Editor’s Note: This is the fourth 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

Running Back

Safeties

Virginia’s receivers were one of the program’s top position groups a year ago and were certainly a bright spot in a season that was a disappointment overall.

In 2023, the Wahoos had seven different receivers catch a pass, though most of the production belonged to a couple of players. Malik Washington had a historic season in his one year with the program after transferring in from Northwestern and set a bunch of school records in his short time in Charlottesville. He caught a team-high 110 passes for 1,426 yards, a single-season school record, and nine touchdowns. Washington was expected to be productive but nobody could have envisioned the dominance he would have with the Cavaliers and ultimately it led to the Georgia native getting selected by the Miami Dolphins on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.

Washington’s production will almost surely not be replaced by a single player, so it will be up to UVa’s coaching staff to figure out how to spread those 110 catches and 1,400+ yards around to several different playmakers.

The good news is that outside of Washington, the Hoos virtually bring back the rest of their receivers including several young pass catchers who showed promise as well as a few potential impact transfer additions.

Malachi Fields

Washington wasn’t the only UVa receiver to have a big season in 2023, of course. Fields turned out to be a very solid No. 2 option, bouncing back after missing nearly all of the 2022 campaign with an injury. The Charlottesville native caught 58 passes last year with 811 yards and five touchdown catches, ranking second behind Washington in all three categories. And now, while he might not lead the Hoos in receptions as he’s not typically used in the slot in this offense, he should be WR1 heading into his fourth season with the program.

Chris Tyree

In a perfect world, Tyree would be Malik Washington 2.0, coming in as a transfer and taking off in UVa’s scheme in his one season with the program. A former Thomas Dale standout, he played four seasons at Notre Dame and started his career at running back before transitioning to receiver last year. He caught 26 passes last year for the Irish and led the team in receiving yards with 484. Tyree is a quick player who should be a Swiss Army knife in UVa’s offense, and could also factor into the return game as he did with the Irish.

Andre Greene

There isn’t an obvious third starter at receiver yet, so we’re penciling in former Tar Heel for now. Greene didn’t play much in two seasons at Carolina after a much-hyped prep career in the Richmond area. His talent is not really in question, but he’ll still have to prove he can fit into UVa’s scheme and make an impact in a new setting. If Greene hits his ceiling, the receiver group could be one of the best in the conference.

Suderian Harrison: Virginia has more legitimately viable depth options at receiver than any other position, starting with Harrison. The South Carolina native played plenty as a freshman and showed flashes of speed and ability throughout the campaign, though he was blocked from significant time in the slot after Washington’s emergence. Harrison should see an increased role this year and, like Tyree, can be versatile in this UVa offense and likely also a factor in the return game.

JR Wilson: It’s hard to know what to expect from Wilson in his third season. He played in relief of injured receivers as a freshman late in the season and showed flashes, but didn’t do much in 2023. Wilson did have a big performance in the Spring Game for the second straight year, and has a chance to become a starter or at least see plenty of snaps,if that growth can transition into the fall.

Trell Harris: Another transfer addition to the receiver room, Harris is coming in from Kent State where he caught 26 passes for 399 yards and one touchdown last season as someone who flashes top-end speed and big-play ability. The trio of Greene, Tyree and Harris figures to reshape the receiver room, and it will be very interesting to track which of them will take on the largest roles, and where Harris and Greene in particular will fit into the rotation.

Jaden Gibson: One of two freshman receivers to play a lot last year, Gibson saw plenty of snaps but didn’t get a lot of looks. Gibson, who set all kinds of Georgia receiving records in his high school career, caught five passes for 54 yards in his freshman year with the Hoos and played in eight games total. He is a candidate to have a second-year breakout but he seemingly faces more competition than before for playing time, particularly in the slot.

Suderian Harrison: Harrison showed flashes of talent in fall camp last year and seemed like one of the freshmen destined to make a difference in Year 1. He certainly saw plenty of playing time and did have a bit of a breakout game late in the season against Duke, but it does feel like UVa fans didn’t get to see the full Suderian Harrison experience in 2023. He’ll have to fight for snaps and targets, but if Harrison can continue to separate himself and make plays in camp he’s a logical candidate for a breakout sophomore season.

Was last year’s success a flash in the pan or the start of a trend?

UVa’s passing game was very good in 2021 but that success didn’t translate to the new staff’s first season in 2022 despite bringing back a lot of their best players at the position. But in a bit of a surprise, after hiring Adam Mims to replace departing receivers coach Marques Hagans, and losing a number of key players at the position, UVa’s receivers again showed plenty of promise.

The big question now, is how much of that was Washington and how much was the scheme and the coaching?

It’s worth keeping in mind that while Washington was a nice get from Northwestern, he wasn’t nearly as impactful with the Wildcats as he was last year at UVa.

If Mims can find a way to replace Washington’s productivity in the aggregate, with a bunch of new receivers, the group should be fine. But soon we’ll know if Washington simply had an incredible one-off season where everything came together or if Mims and the receiver room are starting an ascent that will carry over to the 2024 season.