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Coming off a 9-4 record, including a 6-2 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play and an appearance in the 2008 Gator Bowl, this year’s edition of Virginia football figures to have a new look due to a large number of departed seniors and letterwinners. Gone are 22 letterwinners, six starters on the offense and the defense plus both kickers. Included in that group of players is consensus All-American defensive end Chris Long, the winner of the 2007 Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end; third-team All-American offensive guard Branden Albert and second-team All-ACC tight end Tom Santi.
A trio of non-seniors who have been major contributors for the Cavalier program the past two seasons sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell, junior cornerback Chris Cook and sophomore defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald are no longer enrolled at the University.
Attrition is part of college football and head coach Al Groh, the 2007 ACC Coach of the Year, and his staff set about this spring to fill those vacated roles and build on the team’s off-season conditioning program towards another successful season. In his seven years at the helm of the Cavalier program, Groh has directed five of his teams to postseason bowl appearances. Last year’s Gator Bowl invitation marked the fourth time in the program’s history the Cavaliers played in a New Year’s Day bowl game; Virginia was ranked No. 20 in the final BCS standings.
Combined with his coaching stint at Wake Forest (1981-86), Groh enters the upcoming season tied for seventh on the ACC’s all-times win list with 77. He needs just four victories during the upcoming campaign to move into sixth place. Virginia will build around 10 returning starters five on each side of the ball plus some talented newcomers to construct the 2008 team. Virginia benefits from the return of junior wide receiver Kevin Ogletree (6-2, 189), who missed the 07 campaign due to a knee injury and senior tailback Cedric Peerman (5-10, 208), who saw his junior season cut short due to a foot injury.
The Cavaliers face a daunting schedule in 2008. Virginia opens the season Aug. 30 by playing host to Southern California, one of eight opponents that appeared in a bowl game last season. The Cavaliers face former defensive coordinator Mike London a week later when Richmond visits Scott Stadium. UVa’s other non-conference games include a home date with East Carolina and the Cavaliers’ first trip to Connecticut. The ACC slate includes match-ups at home with Maryland, North Carolina, Miami and Clemson. The Wahoos take to the road to face Duke, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech.
With London’s departure to head up the Richmond program, Groh brought one of college football’s most successful coaches out of retirement to join the UVa staff. Former Marshall head coach Bob Pruett assumes the duties as the Cavaliers’ defensive coordinator. He was 94-23 during his nine seasons with the Thundering Herd, winning the Division I-AA national title in 1996.
OFFENSE
Quarterback
With the loss of Sewell, sophomore signal caller Peter Lalich (6-5, 225) appears to be the likely candidate to direct the Cavalier offense after playing in eight of 13 games last season. He is the only quarterback on the roster with significant playing time. Senior Scott Deke (6-3, 215), who returns for a fifth season, and sophomore Marc Verica (6-3, 206) figure to provide the most competition during UVas spring practice sessions. The Cavalier roster also includes redshirt freshmen Brendan Lane (6-6, 218) and Warner Blunt (6-4, 212).
Lalich completed 35 of 61 attempts with just one interception as a true freshman in 2007. He threw for 321 yards and a pair of scores, including a fourth-quarter TD pass in the Gator Bowl when Sewell was forced out of the game due to an injury. A poised and accurate passer in the pocket, Lalich became the first true freshman to play quarterback at UVa since 1997. In his second game, he threw for 131 yards in a home win vs. Duke.
Running Back
After having to replace its top rusher for three seasons in a row, the Cavalier coaches welcome back a talented, veteran group of running backs this spring. Peerman, who was leading the ACC in rushing at 97.5 yards per game when he was injured, is back as UVa’s rushing leader after totaling 585 yards and five TDs last year in six games.
Peerman was extremely impressive in three ACC outings. He gained 137 yards against Duke, amassed 186 yards on 30 carries versus North Carolina and managed 138 yards against a Georgia Tech defense that entered the contest allowing just 56 rushing yards per outing.
A versatile back, Peerman averaged two receptions per game and had 99 receiving yards when he was forced out of the lineup.
When Peerman was sidelined, Mikell Simpson (6-1, 200) quickly filled the void and gave Virginia a shifty, speedy back who had a memorable debut the first time he saw significant playing time.
