As the calendar has turned to May, spring football is in the rear view and the season itself slowly approaches. Before we know it, the Wahoos will be opening fall camp and then getting ready for their season opener against Tennessee on September 2.
UVa has plenty of questions to answer before that game, most notably who will be the starting quarterback when the season arrives. Coming out of spring ball it seems clear that, while the coaching staff isn’t tipping its hand, transfer signal caller Tony Muskett is the odds-on favorite to be QB1.
In the Spring Game game, he made his informal Cavalier debut, completing 11 of 14 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. It’s just a spring game and he wasn’t perfect, but Muskett looked comfortable in Des Kitchings’ scheme and didn’t seem like a player that had just arrived on Grounds.
Muskett seems to be confident in his abilities and fit at UVa, and that started with learning the schemes from Kitchings and QB coach Taylor Lamb and executing on the practice field.
“I’m very comfortable,” he said this spring. “I think for the most part I’m a fast learner. Coach Lamb and Coach Kitchings, they’ve done a tremendous job teaching me the ins and outs of it. They teach me one, what my assignment is, but then also why and how they want me to do that, so how it all works together.”
Despite playing a good deal of college football to this point, Muskett still had to adjust to life at Virginia and get acclimated with new schemes and teammates. Starting quarterbacks are expected to lead, especially those that are upperclassmen. Muskett feels like he’s made strides in that regard since arriving in Charlottesville.
“In terms of growth, I think from a leadership standpoint back at Monmouth after my first or second year I was an established leader, he explained. “But now as a transfer you have to work for that and establish that on a daily basis. But I enjoy that because these guys are awesome and we have so much to play for. So from that standpoint I think I’ve definitely grown and it’s awesome to see in myself and also see all the other guys rise up as well.”
Muskett feels comfortable in UVa’s system and there seems to be some momentum for the offense coming out of spring ball. Both sides of UVa’s spring teams moved the ball effectively and scored points, which could be a sign of improvement to come. Muskett credits that growth to the offensive players being more comfortable in the schemes in year two of the Tony Elliott era.
“Honestly I think this spring has been amazing for our offensive group,” Muskett said. “You saw a glimpse of it today. Guys are flying around, we’re having fun. That’s the biggest thing I’ve noticed. I was able to watch with Coach Lamb and Coach Kitchings a lot of film from last year, even the spring game from last year. And it kind of looked like guys were a little hesitant. That’s expected when you’re working in a new offensive system, everyone is going to be a little confused at first.”
Quarterback play is dependent on many factors, including that player’s own ability. But the passing game usually only goes as far as the blocking and skill talent will allow and, according to Muskett, both the line and the skill players have demonstrated improvement in the spring.
“Just the growth, especially with the offensive line; they’re blocking tremendously,” Muskett said, when asked where UVa’s offense had improved in spring ball. “I had all day back there today. In practice, I’ve been clean. The run game, as you saw late in the second half there, they’re playing extremely well. And then when you’ve got guys like JR (Wilson), Malachi (Fields), Malik (Washington), all of those guys are stepping up making huge plays, and you see the offense produce. And that’s the way it’s been all spring. It’s been awesome to be around.”
Muskett capped his first drive last month with a 63-yard touchdown pass to JR Wilson. There were plenty of yards after the catch but the score was set up by Muskett, who threw a perfect deep ball down the middle. Virginia’s offense needs big plays like that one and Muskett said that the Hoos have been working on the vertical passing game quite a bit.
“I’m very confident in it,” he said of his deep ball. “I think it might just come from [playing] a lot of snaps of football in college and in high school. I’ve played almost every type of game situation. I know when you can take a shot and when it’s not smart to take a shot. I always have confidence in these guys because as JR was saying, we’ve been very successful throwing the ball downfield this spring. And that’s a credit to the offensive line for protecting it and getting the run game going so those defenders have to play up and give us the over-the-top throws. And also credit to the receivers because they’re getting open, they’re making plays. Like you saw today, any given time, they can take it for six to the house.”
All eyes will be on UVa’s QB competition in the fall and then eventually on whomever wins that battle and takes the field for the Cavaliers in September.
While Muskett will be under the microscope if he wins the job, he’s fine playing the role of distributor and allowing the talent around him to make plays in space.
“One thing I love about playing quarterback, a lot of people think it’s about you; obviously if you lose it’s blamed on you and if you win you get the credit, but in my eyes I don’t think that’s how I want to treat it,” Muskett explained. “I think of myself as a point guard. I have so many skill players out there, Malik, Malachi, JR, Demick (Starling), Jaden (Wilson). They can all make great plays. So when my O-line does what they do, and they protect well and we run the ball well, it’s just my job to get them the ball in space.
“They're great athletes, I don’t even know if I can jump and touch the rim anymore,” he added. “They’re the ones out there making the great plays and running super far. So whatever I can do to get them the ball in space and let them shine, that’s what I’m going to do.”
While it seems there was plenty of growth between the lines in spring ball, the program is also healing and attempting to grow together given everything the kids and staff have been through and the fact that there are so many new faces in key places.
According to Muskett, UVa’s players embraced the challenges of spring football and appear to have a positive mindset with summer approaching.
“It’s striking the energy I feel every day. Like I said, I’ve played a lot of college football, and these guys bring a ton of energy, especially on the offensive side of the ball,” the former Monmouth QB commented. “Nobody is perfect; those days when I come out and I’m a little sore or tired, dudes pick you up. There’s always someone that’s getting you going. When you have a lot of guys like that, your offense is going to be very successful and score a lot of points.”
While the spring is a time for growth, now it’s time to build on those gains, and get ready for the season opener. And while kickoff against the Vols in Nashville is drawing closer, Muskett thinks the offense still has plenty of room to grow between now and the opener.
“We still expect to push the envelope because it’s only April and we don’t play until September,” Muskett said of the offense. “We’ve got a few months here where we’ve got to really lock in and keep on pushing the envelope and come September 2nd against Tennessee we’re ready to play at a really high level.”
