UVA Football coach Tony Elliott told reporters on Monday that star linebacker Kam Robinson will be out at least the first two weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured collarbone.
The injury had occurred earlier in preseason camp, with the initial X-rays indicating nothing overly concerning. However, a follow-up CT scan showed a minor hairline fracture, which the medical people felt was best repaired with surgery.
Said Elliott: “The best thing to do was just to go ahead and get it fixed now, as opposed to waiting for the season. We anticipate he’ll be down for a couple of weeks. I think he gets the stitches out this week, then he will go back into conditioning.”
Although Virginia went out and brought in depth through the transfer portal, having a healthy Robinson on the field is better than not.
Robinson started 19 games over the past two seasons for UVA, and he was on the field for 503 snaps in 2024, with 79 tackles, 16 QB pressures, four sacks, an INT and a forced fumble.
In the absence of Robinson, Trey McDonald is expected to step into a starting role in defensive coordinator John Rudzinski’s 4-2-5, alongside veteran James Jackson (403 snaps, 47 tackles in 2024).
Eastern Kentucky transfer Maddox Marcellus (704 snaps, 108 tackles, one PBU, two INTs, eight QB pressures in 2024), Stevie Bracey (missed 2024 with injury) and redshirt freshman Myles Brown will also get more reps.
McDonald, a senior, saw plenty of action last season for Virginia, recording 63 tackles on 490 snaps, and he was awarded the team’s 12th Man Award.
A manageable early-season schedule that includes home games with Coastal Carolina and William & Mary, and a non-conference road trip with NC State sandwiched in between, should help ease the transition without Robinson.
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