UVA Fans Shouldn’t Forget About This Player Ahead of 2026 Campaign

The Virginia Cavaliers are well into spring football by now, and college football programs across the nation are looking to place themselves in the best possible position ahead of their 2026 campaigns.

During the offseason, head coach Tony Elliott faced early criticism for his lack of movement in the transfer portal, and the names on his roster started to drop like flies. After a slow start, Elliott began making waves in the portal and pulled out some notable transfers. Now, all eyes are turned toward these new faces to see how they handle themselves at Scott Stadium.

However, don't let the Cavaliers' newest additions cause you to overlook their returning veterans. The Hoos are fortunate to have been able to retain some top names this year, who are expected to provide leadership on the field for the Hoos.

Having said that, there's one primary returning player who tends to keep a low profile. Despite this, he provides major impact on Elliott's rising program.

Keep an Eye on Fisher Camac This Year

Virginia Cavaliers Tony Elliott greeting his players on the field — Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Fisher Camac, Virginia's 6'7", 248-pound defensive end, played a pivotal role in UVA's success in 2025. He's widely considered to be one of their best defenders, having recorded 45 total tackles and 4.5 sacks last year. The year prior, while playing for the UNLV Raiders, he logged 46 tackles and 7.5 sacks.

During his latest campaign with the Hoos, he was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for the first time, and he also recorded the best defensive grade of 81.9 as detailed by PFF, per Virginia Sports.

"... I think now it's just the evolution of a couple of different pass rush moves to give him the ability to be, you know, less predictable so that he can be more effective," head coach Tony Elliott stated in reference to Camac, as noted during his recent media appearance. "The one thing that he has that you can't coach is he's got length. And now he's got the, I think, the strength and the power to go with it. And then if he continues to develop the change of direction, I think he'll be a guy that could be a total package kind of guy."

The Cavaliers have a significant quarterback postion battle on their hands, and combined with UVA's exciting new players, some of the veterans, including Camac, tend to slip into the shadows. But Elliott is looking to boost defensive productivity this year, and Camac will likely be a key piece to that puzzle.