UVA Football: ‘Hoos land four-star defensive lineman from Alabama

UVA Football picked up a four-star defensive lineman from Alabama – yes, Alabama – off the transfer portal on Monday.

Hunter Osborne, a 6’4”, 298-pound redshirt freshman, was a Top 300 player nationally in the Class of 2023.

His offers out of high school included Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Clemson, Miami, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Auburn.

Virginia was somehow on this list as well. I’m sure he gave UVA a lot of serious thought two years ago.

(Eye roll.)

This is another sign of UVA having money to spend on football.

Osborne is going to get some serious cash, and snaps – he only got 19 in his two years at ‘Bama, none in meaningful game action.

Losses

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The Virginia D line room is losing, to graduation:

• Kam Butler (692 snaps, 43 QB pressures, two sacks, 73.1 Pro Football Focus grade)
• Chico Bennett (604 snaps, 29 QB pressures, two sacks, 68.1 PFF grade)
• Jahmeer Carter (581 snaps, 12 QB pressures, one sack, 63.0 PFF grade)

And then, to the portal:

• Michael Diatta (311 snaps, one sack/five QB pressures, 62.4 PFF grade)
• Ben Smiley (235 snaps, 12 QB pressures, one sack, 53.3 PFF grade)
• Bryce Carter (35 snaps, one QB pressure, 56.4 PFF grade) are all in the portal

The rebuild

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The top returning guys:

• Anthony Britton (446 snaps, 10 QB pressures, two sacks, 56.7 PFF grade)
• Terrell Jones (282 snaps, nine QB pressures, 57.3 PFF grade)
• Jason Hammond (141 snaps, two QB pressures, one sack, 59.3 PFF grade)

Pickups from the portal:

• Cazeem More (2024 at Elon): (540 snaps, 38 QB pressures, six sacks, 76.7 PFF grade)
• Jacob Holmes (2024 at Fresno State): (416 snaps, 28 QB pressures, four sacks, 70.4 PFF grade)

Status report

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Things are looking good.

Still could use some depth.