What does the Chandler Morris Decision Mean For UVA's Quarterback Room in 2026?

Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris was hoping to gain a 7th year of eligibility by suing the NCAA, but his preliminary injunction was denied and his collegiate career appears over now. Morris had a very good season for the Cavaliers last season, guiding them to the ACC Championship and nearly the College Football Playoff.

This was a decision that was planned for though and Virginia was not caught off guard in the slightest. Earlier this offseason, they added former Missouri starting quarterback Beau Pribula through the transfer portal as well as former Pittsburgh starting quarterback Eli Holstein. Virginia is going to have two former starting quarterbacks with plenty of experience ready to take over and even if Morris was able to get another season, it was not a guarantee that he was going to be the starter for Virginia next season.

Looking forward

Nov 22, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula (9) throws during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

While it is still an ongoing competition, it seems fair to view Pribula as the favorite to land the starting job. He was rock solid at Missouri last season, flashing dual-threat upside, something that Morris did not provide Virginia. If UVA's running back room is as good as I think it could be, then Pribula's legs being added to the offense could make the Cavaliers a dangerous running attack.

It was probably not an accident that Pribula was throwing at Virginia's pro day recently and head coach Tony Elliott was impressed:

"Yeah, I thought from the perspective that I saw is I really just focused on the practice aspect of it, and I thought he did a really good job. I was out there for a majority of pro day, and then I had some obligations from a media standpoint with ACC Network, and so I missed his actual throwing session. So I hadn't heard he did what he needed to do for those guys. But in terms of practice, You couldn't tell that he had done that early in the day."

Morris brought a lot of intabgibles to Virginia, in terms of leadership and experience and it is still too early to say that Pribula or Holstein is going to be what Morris was in that regard, though I am pretty sure they will get there.

Virginia brought back a lot on the offensive line and some of their impact players on defense are returning as well. This is a team that is hoping to make it back to the ACC Championship game, which is not an unrealistic expectation. Morris is not going to be the quarterback again though and now the full attention can be shown to Pribula and Holstein as they battle to be the next quarterback for the Hoos.