Cavaliers Now

Looking at the Long-Term Future of Virginia's Quarterback Room

Aidan Baller|
Bjorn Jurgensen will join the Hoos in the Fall of 2025 alongside Cole Geer as the two will begin the battle with Daniel Kaelin for the starting quarterback spot in 2026.
Bjorn Jurgensen will join the Hoos in the Fall of 2025 alongside Cole Geer as the two will begin the battle with Daniel Kaelin for the starting quarterback spot in 2026. | Marquis Jackson

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Virginia Cavaliers

The transfer portal and NIL have created an unpredictable environment that makes it extremely difficult to predict the year-to-year outlook of a football team. For Virginia football, the last few years and months have been a whirlwind regarding the quarterback room. So, with UVa resetting its quarterback situation through the transfer portal last month, let's look back at the past of UVa's quarterback room while also predicting the future of the most critical position on the field. 

The transfer portal threw the Virginia QB room its first wrench after the 2022 season when Brennan Armstrong chose to hit the transfer portal after spending a year under Tony Elliott and Des Kitchings, which saw his production drop significantly. Armstrong, who threw for 4,449 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2021, only threw 2,210 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022. With the significant decline, Armstrong jumped to NC State to reunite with his former play caller, Robert Anae. 

The departure left a massive void in Charlottesville. In response, Tony Elliott and his staff gained the signature of Tony Muskett, who joined the Hoos after spending three seasons at Monmouth. Muskett joined the program in the spring of 2023 alongside freshman Anthony Colandrea, a three-star quarterback from St. Petersburg, Florida. The Cavaliers also added Gavin Frakes from New Mexico State after the 2023 season, although the transfer has yet to see any game time.

Despite Muskett being the planned QB1, Colandrea impressed in spring football and fall camp, creating what Elliott called a quarterback competition before eventually announcing Muskett as the starter for the Hoos' opening game against SEC powerhouse Tennessee in what was considered a "neutral site" contest in Nashville.

Against Tennessee, Muskett suffered an injury that caused him to miss the next three games. In relief, Colandrea stepped into the fold, showcasing his talent and fearlessness to launch the ball. With a similar player comparison to Jameis Winston, Colandrea threw for 911 yards, five touchdowns, yet six interceptions in his first three games as a starter. Despite the interceptions, Virginia fans viewed Colandrea for the positives and what he could be if he cleaned up his play down the road. 

Throughout the 2023 season, Muskett continued to start when healthy but missed considerable time, only starting in six games, which included a poised performance in a 31-27 road victory over No. 10 North Carolina and a win against William and Mary. In relief, Colandrea earned the third and final win of the season, a 30-27 win over Duke, where he threw for 278 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions before the Cavaliers were blown out by Virginia Tech in the season finale with Colandrea once again at the helm. 

The mixed bag of performances left Elliott with a decision to make with both quarterbacks returning, but after an intense fall camp, Colandrea emerged victorious, winning the starting job. Colandrea started the first 11 games but showed a decline, creating frustration amongst Virginia fans. The sophomore did not throw for more than 160 passing yards in each of his final five games. For a team that started 4-1, entered the final week of the season 5-6, in search of the team's first bowl eligibility since 2021. 

Looking for a boost entering the Virginia Tech game, Tony Elliott gave the starting nod to Tony Muskett, who, despite showing some promise, failed to provide the spark the offense needed as the Cavaliers suffered a 37-17 loss in Blacksburg. Despite the benching, Elliott had complete confidence in Colandrea returning in 2025 to reassume his starting duties. 

But Colandrea had other plans; with the news dropping a day after the loss to Virginia Tech, the sophomore would enter the transfer portal with two years of eligibility, sending shockwaves across the Virginia fanbase that was later followed by the optimism of a new era. 

With a multi-million dollar donation to the UVA football program, Elliott and his staff went right to work acquiring two quarterbacks, Chandler Morris with one year of eligibility remaining and Daniel Kaelin with four years remaining. 

Morris joined Virginia after starting his career in Oklahoma, spending three years at TCU, and this past season in North Texas. Morris has thrown for over 6,000 yards, 47 touchdowns, and only 17 interceptions over his collegiate career and is the expected starter for the orange and blue in 2025. 

Read more about Morris: Chandler Morris QB Highlights | Meet UVA Football's New Quarterback

Kaelin, who spent a year sitting at Nebraska, joins the Hoos this spring and, with the ability to learn the offense, could make him the expected backup in 2025 behind Morris. 

So, the depth chart for 2025 is concrete and obvious, but in 2026, that's where things get tricky. 

This past December, UVa signed two incoming freshmen quarterbacks, Bjorn Jurgensen and Cole Geer, who will arrive on Grounds this summer. Since the two will be a few months behind Kaelin, they will serve as deep reserves for this upcoming season and most likely redshirt. So, with three quarterbacks arriving to be the program's future, a potential three-way quarterback battle for 2026 that will begin this fall will be important to follow throughout this season as the three are evaluated side-by-side. 

The advantage points to Kaelin having an extra year of collegiate experience, but it is truly anyone's game heading into 2026. It should also be noted that any or all of these players could enter the transfer portal, forcing UVa to find another talent to be its QB1 down the line.

Either way, this is one of the most promising quarterback rooms that Virginia has had in years; the question now is if the Virginia coaching staff can convert these players with such high potential into stars.

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Aidan Baller
AIDAN BALLER

Aidan has been writing for Virginia Cavaliers On SI since January of 2023 and covers UVA football, basketball, men's soccer, and men's lacrosse. He is from New York and is currently in his fourth year at the University of Virginia, enrolled in the M.S. in Accounting program.

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