WATCH: Virginia Running Backs Do Full-Pads Practice Drill

Watch Perris Jones, Mike Hollins, and Cody Brown run though a full-pads drill during Wednesday's UVA football practice

Author:
Matt Newton
Publish date:
Aug 11, 2022 11:45 AM EDT

The battle for the starting running back job has become one of the more intriguing storylines to come out of fall camp for the Virginia football team through the first week of practice.

On Monday, head coach Tony Elliott reported that senior and former walk-on Perris Jones has emerged as a frontrunner for the position, pushing junior Mike Hollins, who has the most game experience in the running back room. Elliott also mentioned Miami transfer Cody Brown, who is still working to get adjusted in the program and learn UVA's system and playbook, but was described as "very talented" by Elliott on Monday.

During Wednesday's practice, which was the first full-pads practice of the fall for the Cavaliers, we got a little more insight into the UVA running back competition as the unit was separated into two groups for a small-scale run-block drill. Perris Jones, Mike Hollins, and Cody Brown were in a group together, presumably as the top three backs on the depth chart as it currently stands for running backs coach Keith Gaither and offensive coordinator Des Kitchings.

Watch the following video to see Jones, Hollins, and Brown run through the full-pads drill from Wednesday's practice:

With a few weeks remaining until the season kicks off, the running back competition will undoubtedly continue to heat up as these backs fight to earn the role of primary running back, a position which should be well-fed this year as Virginia looks to establish a reliable rushing attack.

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