He rushed for 119 yards and two scores and caught 13 passes for 152 yards against Maryland. On UVa’s game-winning drive, he touched the ball on the final 14 plays, including his one-yard dive into the end zone for the go-ahead score with 16 seconds to play. He went on to rush for 81 yards against NC State, 91 yards versus Miami and 81 yards against Virginia Tech. He capped off his season with a 170-yard rushing effort against Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl that included a historic moment.
Midway through the second quarter Simpson raced 96 yards for a touchdown to record the longest run in UVa history, the longest run by any NCAA Bowl Subdivision Player in 2007 and the second-longest run every in a bowl game.
By the end of the year Simpson was UV’s leading receiver with 43 catches for 402 yards and trailed Peerman in the rushing department by just 15 yards having totaled 570. He also led Virginia with 10 TDs.
Simpson was not the only back who proved he could be a versatile weapon in the Cavalier backfield. Junior fullback Rashawn Jackson (6-1, 253) put together a solid performance in the Gator Bowl where he carried the ball 14 times for 52 yards and made one catch out of the backfield. Keith Payne will also be back for UVa in 2008. The 6-3, 236-pounder carried 58 times for 219 yards and two TDs as a redshirt freshman.
Virginia’s tailback corps also includes sophomore Raynard Horne (6-0, 210), who appeared in one game in 2007, and redshirt freshmen Max Milien (6-0, 215) and William Webb (5-9, 167). The fullback position also features redshirt freshman Curt Orshoski (6-2, 32) and junior Hall Simmons (5-9, 200).
Wide Receiver/Tight End
With the return of Ogletree and the development of Maurice Covington (6-4, 225) and Dontrelle Inman (6-3, 191), Staton Jobe (6-0, 182) and Cary Koch (6-0, 192), the Cavalier receiving corps could be a much more productive area for Virginia’s offense in 2008. They will need to help offset the loss of two outstanding tight ends (Santi and Jonathan Stupar), who combined for 76 catches last season.
Ogletree had a breakout season in 2006 before missing last year due to a knee injury. He finished as the ACC’s third-leading receiver with 52 receptions for 582 yards and four touchdowns. He was UVa’s leading receiver on five occasions while becoming only the 10th player in school history to catch at least 50 passes in a season. He had a 10-catch game (Wyoming), as well as a 100-yard game (133 vs. Maryland). His most important catch of the season was his 25-yard touchdown reception in overtime that lifted the Cavaliers to a win over Wyoming.
In Ogletree’s absence, Covington, a big target at 6-4, 225, developed into a steady receiver for UVa. He finished the season with 21 catches in nine games, the most of any wide receiver on the team. He missed four contests with a broken hand, but bounced back to have his best outings. He made four catches for 40 yards against NC State, caught a 38-yard TD pass in the 17-16 win against Wake Forest and pulled in a 29-yard scoring catch to start UVa’s scoring in its 48-0 victory at Miami. He caught 12 passes for 204 yards in his final five games of he season.
Jobe started at the other receiver position and pulled down 17 catches for 163 yards and one score and Inman, playing as a true freshman, also had 17 receptions for 181 yards. Koch, a transfer from Tulane, is the only other Cavalier receiver to record a catch in 2007. He had nine for 97 yards and one score.
A pair of redshirt freshmen, Kris Burd (5-11, 189) and Jared Green (6-2, 178), will vie for playing time this spring. They will be joined at the receiver position by sophomore Zach Mendez-Zfass (6-1, 193), redshirt freshman Matt Snyder (6-4, 205) and walk-on newcomer Raymond Keys. Sophomore Patch Duda (6-3, 187) moves to WR from quarterback.
Even with the departure of Santi and Stupar, the Cavaliers have a pair of experienced tight ends returning to the fold. Senior John Phillips (6-6, 250) could be the next highly-productive player at the position. He tied for fifth on the team with 17 receptions last season despite sharing time with Santi and Stupar. Sophomore Joe Torchia (6-5, 255) did not catch any passes but played in all 13 games, primarily on special teams and goal line sets. A pair of redshirt freshmen, Andrew Devlin (6-6, 258) and Mark Ambrose (6-5, 245), along with junior Crutcher Reiss (6-4, 255) and junior Andrew Dewey (6-5, 230) will also compete for playing time at the position which has been an important cog in the UVa offense under Groh.
