With spring ball drawing closer, we’ve broken down UVa’s quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and the offensive line as well as looked at the D-line and the outside linebackers. We begin out final week of offseason reviews with a look inside, comparing the current situation at ILB to the way things were prior to the season and then project out how things look later this year.

Replacing a guy like Jordan Mack is never easy and despite a wealth of options and some really quality depth, that was the story for UVa heading into last fall.

Mack was the lone senior among Virginia’s linebacking corps, an experienced asset who had played all over the middle of the defense. As a senior, he posted 69 tackles (fourth on the team) with 8.5 for loss (a team high) and 7.5 sacks (also a team high) to go with 11 quarterback hurries (tying a team high).

Even with the team’s leading tackler Zane Zandier returning and with a bright future ahead for freshman Nick Jackson, losing Mack was going to be a tough hit. The All-ACC third teamer and Campbell Trophy Finalist certainly left a mark no matter who was coming up behind him on the roster.

But in its quest to replace him, UVa appeared to have plenty of options. Zandier had posted 108 tackles in 14 games with 12.5 TFLs (second most on the team) and five sacks (tied for third). Jackson, meanwhile, played in all 14 games and had 28 tackles as a rookie to go with a TFL and a half sack.

In addition, quality backup Robert Snyder was expected to be in the mix for PT after playing in just four games due to injury. His absence is what helped Jackson see so much time, especially one Mack was injured late in the season.

Though 2020 was going to be a year of transition for UVa in terms of facing life without Mack, the Cavaliers seemed poise to make it work.

It’s safe to that while Jackson made plenty of strides, including leading the team with 105 tackles on the year, the Hoos were never able to be as consistent in the middle of the defense as they were in 2019.

Not only did Jackson post a team high in tackles but he was far ahead of Zandier in (second with 79) while also adding six TFLs and 2.5 sacks. Both played in all 10 games.

Snyder, meanwhile, played in eight games but racked up just 10 tackles and a sack on the year, his final season with the program. Rookie Josh Ahern was forced into action in spots, as he played in nine games and was credited with six tackles.

In terms of PFF College grading, Jackson finished with a 70.2 across 648 snaps, followed by Zandier’s 67.6 on a team-high 659. Jackson’s all-around game was evident, as he posted a 77.5 grade in run D (fourth on the team) and an 86.6 in tackling (first) to go along with a 72.2 in pressure (fifth). While Zandier’s 71.5 in pressure was sixth best, he was below a 70.0 in run defense and under 60.0 in tackling.

Elsewhere, Snyder played 66 snaps and had some tough grades across the board. So too did Ahern, who played just 36 snaps from scrimmage. While Hunter Stewart played in just three games (39 snaps), he put up a solid 78.3 grade in tackling. The only other inside backer to play, T.C. Harrison, played just five snaps from scrimmage.

UVa went from having to replace Mack (but having both Zandier and Jackson on the roster) to now having to replace Zandier (with just Jackson returning). And the truth is that the Cavaliers weren’t nearly as reliable inside in 2020 as in 2019, which means replacing Zandier is going to be even trickier since no one has anywhere near the kind of foundation going into the fall as Jackson had following his rookie season.

Ahern and Harrison are the guys who have played in games before and Stewart, though still technically listed outside, seems like someone well suited to head inside.

There are two signees that seemed destined for ILB in Lex Long and West Weeks. Long, listed by UVa at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, enrolled early and should be in a position to make some strides by fall camp. Weeks, meanwhile, was a pretty sought after guy who seems to fit in well.

Depth, though, is a significant concern because with Zandier and Snyder now gone there’s really no one proven next to Jackson, let alone behind him.

This is the first spot where it feels like Stock Down is the right answer despite how much we like UVa’s talent. The inexperience factor here, as well as the lack of playable depth, makes this the weakest link on the team in terms of succession planning despite the reality that the long-term future is likely not nearly as tenuous.

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