Countdown to Camp: UVa's RB room has plenty of options

With fall practice just a few weeks away, we being our annual Countdown to Camp series today with a look at UVa's running backs, a position group which features a number of intriguing options.

UVa couldn’t exactly get the running game going in 2022 but perhaps improvement is on the way.

Under its previous coaching staff, UVa was very pass-heavy in 2021. Heading into the first year with the Tony Elliott regime, there was a lot of talk about the offense’s need to be more balanced, or at least have a running game that kept opponents honest. And while the Cavaliers may have strived to be more balanced and have a consistent ground attack, it didn’t really translate to on-field success in that area.

Last fall, UVa rushed for 3.74 yards per carry, 0.64 yards fewer per rush than the Hoos had the previous season. They put up a total of 1,231 yards and 13 scores, and while the passing game had struggles of its own, most of the successful plays run in the 2022 season once again came through the air rather than on the ground.

And while UVa had several players show flashes in the running game throughout the season, the Cavaliers clearly didn’t find a single player—or even a couple of players in tandem—to emerge as the lead back(s). UVa’s leading rusher was QB Brennan Armstrong, who finished the season with 371 rushing yards and six of the 13 rushing TDs.

No back on the team had more than 365 rushing yards or two touchdowns, and the workload was split up amongst a bunch of different ball carriers.

With Armstrong gone, perhaps the Hoos will lean more on the traditional running game than they did a year ago. And with the Cavaliers bringing most of their rushers back, there is some continued optimism that the group can take their game to the next level in 2023.

The RB room is deep and talented but without a clear pecking order.

A big part of the reason for optimism around the running game this year is the amount of talent and experience the Wahoos return. All but 40 yards of rushing production from the running back room returns for 2023, along with some additions (outlined below). UVa also add a pair of freshmen and return another player from injury.

There was plenty of competition for playing time last fall and that should carry over into the 2023 season. It also helps that the Hoos have rushers that have varying skillsets, with several bruising backs to compliment big-play threats and guys that can catch out of the backfield. Elliott’s offenses at Clemson also employed a lot of two-back looks, so perhaps we could see more than one running back on the field at once, giving opposing defenses more to respect.

It seems likely that UVa will be running back by committee in 2023 but perhaps a player can emerge as the top dog and receive a lion’s share of the carries. If that happens, that rusher will have had to beat out a lot of capable backs to earn the job, which could only be a seen as a positive for the team.

Everyone is rooting for Mike Hollins.

It’s not necessarily a football storyline of course but everyone in the UVa community and across the broader college football landscape will have a Wahoo to root for this fall. Hollins, of course, is now fully recovered following last November’s fatal shooting on Grounds that claimed the lives of three of his teammates and ultimately ended the 2022 football season.

No one would have blamed him for walking away from the game or even seeking out a fresh start but instead he came back fast enough to suit up for spring ball and scored a touchdown in April’s Spring Game at Scott Stadium.

Hollins serves as an inspiration not only to his teammates and the UVa community but to so many, which means he’ll have quite the throng of supporters as he completes his Cavalier career this fall.

Hollins’ presence alone in the program is remarkable, but he will also have a chance to have a career year and in the process honor his fallen teammates. He is a talented back who has come really close to putting it all together, and everyone will be watching No. 7 hoping he can find the success he’s striving for this season.

Ronnie Walker: Walker never really found his footing in Charlottesville, and after an injury in the spring, rushed for just 40 yards and one score on 10 carries last season. Walker will play his final season of college football at Utah Tech.

Mike Hollins: The aforementioned Hollins might be the team’s most-talented back, and he did show flashes of talent throughout last season. The Baton Rouge native rushed for 215 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 53 carries, and should be competing for the starting job this fall.

Perris Jones: One of the pleasant surprises of a disappointing season in 2022, the former walk-on won the RB job out of camp and ended up having a pretty solid season. Jones rushed 81 times for 365 yards and a pair of touchdowns, leading all running backs in all of those categories. He can also get himself on the field as arguably the team’s best pass-catching back; he caught a pair of TD passes from Armstrong last fall.

Cody Brown: The former Miami Hurricane is a potential breakout performer this fall, if he can stay healthy. Brown battled through last fall after transferring in from Coral Gables and didn’t see the field much. The former four-star recruit is a talented back who had a couple of nice runs in the Spring Game, and could be a sneaky bet to make a big impact on this year’s team.

Xavier Brown: Like Jones, Brown was a pleasant surprise last fall. In camp he looked good but seemed to be buried behind more-experienced teammates in his position group. Brown ended up playing right away, though, and had a few impressive runs through the campaign. He rushed for 88 yards on nine carries against ODU and scored his first career TD against UNC. Brown is a quick back who is perhaps the RB room’s best home-run threat heading into his sophomore season.

Amaad Foston: He’s not new to the roster, but Foston hasn’t played a down under the new coaching staff yet. He looked good in the 2022 spring game, scoring a touchdown, but a knee injury in camp ended his chances to impact the team in the fall. The Georgia native is arguably the most-powerful running back on the roster and assuming he’ll see his first collegiate game action this fall, Foston could have an impact in goal line and short yardage situations if nothing else.

Kobe Pace: A sneaky-good addition to the UVa roster, Pace rejoins Elliott in Charlottesville after a solid Clemson career. He rushed for nearly 800 yards and nine touchdowns in his Tiger career, and should be able to compete for playing time right away with the Wahoos. Unfortunately an injury kept Pace from showing his skillset to the UVa fanbase in April’s Spring Game but he should be good to go for camp.

Noah Vaughn: One of two freshmen added to the running back room, Vaughn was a productive back for a great program in Tennessee. He rushed for 1,279 yards and 7.9 yards per carry as a senior, and was the No. 29 player in the Volunteer State.

Donte Hawthorne: A local product, Hawthorne comes to UVa from Spotsylvania County. He finished his career at Colonial Forge in Stafford, after playing QB at Massaponax High in Fredericksburg. At 6-foot, 215 pounds, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Hawthorne eventually develop into a different position, or if not, he should be a physical option in the backfield down the road.

Jack Griese: A bonus player to watch in the RB room, Griese put on a show in the Spring Game, rushing for 90 yards on 12 attempts with a long touchdown run. Offensive coordinator Des Kitchings said that Griese should make an impact on special teams if nothing else, but if he plays in fall camp like he did in the spring game, the Chantilly native should start turning some heads…