Editor’s Note: With summer in full swing and offseason workouts drawing toward their end, the beginning of fall camp is set to begin on August 2nd. In this series, we’re going position by position to take a look at the current circumstances of each one, grade it, give the reasoning behind it, and outline what needs improving before the Wahoos open their season under the lights at Pittsburgh. Check out the initial installments in the series focusing on the offense, including pieces on the offense (QBs, RBs, WRs, O-Line, and TEs) and defense (DTs, DEs, and OLBs) so far.

One of the things that was evident in an otherwise rough first season in Charlottesville for Bronco Mendenhall and his staff was that they run a system that can get guys ready to play in the middle of the defense pretty quickly. That initial surge has paid off as succession planning has unfolded, as the Cavaliers now boast one of the most seasoned groups of middle backers in recent memory.

The trio of Jordan Mack, Rob Snyder, and Zane Zandier have played in a combined 71 games during their UVa careers with 46 starts between them. In talking about this position, it would be foolish to gloss over just what that level of on-field experience and feel in the heart of the D means for the Wahoos.

It was a storyline of spring that Mack, who moved to the Mike position before breaking his collarbone last fall and missing four games, is headed back to his natural Buck spot. That means that Snyder and Zandier will man the Mike, with Snyder seeming like he’s got a bit of an advantage on the starting spot. How UVa uses the trio, and possibly other LBs like T.C. Harrison, remains to be seen.

As we said in our piece on the outside backers, given the nature of the position you should expect that assistant coaches Shane Hunter and Kelly Poppinga will move some pieces around in camp and likely during the season. As such, how UVa utilizes first-years Nick Jackson, Jairus Satui, and Hunter Stewart remains to be seen. It would seem likely that Jackson, Stewart, and fellow 2019 enrollee Josh Ahern are all headed for a life inside but not that long ago Zandier and Matt Gahm were in each other’s spots, too.

Grade: B

As we said with the outside linebackers, the talent Virginia has added and developed has taken a step forward. The inside guys get a big boost from not having lost a major contributor from last year’s defense and for all intents and purposes, the Cavaliers have three starters inside. Having Mack for one more year means very good things, especially for a position that is top heavy in terms of on-field contributions. Having him back healthy is a big boost too since it was clear toward the end of the season that the injury and subsequent time out of the mix had an impact. This year’s rotation inside, with one senior and two juniors, is supported by several young guys behind them that will be able to learn, develop, and wait their turn.

It’s likely that Jackson and Stewart are your ILBs of the future, meaning UVa is in a really good spot moving forward. But for this season, the trio of names most folks know will have to not only be solid against the run but also do well to gobble up blockers and keep other defenders free. Since Mendenhall and Co. arrived on Grounds, they’ve done well at creating lanes up the middle for pressure to get home. That wasn’t always the case a year ago but has to be this season, especially since that will allow guys on the outside (namely Charles Snowden) to stay as free as possible.

The one negative at ILB of course is the loss of Javar Garrett and regardless of why he’s not on the roster any longer, it has an impact on the team and therefore on our grade above. The highest-rated signee in the class of 2018, he seemed like the heir apparent at ILB but washed out of the program by midyear having never played in a game. He’s now at Delaware. The recruiting wins with Jackson and Stewart help mitigate the loss but having a redshirt freshman ILB with that kind of talent would’ve been nice for this team this season given the injury histories of both Mack and Snyder.

As with their outside backers, UVa is in a good spot inside. The Wahoos return a lot of experience, have young depth in the pipeline, and a system that seems to really be catching on at the position. There’s every reason to have high expectations for the primary trio at ILB.

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