Heading into the opener later this mont, Virginia’s roster is deeper and more talented at almost every position than it was several seasons ago. That is certainly true of the wide receiver position, which had one of its best seasons, as a group, in years.

In 2018, the Hoos combined to catch 193 balls, scoring 22 touchdowns. A good deal of last season’s production returns this year, including seniors Hasise Dubois and Joe Reed, who combined for 77 receptions, 12 touchdowns, and over 1,000 yards as juniors.

Expectations are high once again for UVa’s passing game, which returns senior quarterback Bryce Perkins and finished out strong last year: In the final four games the Wahoos had 10 passing touchdowns to just a single interception, leading the offense to average 32.8 points per game during that stretch.

Receivers coach Marques Hagans has tried to tone down the hype and keep his players focused on the task at hand and preparing relentlessly for the season opener at Pitt on the 31st..

“I told the boys, I promised when I talked about the group that I would keep it simple," he said last week. "I’m just preparing to work everyday, to get better and do my job. That’s all I can say. I try to tell them the same thing so they stay focused. I know we laugh, but I don’t want them to get caught up in what everybody is saying, good or negative. I just want them to focus on the task at hand."

Despite plenty of potential, Virginia does have to answer one big question in the passing game: how do you go about replacing Olamide Zacchaeus? The now former Cavalier left Charlottesville as the school’s all-time career receptions leader, capping off his college career with a 93-reception, seven-touchdown season. Players like Zacchaeus don’t grow on trees, so it’s fair to expect the Hoos to go with a committee approach in trying to distribute those receptions to other players.

“With certain players, you never replace them," Hagans explained. "You’ll find other guys but there will never be another Olamide. And he has earned the right to be that.”

The former UVa great went on to explain that Zacchaeus’ biggest legacy isn’t his production on the field but how he worked on his craft, and inspired the younger players who followed his example. Particularly junior receiver Terrell Jana, who is expected to have a bigger role in the offense this season, especially with Zacchaeus gone.

“The one thing I love about Olamide is his approach," Hagans said. "I always talk to the guys about legacy. His legacy now lives in Jana, because he approaches the same way that Olamide did. So now whoever Jana can be a mentor to and help develop, his legacy is tied to that guy. Rather than focus on the catches and the plays he made, I tend to focus on the legacy he left as far as how he teaches other guys to prepare and be ready to play every day. There will never be another Olamide.”

The Cavaliers have several receivers on the roster who could be natural fits to step in and attempt to fill Zacchaeus’ very large shoes, including sophomore wideout Tavares Kelly. Equipped with blazing speed, Kelly saw the field plenty as a freshman. And though he never reached the end zone, his potential was on display as he finished with 10 catches for 121 yards and had his biggest game at NC State, when he hauled in three passes for 57 yards. While his speed and quickness have never been in question, Hagans said that Kelly is still honing his craft, and working towards being a complete, well-rounded receiver.

“He can change direction with some of the best of them,” Hagans said of his 5-foot-8 sophomore. “It helps that he has a low center of gravity but he changes direction well and he can definitely run. The thing you always challenge him is, ‘rely on your craft and your details and let your speed and your cuts compliment your game, and not be the sole focus of your game.’ I think he’s doing a really good job of that, and one of the things I’ve challenged him to do is to be better at catching the ball with his hands, something he’s worked with over the summer.

"I’m anxious," Hagans added, "to see how it all comes together for him, but so far he’s having a decent camp and hopefully that will continue, and he’ll continue to grow and have a good year for us.”

It also helps that the Wahoos brought in a pair of promising grad transfer at receiver, both of whom look to factor in on the offense this season. Terrell Chatman came to UVa after three years at Arizona State (where Perkins was on of his roommates) and has been one of the pleasant surprises of camp after recording just three career receptions at ASU. The 6-foot-3 playmaker was one of the first 36 Cavaliers to earn their jersey number over the weekend.

Also joining the team is Richmond transfer Dejon Brissett, though he has been recovering from an ankle injury over the past several weeks and therefore has yet to make his mark in fall camp. Brissett was a productive wideout for the Spiders but only played three games last season due to injury. In 2017, he was a first-team All-CAA selection, catching 63 passes for 896 yards and seven touchdowns.

Hagans explained that when pursuing graduate transfers, it’s about more than just the players’ talent but also whether or not they would buy-in to the culture and be a good fit at the University. In Brissett and Chatman, it appears that the Cavaliers were able to find a pair of players that checked all of the boxes.

“I think you’ve just got to be careful who you bring in, and make sure that they mesh with the culture that you have," he said. "And so far we’ve been fortunate to bring in two guys in our room that mesh with the culture, and the dynamic has changed because now we have a few more numbers, so competition levels rise, which is always a good thing. And so I think that our room is different because we do have older guys now that can help with leadership, guys that have been around for four or five years. And then we have a group of young guys that are really coming into the program that are buying in to everything that is being asked of them.

“We don’t have a lot of individual guys that are ‘me, me, me,’ they just want to show up and work and get better," Hagans added. "So I think that really helps in the selection process of recruiting, and when you talk about transfers. It’s not just the talent, but the right fit, and we’ve done a good job as a program bringing in the right fit.”

It’s clear that between the returning receivers who were productive last season, several young players who have been waiting their turn to shine, and a few new faces, the UVa receiver room has plenty of depth and promise as the 2019 season approaches.

Hagans said that he’s seen the potential from his group in fall camp but he still needs to see them put it all together on game days.

“It’s a good problem to have, as long as they do it on Saturdays,” Hagans said of his depth at wide receiver, when asked about their potential productivity. “There are no stats and no wins being recorded in practice, so once they start doing it in the game, I’ll answer that question for you.”

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