Editor’s Note: With spring ball in the rear view and summer sessions ramping up across the country, the lead up to the enrollment of the 2019 class and the eventual beginning of fall camp is now upon us. In this series, we’re going position by position at UVa to take a look at the current circumstances of each one, grade it, give the reasoning behind that grade, and then outline what needs improving before the Wahoos open their season under the lights at Pittsburgh on August 31st. Check out our initial piece in the series, which focuses on the QBs.

Virginia’s running back group has seemingly been one of the deepest on the roster over the past several seasons yet carries for the reserves were few and far between. But as the Wahoos attempt to replace workhorse back Jordan Ellis, the time has come for those younger ball carriers to get their shot on Saturdays.

In 2018, UVa had the best rushing attack that its had in years. Granted, that was aided significantly by the addition of Bryce Perkins, who rushed for 923 yards but also opened things up for everyone else. But Ellis did become the first Cavalier rusher since Kevin Parks (2013) to break the 1,000-yard mark, and he was a model of consistency in UVa’s backfield.

Virginia has plenty of talented players waiting in the wings, but the current group of rushers have just 51 carries between them. And the player who seems the inside track for the starting position as of now has never touched the ball in a Cavalier uniform. Sophomore Wayne Taulapapa joined the UVa program last season after a two-year LDS mission and appeared on special teams in seven games. The Hawaii native had an impressive spring and according to Bronco Mendenhall he'll be viewed as the starter heading into fall camp.

But the battle for carries is far from over. Junior P.K. Kier has the most experience of any of Virginia’s tailbacks, with 32 career carries and 112 rushing yards. He suffered a concussion-related setback in the spring, which in part opened the door for Tualapapa to ascend to the top of the depth chart at the position. Kier is a hard runner who showed flashes last season in a limited role and should be a factor in some capacity this season. Junior Lamont Atkins and Senior Chris Sharp will be in the mix for playing time as well. Kier, Atkins, and Sharp all rotated in on offense last season but not always to carry the ball. Sharp and Atkins were both contributors as blockers and have been used in the passing game. Neither really factored in the running game, but they are clearly trusted to be on the field in some capacity already. Now they will have their chance to see an increased role in the running game.

Virginia will also add a pair of freshmen to the backfield this fall, when Mike Hollins and all-purpose back Seneca Milledge join the team. Hollins is a talented workhorse back out of Louisiana that rushed for 1,645 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior at University Lab High and is comparable to Ellis as a runner. Milledge, meanwhile, is more of a Swiss army knife player, who has blazing speed and could line up all over the field. Both Hollins and Milledge are likely to see the field in some capacity this season just based on the talent alone. But as far as contributing to the run game Hollins would be the safer bet this fall, just based on size and skillset.

Grade: B-

Virginia gets a solid grade here because of the depth of talent at the position but this will be a pivotal season for the Virginia running game.

Perkins returns, which should take some strain off of the running backs, but this season is also about table setting for the run game for 2020 and beyond, when Perkins’ dynamic abilities are no longer at Robert Anae’s disposal.

The grade also reflects the fact that the Virginia backs contribute in other ways. Running backs coach Mark Atuaia sparks a great deal of competitiveness and toughness within his position group, and several running backs have become standouts on special teams in addition to their roles on the offense.

But despite all of those things, it’s still hard to say what exactly UVa has in the backfield, simply because Ellis did so much of the heavy lifting over the past few seasons. In the last two years, Ellis accounted for 85 percent of the running back carries (430 of 507) and 86 percent of the yards gained (1,862 of 2,157). The presumptive starter looked good in the spring but has yet to play an offensive snap. The other backups: Kier, Atkins, and Sharp, have never had to carry the ball more than 12 times in a game (Kier vs Duke last year). The two incoming freshmen are talented, but like all freshmen are unproven at the collegiate level.

The two big questions heading into the fall are: 1) How entrenched is Tualapapa as the starter? and 2) Is the coaching staff willing to have more of a committee backfield rather than a lead dog that gets a lion’s share of the carries? If Tualapapa is just ahead of some of his fellow backs then fall camp should be another opportunity for the pecking order to shake up a bit. But if the staff feels like the sophomore is clearly UVa’s best option, then the second question becomes even more relevant.

It’s hard to imagine any of Virginia’s current backs getting 85 percent of the carries like Ellis did last year. What we could see is a situation like 2016 when Taquan Mizzell had a team-high 187 carries but backup Albert Reid saw a significant amount of work with 98 touches in the running game. If that is the case, then a healthy Kier would likely have the inside track to share the load. Atkins and Sharp should still see plenty of snaps, but perhaps more in blocking/passing game roles like they have in the past. We didn’t mention junior Jamari Peacock, who has developed into a solid blocker in the run game as a de-facto fullback, but it would be surprising at this point to see his role change dramatically as far as carrying the football on a regular basis.

The running game has questions heading into fall camp but also seems to have several answers as well.

Regardless of who starts and how the carries are divided, the coaching staff will be putting its faith in a back or backs who have yet to be tested in a significant way in game action at the collegiate level. Granted, they will have had plenty of chances to earn that faith in practice, and with the amount of talented rushers on the roster it seems like a safe bet that however things shake out, the best option for UVa will be a good option. And if something goes wrong, then there are plenty of players who should be ready to step in and play an increased role.

And if Perkins stays healthy, UVa should be able to run the football. His playmaking ability takes pressure off of the backs, particularly in short-yardage and red-zone situations, the latter of which needs to improve significantly this season if the Cavaliers are going to take another step forward.

Virginia has talent in the backfield that has been waiting patiently behind Ellis, and now it’s time to see that talent take over on game days.

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