Offensive Line
The offensive line will have a new look, but a couple of familiar faces to anchor it in 2008. In addition to the departure of Albert is center Jordy Lipsey and guard Ian-Yates Cunningham. Returning to their starting roles will be offensive tackles Eugene Monroe and Will Barker.
Monroe (6-6, 315) earned honorable mention All-ACC honors in 2007 and could follow in Albert’s shoes as an All-American during his senior campaign. While he missed a pair of games in 2007, he never surrendered a sack from his left tackle position during the regular season and piled up 20 knockdown blocks.
Barker (6-7, 315) enters his junior campaign having started Virginias last 25 games. He was a solid component in UVa’s rushing attack that averaged 135.6 yards per game in 2007 and totaled an impressive 44 knockdown blocks from his position last fall.
Redshirt freshmen Landon Bradley (6-7, 275) and Lamar Milstead (6-5, 290) along with sophomore Isaac Cain (6-4, 298) round out the position for the spring.
Virginia will look for a group of young players to fill in the interior line positions. Sophomore Jack Shields (6-5, 289), Lipsey’s backup last season, should step into the center role. He played in one game last season as a redshirt freshman. Anthony Mihota (6-4, 285) is a redshirt freshman who will see his first playing time in 08. Long snapper Danny Aiken (6-4, 250), who did an outstanding job as a true freshman in 2007, will add depth to the position.
Senior Zak Stair will give Virginia an experienced player at one guard spot. He started seven times at tackle during he 2006 campaign. His versatility would also allow him to move back to tackle if necessary. He appeared in 10 games last year and has played in 30 contests during his UVa career. Junior Patrick Slebonick (6-5, 298) and redshirt freshman Dave Roberts (6-6, 280) will also compete for the position this spring.
Sophomore B.J. Cabbell (6-6, 304) will compete with redshirt freshman Billy Cuffee (6-5, 310) for the other guard spot.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line
Virginia will replace its entire defensive line for the 2008 campaign. Three players with ample game experience figure to plug those holes while a number of newcomers will compete for spots in the rotation.
Senior Alex Field (6-7, 270) and sophomore Sean Gottschalk (6-4, 275) are the two most experienced returning letterwinners at defensive end. Field played in all 13 games (113 plays) in 2007 and finished the year with 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Gottschalk appeared in nine contests (101 plays) and finished with four tackles. Junior Jason Fuller (6-5, 255) is the only other player on the roster with experience at the position. He has played in five games over the past two years. Redshirt freshmen Matt Conrath (6-7, 269) and
Zane Parr (6-6, 267) are considered players with great upside who will see their first playing time this year.
Junior Nate Collins (6-2, 280) was Allen Billyks backup last year. He made 31 tackles in 2007 including 4.5 for loss. He had one of Virginia’s two safeties in the Gator Bowl. Redshirt freshman Nick Jenkins (6-3, 285) enters the spring as the backup at the position.
Linebacker
While the Cavalier defensive line will be breaking in a number of new players, the Virginia linebacking corps figures to be one of the experienced returning units in the nation. UVa returns senior starters at three of the four positions. Seniors Jon Copper (6-0, 230) and Antonio Appleby (6-4, 250) return to man the two inside positions while senior Clint Sintim (6-3, 254) is back at his outside spot.
Last year they helped the defense allow just nine rushing touchdowns, the second lowest total in ACC and fifth in the nation. They were a key to the defense being ranked 16th nationally at 19.7 points allowed per game, 13th in rushing, allowing just 106.9 ypg. and 23rd in total defense allowing 332.5 yards per game.
Copper has started the last 25 games for Virginia and led the team in tackles as a sophomore (81) and junior (109). Last year he was eighth in the ACC in tackles (8.4 per game), had nine tackles for loss and three sacks. Copper also proved to be an asset on pass defense with two interceptions.
Appleby started all 13 games and totaled 60 tackles. He had five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He enters his senior season having played in 37 games (27 starts). He was third on the team with six pass breakups.
