Virginia fans get their first look at the 2023 football team tomorrow in the annual spring finale (2 p.m., ACC Network).

It will be the first time the Cavaliers are on the field in front of fans since the tragic shooting that took the lives three young men last November and ended the 2022 season.

While UVa still has a lot of healing to do off the field, the Wahoos also need to make a leap between the lines. Tony Elliott’s first season did not go as planned, with a lack of firepower on offense leading to a 3-7 finish and some tough results along the way.

There has been plenty of talk this spring of change within the program both in terms of attitude and the actual personnel. And on Saturday, the fanbase will get to see where the Hoos are heading into a pivotal season.

With the Spring Game upon us, we’re taking a look at five key storylines to watch that should tell us quite a bit about where the team is at this point.

For the first time since 2020, UVa fans will watch a new starting quarterback on Saturday afternoon. Granted, Brennan Armstrong didn’t get a spring game in 2020 with the COVID-19 outbreak but he was also more of a known commodity that year, having been on the roster and played in games the two years prior.

In this weekend’s spring game, transfer QB Tony Muskett will look to show what he’s capable of and put himself in a better position to win the starting job in the fall. Elliott and the offensive coaches have made it clear that they won’t be naming a starter before fall camp, given Jay Woolfolk didn’t really get a great shot at the job this spring as he simultaneously plays baseball. Woolfolk already has a year in OC Des Kitchings’ system and while it would’ve been beneficial for him to get more starters’ reps this spring, Muskett is the quarterback that had to learn the most, the fastest.

Muskett, a productive quarterback at the FCS level, seems to have the arm talent and accuracy to succeed at a Power-5 program. Fans will get to see how far he’s has come since he arrived on Grounds and whether the competition is going to be wide open come fall camp or if he will enter with the clear upper hand over Woolfolk (who is unavailable for the Spring Game due to the baseball game against Pitt tomorrow night).

So other than Muskett, UVa fans may want to keep an eye on freshman quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who has turned some heads in spring ball. Colandrea, an early enrollee that should still be in high school right now, will likely see plenty of playing time tomorrow and could give fans a glimpse at the future of the position.

Muskett’s performance will be under the microscope but who will be the skill players around him helping to advance the ball down the field? Granted, he won’t play with every skill guy as the team is broken in half for Saturday’s game, but we should still learn a lot about where UVa’s skill talent stands after spring ball.

Virginia lost a lot of productivity at the receiver position, meaning there will be a lot of new faces catching passes on Saturday and in the fall. Fans may need to check the roster a few times to remember who a player is when he catches a pass, but hopefully by the end of the game there will be a few standouts that eventually become playmakers come September.

As for returning Cavaliers in bigger roles, Malachi Fields, Demick Starling and JR Wilson are the key guys to watch. Fields has the potential to be a breakout star this year after missing most of last season after a promising 2022 spring game. Starling might be the player that needs to take the biggest leap, given his game-breaking speed that hasn’t really been tapped into yet. And Wilson flashed a bit late in the season as UVa dealt with some injuries, and could be in line for a bigger role this fall.

As for new faces, Northwestern transfer Malik Washington is a big one. After a productive career with the Wildcats, he could certainly end up being the top target for whomever wins the QB job in the fall. Freshman wideout Jaden Gibson, another early enrollee, could find his way onto the field too, and we should get a sense for where he is in his development in Saturday’s game.

The defense as a whole exceeded expectations in 2022 but the secondary was the group that showed the biggest improvement. This spring, UVa’s defensive staff has been tasked with replacing productive players and demonstrating that last year wasn’t a flash in the pan.

Gone are cornerbacks Anthony Johnson and Fentrell Cypress, who were both excellent last fall. On Saturday, UVa fans will get a look at who the coaching staff is circling to replace Johnson and Cypress.

UVa added grad transfer Tayvonn Kyle from Iowa State, and he’ll certainly have a chance to come in and play a lot this season. The Hoos also have a few players who haven’t seen the field much in games, but have been in the program for a while. Elijah Gaines, now in his fourth season at UVa, has patiently waited his turn and could be in line for a starting spot this season. Junior Will Simpkins is another player that could take on a more significant role, too. UVa has also been working safety Coen King at the cornerback spot this spring, and Elliott made it clear that the Hoos would look to add another transfer cornerback via the portal in the next transfer window.

The offensive and defensive lines appear to be in very different places heading into the spring game this weekend.

The offensive line was a work-in-progress last year with so many departures from the 2021 team and their results spoke to that lack of experience. Now, the O-line is learning under new position coach Terry Heffernan, as he hopes his young group learned from the experiences last year and that UVa’s transfer additions can come in and help out right away.

The defensive line, meanwhile, showed improvement last season and brings back the core of that group for the 2023 season. UVa convinced Aaron Faumui to come back for his final year of eligibility, pairing him with the return of nose tackle Jahmeer Carter. The Cavaliers also have transfer additions Kam Butler and Paul Akere who flashed at times last year, back along with breakout star Chico Bennett, who was the team’s top pass rusher a year ago.

Even with the rosters split up for Saturday’s game, on paper the defensive line should dominate. Granted, sacks aren’t allowed in spring games, but if Muskett and the other QBs are constantly under pressure, it should tell everyone how much work the offensive line still needs.

But if Heffernan’s group can at least hold its own, and even open up some holes in the running game, that could be a promising sign of improvement heading into the summer.

With Virginia’s struggles on offense last season, it needed all the help it could get from the other two phases. The defense usually delivered but special teams was a mixed bag at best. The Hoos have a few areas that need improvement, but truly, the organization of special teams needs to make the biggest leap in 2023.

Special teams had issues throughout the year with missed assignments or players running onto the field late for a coverage or block unit. In the second year for this staff, there should be increased awareness of assignments and fewer mental mistakes.

Spring games can be clunky overall with players out and spring football usually not being quite as crisp, but at a minimum it would be a plus to see a unit that is lined up correctly and don’t make any critical errors.

UVa needs improvement in the kicking game, too. The Cavaliers left a lot of points on the field via missed field goals or not even attempting from a reasonable distance because of lack of confidence. Rising sophomore Will Bettridge appears to be the kicker to beat after taking the job midway through last season. He was a top kicker nationally at the prep level and the Hoos could really use a reliable kicking game this fall, with a tough schedule and a small margin for error.

Given Elliott is determined to play a real game tomorrow, there should be plenty of special teams plays to draw conclusions from as the offseason moves forward.