What we learned and which questions remain as Virginia fall camp wraps

Wednesday, Virginia fall camp officially concludes — and formal preparations begin for the season opener against NC State. Much has been learned about these 2026 Cavaliers this offseason, although there are still plenty of questions floating around. Here is what was learned from fall camp, and which burning questions have yet to be answered.

How will targets be divided?

The general pecking order of wide receivers has been determined — Rico Flores Jr., Jacquon Gibson, Da’Shawn Martin and Kam Courtney are the clear top four. The order and target distribution, though, remains unclear. Will the speedy Flores command the lion’s share of targets, or will Beau Pribula spread the ball around to the reliable Gibson and dynamic Martin? Has Courtney's starting role in the slot been snatched by Gibson? The season opener will provide some answers.

A majority of positions will have a committee approach

With the exception of quarterback, offensive line, kicker and punter, expect several players to get involved at each position in 2026. This was always the expectation for the running backs, but it now applies to the front seven and skill positions as well. Tony Elliott and both of Virginia's coordinators have expressed that they want to get as many players on the field as they can over the course of each game.

Who sees time at linebacker?

Elliott has praised Caleb Hardy and some freshmen linebackers, but that back end of the depth chart is still unclear. If Kam Robinson, Maddox Marcellus or Landon Danley miss time, who will step up at the linebacker position?

Derek Uran, Dallas Brannon and other underclassmen will be vying for limited snaps — but also the opportunity to be the next man up if called upon. That cohort still has a lot to prove.

There is a limit to rotations at key positions

Even though there will be loads of competitive depth, there is a limit to sharing snaps. John Rudzinski said he aims to get about four cornerbacks involved each week, while Des Kitchings mentioned there may be four to six wide receivers who consistently see the field. That means that some talented veterans are going to reside on the sideline a lot more often than they would like.

What does Des Kitchings have up his sleeve?

Virginia’s offensive coordinator likes to experiment, especially in short yardage situations. He has tinkered with designed quarterback runs and direct snaps to the running back before — but the 2026 packages have not been displayed during the media viewing period.

Pass-catching running backs could be in style this season, especially given that Jekail Middlebrook and Solomon Beebe are prolific receiving backs. Xavier Brown has shown the ability to run explosive wheel routes as well. The Cavaliers should have plenty of tricks in their back pocket this season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google