A lot of us have optimism about the 2025 UVA Football team, but those on the outside look at our optimism and think we’ve lost our damn minds.
The ACC media has the ‘Hoos finishing down the bottom of the conference, the ESPN FPI has us finishing in the area of 6-6 against an absurdly easy schedule.
No respect.
My optimism is based on the decision of one guy: Chandler Morris.
The sixth-year QB chose Virginia over the likes of Ole Miss and Oklahoma State, two places where they play big boy football.
Morris could have been the guy for a squad that just missed the CFP last year at Ole Miss, could have tapped into the oil money at OK State.
He chose Virginia.
A lot of other portal studs joined him.
ICYMI
- UVA Football | A lot of ‘cat and mouse’ trying to figure out Coastal Carolina
- UVA Football | Notes, press conference quotes, depth chart for Week 1
There’s depth on the lines, in the secondary, at wideout, in the backfield.
With apologies to the kids who were out there the past couple of years, this is the best team that $30 million in NIL could buy.
The budget being what it is, the focus now is getting it done on the field.
I’m of the mindset that it’s good that there are 54 new guys on the 2025 roster.
Those guys weren’t 11-23 in the first three years of the Tony Elliott era.
They’re 0-0.
Five things to watch for
#1 | Chandler Morris
The aforementioned.
Morris passed for 3,774 yards and 31 TDs last year at North Texas, his third stop (Oklahoma, TCU).
Morris didn’t come here thinking he was going to run for his life, like the QBs of the past two years, Anthony Coleandrea and Tony Muskett, had to.
There’s veteran talent and depth on the O line, and there’s talk – as there is every year – about a running game maybe finally getting some steam.
Morris looks like an NFL QB; we haven’t had a guy who looks like an NFL guy in a while – maybe since Matt Schaub?
That’s forever ago.
#2 | The burners and the big target
Good luck keeping up with speedy wideouts Cam Ross and Trell Harris.
Having to account for two burners should open up the field for 6’3”, 221-pound wideout Jahmal Edrine, or vice versa – having to account for a big, physical wideout should open the field for the burners.
#3 | J’Mari Taylor
The grad transfer from North Carolina Central might be the best tailback in the ACC.
#4 | Depth, experience, size on the D line
D line coach Chris Slade has 11 guys on his two-deep for the four slots up front.
The group includes three grad students, four seniors.
Three 6’4” guys, a 6’5” guy, a 6’7” guy, and a 6’8” guy.
#5 | Size in the secondary
The starting corners are 6’4” (Jordan Robinson) and 6’3” (Emmanuel Karnley).
The starter at nickelback is 6’2” (Ja’Son Prevard).
The starters are safety are sturdy (Ethan Minter is 6’0”, 200; Devin Neal is 6’0”, 214).
The size should help in the run game, and we should win our share of 50/50 balls.
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Chris Graham
