While the 2018 season was a big one for UVa football, as the Wahoos won eight games including a rout over South Carolina in the Belk Bowl, it was a tough year in many ways for linebacker Jordan Mack. Instead of sliding over as the heir apparent to Micah Kiser at the Mike, a collarbone/shoulder injury cost him four games and by the time he was healthy enough to play, he had some rust he needed to knock off.

But following a strong spring and a pick-six in Saturday’s finale, Mack is set to move back to the Buck spot full time alongside Rob Snyder and/or Zane Zandier and he couldn’t be happier about how things are lining up for his senior year.

“Oh yeah,” the 6-foot-4, 230 pounder said, when asked if he was happy being back at his older spot. “Just feeling comfortable allowed me to play faster and more physical and just basically lock in and just bring up the younger guys and do what I need to do to take this defense to the next level.

“They’re not [all that different]," Mack added, “but it’s just about getting used to it and being disciplined in your assignments and playing fast.”

“The defense played stronger and with more intent and culture and passion than our offense did today,” Bronco Mendenhall said Saturday afternoon following the 78-69 win by the D. “More physical. And the takeaways were forced.”

In a fun twist, with players not wearing jersey numbers, it was hard to make out that it was indeed Mack who had picked off the pass and rumbled some 55 yards for the score. Even his head coach was unsure.

“I believe, and I might be wrong, I think it was (Charles) Snowden,” Mendenhall said before being corrected by those in the media room. “Or Mack! Jordan Mack. Was it tipped? No? Okay, so Mack.”

One thing Mendenhall was sure of, though, was the work that Mack did this spring.

“I would say the second part of this spring he did [very well],” Mendenhall explained, “and so playing at outside backer first year, moving him then to inside backer to play with Micah the second year, playing then at Mike his third year, and now moving him back to Buck, his execution reflects that move but his capability also reflects those moves.

“He looks really comfortable where he is, he looks faster in diagnosis of plays, and he looks faster in reaction,” the fourth-year head coach added. “For his sake and our team’s sake, I’m glad for him that he’ll be able to stay at a similar spot and now from spring through the fall and a season and he’s already had one year at that spot.”

Despite missing time last year and playing in a different role, Mack believes that he can take away aspects that will help him this fall.

“Just more game experience and how things are like,” he said, “how’s the feel of it, how to play, different things I’m going to see, so it’s just all about getting that experience in live game action.

“I think four but it took like two [more] games for me to settle back in and just get used to the speed of the game, get back in shape and get everything back to normal,” Mack added later.

The spring, then, was exactly what he needed.

“It was huge,” he said. “I needed to get back to where I needed to be, put on the weight and get healthy and healing the shoulder more. It was just all important to get back to 100 percent.”

That the defense was able to tack on a pair of takeaways along with his INT was a big point of pride coming out of the Spring Game.

“Oh it was great,” Mack said. “That’s just part of what we do. That’s how we measure our defense, is the amount of turnovers we can get. The more the merrier.”

And he had a simple breakdown of his own pick and the play that put him back in the end zone for the first time since high school: “They just called a great play and I just did what I was supposed to do. When you do that, you make plays.”

Mack is one of several veterans that Virginia will lean on this season and that list includes senior cornerback Bryce Hall, who chose to return to school rather than head to the NFL. It’s a decision that should have a big impact on UVa’s 2019 season.

“It means a lot,” Mack said. “Just another playmaker and it just adds on to our depth and guys who can fly around and make plays.”

That Snyder and Zandier are steadily battling at the Mike also adds to the defense.

“They’re both great,” Mack said of the duo. “They play fast, they play physical, and they’re willing to learn. So they’re just great guys to play next to and I’m very excited to play with them. They both bring different things to the table and they have different skillsets so they’re both capable and I’m very proud of them.”

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