Countdown to Camp: UVa has questions to answer at RB

Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in an our annual series of position breakdowns as we look at the depth, players in the mix to start, and potential breakout candidates heading into UVa’s 2024 season. You can read the previous breakdowns by clicking the links below:

Quarterback

When Tony Elliott and his offensive staff arrived in Charlottesville there was a lot of discussion about how the offense could become more multidimensional and less reliant on the passing game. There was a lot of talk about how the running game could be more potent and how that success would allow UVa to better finish games. But through two seasons, the production on the field hasn’t matched that vision.

For the second straight year, the Wahoos rushed for less than 4 yards per carry in 2023. The ground attack included 454 runs for 1,412 yards and 14 touchdowns, with a 3.12 yards per carry average. UVa rushed for 100+ yards in seven games, but exceeded 4 per carry in just four contests. It’s not a coincidence, either, that their three best rushing games were their three wins: 221 yards on 45 rushes against William & Mary, 228 yards and three touchdowns on the ground against UNC, and 170 yards and a rushing touchdown against Duke.

UVa used a running back by committee approach last year, with no back exceeding 400 yards, or 125 carries. Perris Jones led the Hoos in rushing with 392 yards on 76 carries and was by far the most efficient back at 5.2 yards per carry. He wasn’t much of a bruiser but did have the best “home run” ability of any of the backs. Jones is gone from the program, as is Mike Hollins, who rushed for seven of UVas’ 12 rushing TDs last season.

Kobe Pace

One key contributor who is returning is Pace, who can be penciled into the starter role heading into fall camp. This is largely by default, as he’s the only back on the roster that had a significant role last year, and he’s an older player who saw plenty of meaningful playing time at Clemson before transferring to Virginia.

In 2023, Pace got a team-high 125 carries, rushing for 382 yards and one rushing touchdown. Those numbers aren’t particularly efficient at 3.06 yards per carry, but he did get a lot of short-yardage attempts with minimal gains. Pace never broke 100 yards in a game last year, but did go for 83 yards on 20 carries against W&M. Pace, like Jones, also factored into the passing game and finished the 2023 campaign with 19 catches for 176 yards and three receiving touchdowns, including a 75-yard score in the home opener against JMU. Pace was the first UVa running back to catch three touchdown passes since Smoke Mizzell had four in 2015.

It seems like a safe bet that Pace will be the top dog in the backfield, at least from the outset. The only thing that could really hold him back are injuries and Pace has been banged up here and there since arriving in Charlottesville.

Xavier Brown: We haven’t seen Brown play since his freshman year in 2022 but the Kentucky native did show some flashes of talent early in his career. He rushed for 210 yards and a score on 50 carries as a freshman, and had at least one carry in each game. Brown’s breakout performance came in an early-season win over ODU, when he carried nine times for 88 yards, including a couple explosive runs, showcasing his long-stride speed. Brown wasn’t able to recapture that form but showed flashes throughout the remainder of the season. Unfortunately he hurt his elbow before fall camp last year and missed the entire 2023 season and also didn’t play in the Spring Game. He should be full go for fall camp, though, and could certainly be a factor.

Noah Vaughn: Redshirting last year, Vaughn saw plenty of snaps in the spring and should be competing for a significant role this season. He was the top rusher in the Spring Game, carrying 11 times for 50 yards for the Blue Team. The Tennessee native had a productive prep career at Maryville and has the profile of a runner that is physical enough to run between the tackles but can also get on the edge and make plays. Vaughn also caught three passes for 10 yards in the spring game, so perhaps he could factor into the passing game as well.

Donte Hawthorne: Like Vaughn, Hawthorne spent his freshman year sitting behind veteran running backs and adjusting to college football. He did see some action at the end of the season, though, while still preserving his redshirt. The Fredericksburg native received four carries late in UVa’s blowout loss to Virginia Tech, recording 16 yards on the ground. Hawthorne is more “thunder” to Vaughn’s “lightning” and while he’ll also be in the mix for a traditional running back role, he might be able to earn playing time in a short-yardage or goal-line capacity.

Jack Griese: Griese was the walk-on star of the 2023 Spring Game, and made a few flash plays in fall camp when media members were present. He didn’t end up getting many carries but he did play some on special teams and in short-yardage scenarios. Griese ended up carrying the ball 11 times for 34 yards last season,and scored a goal-line touchdown in UVa’s upset bid against Louisville.

Typically it would be a fool’s errand to expect a walk-on running back to play a significant role, but UVa doesn’t have a lot of depth or experience at the position, and Jones recently made the transition from walk-on to playmaker, so maybe Griese can repeat that this fall.

Xavier Brown: This category is a total crapshoot this season, as beyond Pace the rest of the backfield depth options are a mystery. But Brown has done more in actual games than his competition and has had two years to develop as a player, both physically and mentally. If he can reach his potential, he could be the starting running back of the near future or could even push Pace for snaps this season. And because he probably has the highest ceiling of the backup rushers, we have to call him the most-likely breakout candidate heading into fall camp.

How much rotation will there be on a down-by-down basis?

It feels pretty safe to call Pace the starter at this point, but the former Clemson Tiger was a rotational player last season and wasn’t good enough to have the job without a challenge. Pace, if healthy, should see more snaps than he did a year ago, almost by default. But the question is, will he receive a lion’s share, like Jordan Ellis did in 2018 when he carried the ball 200+ times, or will Pace be challenged by one of the younger backs, and end up in another running back by committee situation?