Virginia Football has not made a bowl game in Tony Elliott's first three seasons, but based on their offseason activity, that seems to be the goal. Elliott has brought in 30 transfers this offseason and the Cavaliers have one of the most underrated transfer classes in the country and one of the top ones in the ACC. To top it all off, UVA has one of the most manageable schedules in the ACC. They avoid Clemson, Miami, SMU, and Georgia Tech this season, four teams that are projected to be among the best in the conference.
To make a push towards a bowl game, Elliott and his staff have brought in 30+ transfers to try and give this roster a talent injection and get to the postseason. With the spring portal closed, the rosters for teams in the ACC seem to be set, but how do they stack up against each other? In the latest ACC power rankings from CBS Sports, analyst Chip Patterson has Virginia ranked 15th in the conference heading into the season, ahead of only Wake Forest and Stanford:
"Tony Elliott certainly understands the urgency of the moment and the need to win now, as he and the Virginia staff have been working the transfer portal to bring in instant-impact additions as the Wahoos seek bowl eligibility for the first time since Elliott was hired. Veteran Chandler Morris will be among the most significant of those additions as the former Oklahoma and TCU quarterback arrives after a strong season with North Texas in 2024."
ESPN ranked every ACC team's offseason and the Cavaliers came in 5th, behind only Clemson, Miami, SMU, and Florida State:
Key additions: QB Chandler Morris, WR Jahmal Edrine, S Devin Neal
Key departures: S Jonas Sanker, WR Malachi Fields, C Brian Stevens
Top incoming recruits: QB Cole Geer, OLB Isaiah Reese, WR Isaiah Robinson
Biggest coaching move: "There's status quo in Charlottesville as coach Tony Elliott retained his entire on-field staff from 2024, when the team made a two-win improvement. After an aggressive transfer portal push, Virginia is banking on continuity with coordinators Des Kitchings (offense) and John Rudzinski (defense), and a staff that has tried to build back the program."
What went wrong: "Not a whole lot as Virginia had its smoothest and most productive offseason under Elliott. The team lost its top receiver in Malachi Fields to Notre Dame, though, as well as No. 1 tight end Tyler Neville. Although Jahmal Edrine is an interesting addition, he has a lot riding on him to reboot the passing attack with Chandler Morris. Jonas Sanker was Virginia's only first-team All-ACC selection in 2024, and he leaves a significant void after leading the team in total tackles (98) and tackles for loss (8.5). Virginia's offensive line turns over quite a bit from last season with seven additions via the portal. Experienced transfers should help there, but the group still must figure out how to jell."
What went right: "Virginia ramped up its investment and aggressiveness in the portal to give Elliott what should be his best roster since taking over as head coach. The team added an experienced quarterback in Morris, who had 3,774 passing yards and 31 touchdowns for North Texas last season, as well as some nice insurance in Nebraska transfer Daniel Kaelin. Edrine is among the key additions on offense, and Virginia bolstered its return game with James Madison's Cam Ross. Virginia made a strong push for offensive line transfers, and its defensive additions could really stand out, including linebacker Mitchell Melton (Ohio State), safety Devin Neal (Louisville) and cornerback Ja'son Prevard (Morgan State)."
Connelly's take: "Elliott kept his coordinators and added some exciting playmakers through the portal. That's good, though the fact that he needed this many transfers after three seasons isn't an encouraging sign of a strong culture taking root."
Virginia has not been bowl eligible since going 6-6 after the 2021 season, but they have not actually played in a bowl game since making the Orange Bowl in 2019 after going 9-3 and losing to Clemson in the ACC Championship.
Yes, it has been that long.
However, the newest 247Sports Bowl Projections do not paint a good looking picture for Eliott's team in 2025. Even with the schedule and the transfer class, UVA is nowhere to be seen in the projections. That would be a disappointment considering how the Cavaliers have approached this offseason.
Teams that bring in this much from the transfer portal can be boom or bust type of teams. In a pivotal year for Elliott, which one will Virginia be?
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