Story Links
The 2009 spring practice period is one of great promise and renewal for the Virginia Cavaliers. Following a disappointing 5-7 season, Al Groh immediately turned his attention toward working on improving his team in a variety of areas. The offseason featured several changes to his coaching staff, with three new faces joining Groh’s staff and two familiar ones returning.
Groh welcomes 35 lettermen, including 12 starters, when spring drills open in late March. Many eyes will be focused on the return of QB Jameel Sewell and CB Chris Cook, both starters two years ago, who were not in school last year. But there is a good foundation on both sides of the ball that deserves notice as well.
OFFENSE
OFFENSIVE LINE
After finishing in the bottom third of the ACC in offense the previous three seasons, Groh hired former Bowling Green head coach Gregg Brandon as offensive coordinator. Considered an innovator of the spread offense, under Brandon the Falcons featured one of the nation’s top all-around rushing and passing offenses. In four of his six seasons as head coach his teams averaged more than 400 yards of offense per game. Several other moves were made to the offensive staff. Wayne Lineburg was moved from coaching the wide receivers to the running backs and Latrell Scott was hired to oversee the wide receivers.
Four starters return to anchor the offensive line, led by senior right tackle Will Barker. Barker enters his fourth season with 37 starts under his belt. Next to him is junior B.J. Cabbell at right guard. Cabbell proved to be an effective blocker last season in his first year as the starter. Fellow junior Jack Shields was another first-time starter a year ago who improved throughout the season. Sophomore Austin Pasztor moved into the starting line-up in the fifth week against Maryland and remained there the rest of the season. Sophomore Landon Bradley backed up All-American Eugene Monroe at left tackle last year in an effort to groom him to move into that spot now that Monroe has moved on to a professional career.
Of the remaining candidates competing for playing time only sophomore center Anthony Mihota has seen any measurable amount of playing time following a starting assignment in place of an injured Shields in last season’s finale vs. Virginia Tech. Junior Isaac Cain has worked at guard and tackle throughout his career and has seen very limited action in two games in the last two years. Working at the guard spots are sophomores Billy Cuffee and Dave Roberts, neither of whom has seen game action. Sophomore Lamar Milstead and redshirt freshmen Matt Mihalik and Aaron Van Kuiken will be given an opportunity to earn playing time in the spring. Redshirt freshman Mike Price and walk-on John Maghamez join Mihota in the competition to see time at center.
QUARTERBACK
The line looks to protect an experienced quarterback, expected to be senior Jameel Sewell or junior Marc Verica. Sewell started all 13 games in 2007 and led the team to nine wins and a New Year’s Day bowl game. An elusive runner with a strong arm, he passed for 2,176 yards and ran for 279 more that season. Verica is more of a drop back passer who made his first start in last season’s third game against Connecticut. He went on to start nine of the final 10 games and threw for 2,037 yards while completing 63.8 percent of his attempts.
Redshirt freshman Riko Smalls gained experience imitating the opposition’s quarterback on the scout team last year, but is most likely to become a factor at quarterback further down the road. Walk-ons Brendan Lane, a sophomore, and Kyle McCartin, a redshirt freshman, provide additional depth. Groh hinted after last season that senior Vic Hall, erstwhile starter at cornerback who started last year’s finale against Virginia Tech at quarterback, could find a role on offense at times this year. He will work exclusively at quarterback during the spring according to Groh.
RUNNING BACK
Senior Mikell Simpson, who had an injury-plagued season last year and missed the final three contests as a result, is the most experienced ball carrier on the roster. He ran for 570 yards in 2007 before dropping to 262 last year. Junior Raynard Horne has been a special teams standout throughout his career and could be given his best opportunity. Keith Payne saw time at both tailback and fullback last season in what was an injury-plagued season that saw him miss five games.
Sophomore Max Milien has been a developmental player during the early part of his career but will be given an opportunity to show his skills this spring. Speedy redshirt freshman Torrey Mack was one of the top running backs in his recruiting class coming in and should contend for time.
Senior Rashawn Jackson returns as the primary fullback. Although he doesn’t get many carries, he has good ball skills and is an exceptional blocker in both phases of the offense. Sophomore Curt Orshoski is a sturdy player who can be utilized in the blocking scheme.
WIDE RECEIVER
After losing its top-four producers from last season, the wide receiver and tight end corps will provide plenty of opportunities for new faces to step to the forefront.
Sophomore Jared Green leads the returnees at wide receiver after catching 12 passes for 144 yards a year ago. Kris Burd caught seven passes as a redshirt freshman last year in limited action from scrimmage but is expected to see his production increase in 2009. Among the other wide receivers that have seen game action, both saw their roles diminish last year after productive seasons the year before. Dontrelle Inman finished with 17 receptions as a true freshman two years ago, but saw his total fall to two catches in 2008, while Staton Jobe saw his catches drop from 17 to one. Nonetheless, both are expected to use their experience to their advantage to increase their output this year. Highly regarded redshirt freshman Javaris Brown was named the team’s Scout Team Player of the Year is the only other scholarship receiver on the roster at this time. Juniors Patch Duda and Zach Mendez-Zfass, sophomores Ray Keys and Matt Snyder and redshirt freshmen Brian Oden, Johnny Pickett and Eric Thornton all add depth and could find themselves called on during the spring.
