Tony Elliott’s Virginia program just won an enormously consequential audition

The Cavaliers put on a show, and it came at the absoute perfect time

Aug 29, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott exits the field following the game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Atkins-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Like it's hard to describe, but you know it when you feel it,” Tony Elliott said. “Feel it when you feel it.”

In the first domestic Power Four game of the 2026 college football season, Virginia beat the brakes off of NC State. It was a complete 34-8 domination — and there are several takeaways. There is one that stands above all the rest as downright essential, though. 

Nearly 100 high school prospects were in attendance to watch the Cavaliers excel.

These players were on the sidelines and in the stands as every single position group made important plays. These recruits witnessed an ocean of orange as Virginia sold out Scott Stadium for the first time since 2008. They observed as the Cavaliers put on a ringing endorsement for their program.

“Several years ago when we showed up here as a staff, this is what we envisioned that it felt like pregame,” Elliott said postgame. “You know, when you got folks in the stands, it's buzzing. Students are already packing the Hill. When you come in on the buses, you see people everywhere tailgating. I mean, heck, you got Shaq in town. It just felt right.”

Scott Stadium, according to many, felt like a place that hosts an ACC contender. The Hill was packed with screaming students in orange. Virginia claimed a record student attendance Saturday. Players (and recruits) felt it.

Brandyn Hillman, once a coveted in-state recruit and recently a Michigan Wolverine, transferred home to UVA this offseason. He has played in packed stadiums in the Big Ten on several occasions. He offered an endorsement for his in-state flagship school.

“So just to trust within Coach Elliott, and the culture in UVA, like you don't really get too much better than this,” Hillman said postgame. “[The] school's great, football's great, everything's great. The people here are great. That's what made me come back home, I ain't gonna lie.”

The Commonwealth of Virginia is a talent-rich recruiting state, one often owned by Coach James Franklin — now the head coach of Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers are going to need to start keeping more Virginian stars home as opposed to those players choosing Big Ten and SEC giants.

An 11-3 season (and a promising 2026 season) would go a long way towards securing high-profile commitments. Elliott is building something in Charlottesville — and it starts with recruiting.

“Hopefully [Saturday] proves to everybody what we're capable of here at the University of Virginia,” Elliott said. “You could feel it in the atmosphere pregame and my hope is that every time we show up, Scott Stadium, that's the energy that we create because truly you can see now the guys feed off of it and they play to that energy.”