There are a number of talented newcomers expected to see some playing time at the position including redshirt freshmen Terrence Fells-Danzer (6-1, 242) and J’Courtney Williams (6-3, 218). Junior Darren Childs (6-1, 233) and sophomore John Bivens (6-2, 233) also return at the inside linebacker spot. Bivens played early in 2007 due to a knee injury.
The numbers Sintim posted in 2007 were outstanding and figure to make him a strong candidate for postseason honors in 2008. A starter in UVa’s last 37 games, he was third on the team with 77 tackles, ranking 28th in the ACC with 5.9 per game. He led all linebackers in the nation with nine sacks and was second on the team with 17 quarterback pressures. He also shared the team lead with two forced fumbles. He managed at least eight tackles on five occasions and had a sack in the Gator Bowl.
Senior Aaron Clark (6-5, 250) returns as the backup for the position. He played in 13 games (119 plays) and had nine tackles. Sophomore John-Kevin Dolce (6-2, 240) could see playing time at the position this season.
Several players are candidates to fill the other outside linebacker spot including junior Denzel Burrell (6-4, 230). He has appeared in 15 games during his career, including 13 last season, and has 12 tackles. Sophomore Jared Detrick (6-1, 235) saw action in 11 games in 2007, primarily on special teams, and had three tackles. Redshirt freshman Aaron Taliaferro (6-2, 222) and sophomore Daniel Childress (6-2, 213) will also compete for playing time at the position.
Secondary
Like the linebacking corps, the secondary returns veterans at three positions. Heading up that group are returning starters Vic Hall (5-9, 190) at cornerback and Byron Glaspy (5-11, 206) at safety. One of the best athletes on the team, Hall is also the teams holder on special teams and has experience as both a punt and kickoff returner.
Hall accounted for 58 tackles in his first season as a starter and capped off his sophomore season with a career-high eight stops in the Gator Bowl. He recorded the first interception of his career in UVa’s win at Miami and was credited with breaking up three passes during the season.
Sophomore Ras-I Dowling (6-2, 200) figures to fill Chris Cook’s vacated position at the other cornerback slot. An honorable mention freshman All-American, he played in the final 12 games of he season and finished with 44 tackles and a team-high nine pass defenses and two interceptions. His tackle total (3.7 per game) was eighth best among all ACC freshmen. He tied the UVa school record by breaking up five passes against NC State. His interceptions came against Wake Forest and NC State.
Also competing for playing time at cornerback is sophomore Trey Womack (5-11, 182), who had an outstanding redshirt freshman season on special teams. He played in all 13 games and was credited with 12 tackles. A pair of talented redshirt freshmen, Dom Joseph (6-1, 195) and Chase Minnifield (6-0, 192) will battle for playing time.
At safety, Glaspy is the most veteran player in the defensive backfield with 28 starts during his career. A former walkon, he had a career-high 71 tackles last year and recorded his first interception in the victory at Miami. He posted nine tackles in back-to-back games against Connecticut and Maryland.
Junior Brandon Woods (6-2, 211) is the only other returning letterwinner at safety. He has played in 25 games, including all 13 last season. Sophomore Rico Bell (5-10, 190) got his first playing time last year, but like Woods, was primarily used on special teams.
The safety spot manned by Nate Lyles figures to be a three-way battle between sophomore Matt Leemhuis (6-1, 201), redshirt freshman Corey Mosley (5-10, 197) and possibly sophomore Mike Parker (6-2, 200). Parker, who will also work at cornerback in the spring, started in the Gator Bowl when the Cavaliers opened with six defensive backs.
Special Teams
Virginia will be looking to replace punter Ryan Weigand, who was fourth in the nation last season in punting average, and kicker/pooch punter Chris Gould, who completed his career with 134 points. Back at their positions on special teams are long snapper Danny Aiken and holder Vic Hall. Hall was also UVa’s top punt returner last season. He averaged 10 yards per runback on 23 returns with a
season-long effort of 67 yards on his first career attempt. He, Peerman and Simpson all have experience on UVa’s kickoff ret
urn squad.
Redshirt freshman Chris Hinkebein (6-1, 190) is expected to handle the kicking duties during the spring while sophomore John Thornton (6-4, 212) is likely to take care of the punting. Walkon Nathan Rathjen will also be looked at as a punter.