Home UVA Football: Elliott names Anthony Colandrea starting quarterback
Football, Sports News

UVA Football: Elliott names Anthony Colandrea starting quarterback

Chris Graham
anthony colandrea
Anthony Colandrea. Photo: UVA Athletics

UVA Football coach Tony Elliott has named Anthony Colandrea the starting quarterback, after a battle in training camp with last year’s Week 1 starter, Tony Muskett.

Colandrea had a 62.4 percent completion rate and 87.5 NFL passer rating as a true freshman in 2023, throwing for 1,903 yards and 12 TDs, with nine INTs.

The three-star recruit from the Tampa-St. Pete area stepped in at two different junctures as the starter after Muskett, a fifth-year senior in his second year at UVA, went down to injury.

In his first career college start, in Week 2 against JMU, Colandrea was 20-for-26 for 377 yards and two TDs, with one INT, in a 36-35 loss.

Colandrea had one other 300-yard game, passing for 314 yards and a TD in a 31-24 loss at #9 Lousiville on Nov. 9.

A week later, Colandrea led Virginia to a 30-27 upset of Duke, going 21-of-30 for 278 yards and three TDs.

Muskett had come into training camp as the favorite to get the QB1 spot. In six starts in 2023, the Monmouth transfer had a 62.7 percent completion rate and 82.5 NFL passer rating, throwing for 1,036 yards and six TDs, with five INTs.

ICYMI


anthony colandrea tony muskett uva football
Photos: UVA Athletics

 

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019, and Team of Destiny: Inside Virginia Basketball’s Run to the 2019 National Championship, and The Worst Wrestling Pay-Per-View Ever, published in 2018. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].