Countdown to Camp: Talent and experience aplenty on the D-line

With fall practice just a few weeks away, our annual Countdown to Camp series rolls on today with a look at UVa's defensive front, a group that is arguably the team's deepest and most experienced.

You can check out our previous features on the RBs, the CBs, and the QBs.

The defensive line could, and probably should, be the best unit on the team.

Heading into the season, no group on the roster brings back more experience and production than the D-line. UVa brings back all of its starters from a year ago and all but one of the rotational players. The group of returnees includes a pair of players, Kam Butler and Aaron Faumui, who are now in their sixth years of college football.

A lot of attention will be paid in camp to the offensive line as the staff attempts to rebuild with a new group and a new position coach, but the other side of the line seems quite solidified heading into fall camp. And while the hope is that everyone can remain healthy throughout camp and the season, the defensive front seems built to survive an injury or two, with plenty of playable depth.

Kevin Downing and Chris Slade did a nice job with the defensive line in Year 1 of the new regime and the hope is that they can build on that success this fall.

UVa got a lot of its sack production from the line, a trend likely to continue in 2023.

Under Bronco Mendenhall, the Cavaliers got a lot of the pass-rush production from stand-up linebackers, which makes sense given their exotic blitz packages. Last year, though, UVa got a lot backfield pressure from traditional sources, with defensive ends and tackles providing a good amount of the sacks and quarterback hurries.

Defensive end Chico Bennett led the team with seven sacks in a breakout season for the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket after he missed all of 2021 due to injury. Faumui, the veteran defensive tackle, recorded 4.5, and transfer additions Butler and Paul Akere combined for seven off the edge.

Virginia got just seven sacks from linebackers, with departing middle linebacker Nick Jackson accounting for five of them.

UVa does have a few linebackers that can get after the quarterback, or at least have the traits to develop that skill, but for now, expect the Hoos to get a lot of their pressures from the front.

UVa has a veteran group on the defensive line but also plenty of breakout candidates.

The defensive front seems to have the most solidified group of starters, given their experience and histories of production. Still, there is a significant amount of talent that hasn’t quite been tapped into yet or has been stuck behind the aforementioned veterans.

The first player that comes to mind is defensive tackle Ben Smiley who had high expectations heading into 2022 but ultimately was more of a rotational player. Still, he has upside and was one of the players that NFL scouts had their eye on in fall camp a year ago, for a reason. Add Su Agunloye and Michael Diatta to the list of potential breakout candidates, as both have the size and strength to make an impact up front. Bryce Carter was a four-star recruit when he reclassified and joined the UVa program early, but he’s yet to show us much on the field, mostly because he’s been stuck behind veteran players.

UVa also has a group of young players, including three freshmen additions, who may not make an immediate impact but have the talent to earn playing time if it becomes available. And that’s perhaps what’s holding this group back from breaking out, simply the lack of available playing time.

Devontae Davis: UVa landed the former South Carolina Gamecock late in the transfer portal window last year, looking to add some quality defensive line depth. Davis battled through some injuries in camp and ultimately became a rotational player, playing in six games, recording three total tackles.

Aaron Faumui: The longest-running Cavalier, he came to Charlottesville from Hawaii way back in 2018 and has made a significant impact in the years since. Last season Faumui made nine starts and led the defense with eight tackles for loss. In his UVa career, he has recorded 10.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss.

Chico Bennett: The Virginia native is looking to build on a breakout 2022 campaign where he led the Wahoos in sacks with seven. Bennett also demonstrated a knack for getting to the football, forcing two fumbles in 10 games played.

Kam Butler: Butler was a big transfer addition, joining from Miami (OH) prior to last season. After a bit of a slow start, he started to make a major impact as the season went along and finished the year with three sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. Like Bennett, Butler also forced a pair of fumbles , and also recorded 29 tackles and three QB hurries.

Jahmeer Carter: What Carter does up front may not show up in the stats like it does for edge rushers but it’s every bit as pivotal to the group’s success. He eats up blockers in the middle of the line, and at 6-foot-2, 313 pounds is a handful for interior offensive linemen. Carter finished last season with 29 tackles and one TFL.

Ben Smiley: Smiley didn’t quite have the breakout year that many expected in 2022, but perhaps the hype was just a year early. He played in eight games last season, finishing with 13 tackles, and 1.5 sacks.

Paul Akere: Perhaps the most underrated player on the UVa roster, Akere is a sneaky-good returning pass rusher for the Hoos. He played in all 10 games and finished fourth on the team in sacks with four, and also recorded 22 tackles and a pair of QB hurries.

Su Agunloye: Another force on the interior defensive line, Agunloye rotates with Jahmeer Carter up front and played in all 10 games a year ago. He recorded 20 tackles with a pair of TFL’s and a sack in his third season with the program.

Michael Diatta: The Tennessee native has been a rotational player through the first half of his UVa career but has the potential to have a breakout game or even season at some point. Diatta showed flashes of ability in nine games played last season, including a sack in UVa’s win over Georgia Tech in October.

Jonathan Horton: The Louisiana native has mostly contributed on special teams throughout his Cavalier career but has the athletic profile to become a breakout performer if he can put it all together. Horton forced a fumble on a kickoff against Syracuse, on a brutal hit that jarred the ball loose and helped get the Hoos back in the game.

Bryce Carter: The former four-star recruit has only seen action in five games over two seasons, playing in four last year, recording a single tackle in the loss to Louisville.

Terrell Jones: Jones redshirted last season and then moved inside from defensive end to defensive tackle, where a few teammates noted in camp that Jones has a lot of speed and can be a tough cover for opposing linemen.

Lorenz Terry: The former FUMA product has yet to appear in a game for the Cavaliers in two seasons with the program.

Miles Greene: The younger brother of new UVa DB Malcolm Greene, Miles is one of three signees in the 2023 class projected to play defensive line. He was a standout at Highland Springs, helping to lead his program to a perfect season and state title last year. Greene chose Virginia over a bunch of other offers and probably played a role in getting his brother to transfer in from Clemson.

Anthony Britton: Britton, a 757 product that played at Lake Taylor, had arguably the quietest recruitment of anyone to commit to Virginia in recent memory. Still, his production speaks loudly about his ability, and as a senior he finished the season with a staggering 28 sacks.

Jason Hammond: A late addition to UVa’s recruiting class, Hammond was initially committed to Iowa State before opening up his recruitment and signing with the Hoos in December. He is the latest in a line of Cavaliers from St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida, joining offensive linemen Blake Steen and Dawson Alters on the current roster.