TIGHT END
For the first time in the Groh era the Cavaliers do not have a proven tight end going into the season. Junior Joe Torchia started two of the seven games in which he played last season, but did not catch a pass. Redshirt freshmen Colter Phillips and Rod Wheeler are talented players who will battle for playing time.
DEFENSE
linebackers
Cavalier coaches and fans will have to get familiar with some new faces making the majority of the tackles following the graduation of linebackers Clint Sintim, Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby. Senior Denzel Burrell made 48 tackles in the most action of his career last year and is the team’s second-leading returning tackler behind cornerback Vic Hall. He got his chance to start following the injury to fellow senior Aaron Clark in the opener against Southern California. Clark, who got the starting nod over Burrell at the outside spot opposite Sintim going into the season, returns for his final season. He has worked hard in the offseason to rejoin the competition at one of the outside linebacker spots. Sophomore Cam Johnson is a pass rush specialist who saw his playing time increase steadily throughout the season before an injury caused him to miss the final month.
Junior Jared Detrick and sophomore Aaron Taliaferro will be given a chance to gain additional playing time this spring. Detrick has been one of the team’s top special teams players throughout his career, while Taliaferro played in just one contest in 2008. Sophomore Mark Ambrose and redshirt freshman Bill Schautz both moved from tight end to linebacker last season and could also find their way into the rotation in some capacity. Junior Daniel Childress and redshirt freshman Brady Stovall joined the team as walk-ons and provide depth.
Hard-hitting senior Darren Childs has the longest resume among the candidates working on the inside to replace Appleby and Copper. He started twice in midseason when Appleby was out with an injury and finished with 20 tackles on the year. Junior Darnell Carter, who was not in school last year, impressed observers with his practice play earlier in his career but has not been able to translate that into much playing time. Sophomore Terence Fells-Danzer played in four games last season, mostly on special teams, and could find himself called upon. Redshirt freshman Steve Greer served as Copper’s understudy last season and is expected to compete to fill his vacant position.
DEFENSIVE LINE
While the linebackers are assured to be almost totally new names and faces, such is not the case with the defensive line with seven of the top eight returning. Sophomore Matt Conrath headlines the returnees at end. He earned second-team Freshman All-American honors last season after making 35 tackles, including four sacks. Stationed next to him at nose tackle is a trio of experienced run stuffers and pass rushers with a wealth of experience. Senior Nate Collins and sophomore Nick Jenkins split time last season; Collins’ 35 tackles are the top among the returning linemen, while Jenkins finished with 25. Junior John-Kevin Dolce proved himself in the pass rush package with five sacks among his nine total tackles. Redshirt freshman Klinton “Buddy” Ruff is a promising prospect that is likely to make his biggest contributions in the future.
Competition for playing time at the other end position is likely to be fierce this spring as a number of players vie to replace starter Alex Field. Senior Kevin Crawford and sophomore Zane Parr have the most game action at the position. Joining them are sophomore Andrew Devlin, who moves from tight end this spring, and redshirt freshman Tory Allen. True freshman Will Hill enrolled in January and could figure into the equation and evaluation process beginning in the spring.
SECONDARY
The secondary is well stocked with experience at both cornerback and safety. Senior Vic Hall returns for his third season as a starter at cornerback, while junior Ras-I Dowling is back for his second year in a starting role. Hall made 59 tackles last season and is the team’s leading returning tackler. He also picked off two passes, including one he returned for a touchdown. Dowling intercepted a team-best three passes and broke up 11 passes, also tops on the team. Sophomore Chase Minnifield played in all 12 games with two starts and proved an ability to be around the ball with two interceptions and four break-ups. Junior Trey Womack and sophomore Dom Joseph have seen virtually all of their game action on special teams. Redshirt freshman Devin Wallace is expected to get a look, while walk-on senior Brandon Jarvis, and redshirt freshmen walk-ons Mike Ahunamba and Chris Broadnax add depth.
Senior Chris Cook returns after not being in school last year and is expected to fill a role in the secondary. He has started 19 games in his career and intercepted three passes. Junior Mike Parker logged two starts last fall and has been one of the team’s most capable reserves throughout his career. While both have played primarily cornerback, they could get a look at safety beginning this spring.
Sophomore Corey Mosley is the lone returning starter at safety going into the spring. He made an impact last year as a redshirt freshman and started the final nine games while making 46 tackles. Senior Brandon Woods started the first three games before giving way to Mosley, but he has appeared in 37 games in his career and knows the system well. Rodney McLeod played in the nickel package as a true freshman last season and finished with 17 tackles. Junior Matt Leemhuis has been a developmental player throughout the early stages of his career and should be closer to gaining additional playing time this spring. Ausar Walcott redshirted as a freshman last season and is also competing for playing time.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ron Prince returns to Charlottesville to oversee the special teams after three seasons as the head coach at Kansas State, during which time the Wildcats featured some of the nation’s most dynamic and game-changing special teams units. Sophomore Jimmy Howell was one of five true freshmen to see time last year and averaged 39.0 yards on 64 punts. Junior walk-on Nathan Rathjen provides support behind Howell.
Senior Yannick Reyering, a former UVa soccer player, and sophomore Robert Randolph took turns with the kick-scoring duties last year. Reyering has a strong leg but made just six of 11 field goal attempts, while Randolph connected on three of four attempts. Sophomore Chris Hinkebein, who handled the kickoff duties for five games while Reyering was slowed with an injury, is also expected to contend for some of the placekicking responsibilities this season. Junior Danny Aiken is a proven long snapper and returns to give stability to that phase once again.