Takeaways from UVa's Spring Game on Saturday afternoon

Both quarterbacks played well, setting up a viable competition in fall camp

Virginia went into spring practice with a legit quarterback battle on its hands, and exits the spring with that competition far from settled. Tony Muskett had more success Saturday on a similar number of plays, going 10-for-18 passing for 200 yards and a pair of long touchdowns. He seemed comfortable from the first snap and should have had a touchdown on that first play of the game if not for an uncontested drop. Anthony Colandrea didn’t stretch the field as much but simply completed passes and took what was there. The rising sophomore finished the game 15-of-16 passing for 102 yards but didn’t find the end zone.

The only negative for either QB was pressure, which is obviously somewhat out of their hands. Colandrea was “sacked” several times and Muskett had a few desperate throwaways, one of which was called for intentional grounding, and at least one more could have been called.

Tony Elliott said after the game that he was happy with the performance of both quarterbacks and feels that he can win with either of them behind center. Now, it’s time for the staff to figure out which one gives the team the best chance to do that in the fall. Colandrea has been penciled in by many fans and others outside the program but Muskett showed Saturday that he should get a fair shake and is just as capable when healthy. And Colandrea didn’t have too many wow plays, but his consistency demonstrated a mature performance from the young QB.

Absences made the roster more difficult to evaluate.

Just before kickoff of the Spring Game, UVa sent media members a list of players who wouldn’t participate. The list contained 26 names, which underscores how light Virginia’s roster was heading into Scott Stadium this past weekend let alone once it was split in two to make two separate teams.

Of the players missing, at least nine would be considered starters, with probably a handful more that are borderline starters or at a minimum key contributors on the two deep. Four of UVa’s transfer additions sat out the game, meaning we won’t see them suit up and play for Virginia until a live game in the fall.

With that many players out, including more than half of the projected starters on the offensive line, it made it difficult to see what a first-team offense or defense might look like.

At quarterback, Colandrea played behind a more depleted line and faced more pressure as a result. Across the defense, UVa had a bunch of players that will contribute right away playing alongside walk-ons and younger players unlikely to factor in this season. There were certainly players that flashed, which is encouraging. But as always, it’s difficult to take anything in a spring game at face value given the number of key players and amount of depth that was missing.

The good news is that after the game Elliott said that Drake Metcalf’s achilles injury is the only one that looks long-term at the moment and he could still return at some point during the season.

Several winter additions seem ready to contribute significantly in the fall.

While a bunch of guys didn’t participate Saturday, Cavalier fans in attendance did get to see some of the program’s newest players showcase their talents. And from what we saw, there are a few transfer additions that look primed to play a lot in the fall.

Starting on defense, safety/linebacker hybrid Corey Thomas looks the part, and flashed a few times, including a nice pass break-up on 3rd down, from Colandrea to Suderian Harrison. Former Eastern Michigan cornerback Kempton Shine had a pass-break up too, defending a Muskett pass to JR Wilson. On offense the transfer receivers that played had moments, especially UNC transfer Andre Greene. The former Tar Heel had a few impressive catches, and finished the day with 65 yards on five receptions, including a 40-yard catch and run. Trell Harris played a decent amount and had one catch for 9 yards.

What we saw from some of UVa’s additions was encouraging, and we still have yet to see Chris Tyree, a projected starter at receiver, Tyler Neville, a possible starter at tight end who hasn’t arrived on Grounds yet, or fellow tight end Sage Ennis who is still recovering from an injury. Metcalf was out, as was former Penn DB Kendren Smith, both of whom could certainly play when healthy.

JR Wilson, WR

It was an inauspicious start for the rising junior, when he dropped what would have been an 80-yard touchdown catch on the white team’s first play from scrimmage. Wilson got back on track as the game progressed though, and caught a 56-yard TD pass from Muskett on their team’s second drive, most of which was done after the catch. Wilson finished the game with three catches for 79 yards and a score, and nearly had another tight-rope catch on the sideline that was ruled incomplete and may have been overturned if there was replay. He had a big Spring Game last year that didn’t translate to the fall, but maybe he can fight for playing time in a crowded receiver room and make a bigger impact this fall.

Chico Bennett, DE

Perhaps the most encouraging performance of the spring game was Bennett’s given what he could mean to the team in the fall. Granted, it came against a makeshift offensive line, but he was downright disruptive on Saturday, accounting for two “sacks” of Colandrea, and stuffing a 4th and short rush attempt in the red zone. Bennett was good in 2022 but couldn’t recapture that level last year after suffering an injury in fall camp that got his season off to a slow start. The Hoos desperately need better play from their pass rushers, and if Bennett can find his 2022 form or exceed it, that would be a big boost to UVa’s defense.

Noah Vaughn, RB

UVa didn’t have much depth at running back in the spring, but the rising sophomore seems to be in a good position to be RB2 or RB3 in the fall. Vaughn redshirted last year, so Saturday’s game was our first opportunity to see him in action. The Maryville (TN) native was the afternoon’s leading rusher, carrying it 11 times for 50 yards with his longest run going for 11. Kobe Pace seems penciled in as the starter, and Vaughn will compete with Xavier Brown and Donte Hawthorne for the backup role in the fall, but what we saw from Vaughn on Saturday was encouraging.

Antonio Clary, DB

Not a lot to add here as Clary is a known commodity, but it was great to see him lead the game in tackles with eight after missing all of last season with an injury. Clary opted to return to UVa for one final season after receiving a waiver and can be penciled in as a starter on defense at this point.

Suderian Harrison, WR

Virginia had a number of good receiver performances on Saturday, and the rising sophomore was among them. Harrison caught four passes for 49 yards for the Blue team, including a 28-yard catch down the seam from Colandrea. Harrison also had the game’s biggest play, returning a punt 90 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the third quarter. He didn’t get a lot of playing time last year but had a few flashes; if we’re looking for the team’s most-improved player from 2023 to 2024, Harrison has to be among the favorites.

Ethan Minter, DB

A quarterback in high school, Minter enrolled early and moved to defense, where he’s seemingly thriving. He was playing some with the first-team defense at safety during the final week of spring practice and finished Saturday’s game with six tackles. Minter is a quality athlete and if he’s picking up the defense already, in his first few months at school, he might end up being an impact player earlier than most would have thought.

Claiborne Richards, WR

Congratulations to the 2024 winner of the CavsCorner Jack Griese Out-of-Nowhere Spring Game MVP Trophy. Richards caught a 73-yard touchdown pass from Muskett in the first half and continued to factor into the game from there. The Nashville native and walk-on was the top receiver on the day, catching six passes for 118 yards and the score. It would be a massive projection to assume Richards will be a big factor in a talented receiver room that has a lot of depth but if nothing else it was a great moment for a walk-on that surely does a lot to help the team in practice.