds since 2025. He carries his 6'2", 240-pound frame very well.

Cornerbacks

Donavon Platt celebrates an interception against Washington State, Oct. 18, 2025. | Courtesy Virginia Athletics

SPUR - Donavon Platt, Corey Costner/Patrick Campbell, Jalen McNair

CB - Omillio Agard, Ja'Maric Morris, Josiah Persinger

CB - Jacobie Henderson, Jam Jackson, Justin Ross

Notes: The cornerback/SPUR spot is incredibly hard to pin down right now, as guys like Donavon Platt and Ja'Maric Morris have been seeing snaps everywhere with Corey Costner out. From the sound of it, the coaching staff wants Platt, Omillio Agard, and Jacobie Henderson on the field as much as possible in 2026, so now that Agard can do fieldwork, Platt has been moved to SPUR/slot corner. There's been a lot of talk about Costner playing SPUR this offseason, but we haven't been able to see it yet as he's still recovering.

Safeties

FS - Brandyn Hillman, Corey Costner, Keke Adams

SS - Ethan Minter, Jaylen Jones/Christian Ellis, Montino Williams

Notes: Virginia has an incredibly deep and intriguing group of safeties, with a plethora of transfers standing out so far. Hillman and Minter are definitely the starters, but Costner, Jones, and Ellis could see lots of playing time in different sub-packages for Coach Rud this season.

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