With UVa football getting closer and closer to those dog day of summer workouts ahead of fall camp, a lot of focus will be on the team’s key returning players, and the potential impact transfers that they’ve added in the offseason.
But there are others who played sparingly last year and are going to see a much bigger role this fall. Tony Elliott has made it clear that he wants UVa to be a developmental program and that requires players to take leaps from Year 1 one to Year 2, and Year 2 to Year 3, and go from role players to key contributors.
With that in mind, we’re taking a look at five breakout candidates who could go from young role players to household names as their careers progress.
Suderian Harrison, WR
The rising sophomore receiver played quite a bit as a freshman but could see a significantly larger role as a sophomore. That will likely depend on whether Harrison can separate himself from a crowded field at receiver, and more specifically, if he shows he can be a versatile weapon on offense, and a top option in the return game.
Harrison saw action in 11 of UVa’s 12 games last year and caught nine passes for 94 yards. The South Carolina native had a bit of a breakout game late in the season against Duke, with 42 receiving yards on three catches in a win for the Hoos. Harrison factored into the return game as well, attempting eight punt returns for a total of 37 yards. He showed flashes in UVa’s Spring Game, too, which bolsters his case for a big upcoming season. Harrison caught four passes for 49 yards, and scored on a 90-yard punt return touchdown in the second half.
Harrison has a lot of competition at receiver, but he is a bit more dynamic than most of his teammates. The staff could try to get him involved in the screen game and on jet sweeps, and even lined him up in the backfield on at least one play last year. If Harrison can make the second-year leap, and become a big-play option both on offense and special teams, he should be on the field plenty.
Dre Walker, DB
Walker was a player that looked like he had potential to play as a freshman during fall camp, and he certainly showed flashes of what could be. He was a bit of a diamond in the rough in UVa’s 2023 class, and played from Day 1, first as a backup and then eventually as a starter in the secondary. Walker played in nine games, missing three with injury, but still had an impact. The freshman corner broke up five passes and had his first-career interception at Boston College and also recorded 11 total tackles.
Walker had a lot of momentum early in the season, had the injury and missed games against William & Mary, UNC and Miami, and then bounced back with a strong finish. Like Harrison, he had his best game against Duke, recording six tackles in the win. We didn’t see Walker in UVa’s Spring Game as he was one of many players that missed the exhibition, but regardless, hopes should be high for him to take his game to the next level as a sophomore.
Noah Vaughn, RB
Unlike our first two players, Vaughn didn’t see action as a freshman, but seems to have a shot at a meaningful role in UVa’s backfield this year. He arrived at UVa last year after a productive prep career in Tennessee, along with fellow first-year running back Donte Hawthorne. Vaughn and Hawthorne were behind an older group of running backs, two of which (Perris Jones and Mike Hollins) are no longer with the program.
In the spring, UVa had very little depth at running back and dealt with some injuries. Based on what the coaches said, and what we all saw in the game, Vaughn seems to have seized his opportunity for carries, and has a good shot to be RB2, behind senior Kobe Pace. In the game, Vaughn rushed 11 times for 50 yards, leading the game in rushes and yards. Pace seems like the de facto starter heading into the summer camp, but Vaughn has the inside track at the complimentary back spot, though Xavier Brown will likely be in the mix too, as he returns from injury. Vaughn probably isn’t going to rush for 1,000 yards or anything like that this fall, but if he can come in and spell Pace, take care of the ball and churn out the hard yards, he’ll have a chance to help the team and go into 2025 as a potential starter.
Blake Steen, OT
Virginia added a bunch of offensive lineman right after Elliott got hired, as the staff looked to backfill a suddenly barren position group. One of the class of 2022 high schoolers that thet took a chance on was Miami native Steen, who signed with UVa late in the recruiting process. After a redshirt season in 2022, there was a buzz that he could be a player on the rise ahead of 2023, and he ended up factoring in considerably.
Steen made his career debut in the season opener against Tennessee and ended up featuring in eight contests at tackle. He started the final five games of the year, too, which was a combination of injuries and performance. UVa brings back nearly its entire offensive line from a year ago, potentially giving the group a chance to mature together and put a better product on the field this fall. Steen should have every chance to earn a starting role at the right tackle position, and has the potential to slide over to guard if the staff needs him to. We still don’t know exactly how the line is going to shake out, but if Steen earns a role going into his redshirt sophomore season, he has the athleticism and remaining years to grow into a very solid player.
Mekhi Buchanan, DE
Our last breakout candidate would probably be the biggest help to the team should he hit it big as a sophomore. UVa was last nationally in sacks in 2023 and desperately needs to improve its pressure on the quarterback to have a better chance to get off the field and kill drives. Buchanan played some as a freshman and looks like a breakout candidate heading into his second year.
The Georgia native was one of the most talented players in Elliott’s first full recruiting class, and showed flashes as a first-year. He recorded 20 tackles and 1.5 TFLs as a freshman, playing in all 12 games. Buchanan had a pair of four-tackle games, first against Maryland and then later against Georgia Tech. He has the athleticism and size to be disruptive off the edge, and given how much UVa struggled to create pressure last year, he should have every opportunity to earn a big role this fall.
