Ranking the Deepest Position Groups on Virginia's Offense

Before Dakota Twitty suffered a season-ending ankle injury at Louisville last year, Virginia was averaging 45.6 points per game. After that point, they averaged 22.6 points per game. This team sorely missed its effective sets of two tight ends. 

Even though the Cavaliers went on to earn a program-best 11 wins, a lesson was learned — you can never have too much depth. Let’s take a look at that depth for the offense.

5: Tight ends

Unfortunately for Virginia, the tight end room is not guaranteed to improve. The Cavaliers lost Sage Ennis — who is currently fighting for a roster spot on the Miami Dolphins — leaving a vacancy at a crucial role in this offense. They do get a sophomore John Rogers, and a healthy Twitty back, but will need someone else (multiple tight ends, perhaps?) to step up alongside the graduate veteran. In particular, this team needs an elite blocker who is capable of being a dependable short-yardage option.

The highest-ranked transfer tight end Virginia acquired was North Carolina portal player Connor Cox, who 247Sports ranked as the 29th-best tight end in the portal. This group would be operating on ultra-thin ice if even one tight end goes down. 

4: Wide receivers

The receiving room ranks fourth not because of its floor, but its prospective ceiling. Other than UCLA transfer Rico Flores Jr., a lot of the WRs are dart throws. Will Kam Courtney emerge as a true starter? Who will take the third starting spot? Who can be Beau Pribula’s favorite target, or a trusted target on third downs?

Virginia is aware that it currently lacks a Malik Washington and Malachi Fields duo, or perhaps a Trell Harris and Cam Ross combination. However, given that the Cavaliers brought on several experienced transfers, it is very possible that a few of them can rise to the occasion.

3: Quarterbacks

Inversely to the WRs, the quarterbacks rank third because of their ceiling, not their floor. And although they only go two-deep, this is one of the better QB1-QB2 duos across the Power Four. The deep backups struggled mightily at the spring game — but the top two QBs are incredibly promising. That pushes this unit past the receivers.

Should Pribula win the starting gig, the Cavaliers should feel fantastic about Eli Holstein as QB2. The accurate and surprisingly mobile Holstein once quarterbacked a ranked Pitt team, and if he sticks around he could very well be the starter in 2027. 

2: Offensive linemen

Virginia might have one of the best offensive lines in the nation. Every projected starter is a graduate student with multiple seasons of starting experience. All of them have picked up accolades of sorts along their journeys to becoming a high-quality Power Four lineman. 

The Cavaliers even have strong backups with Alex Payne, Ben York, Grant Ellinger, Noah Hartsoe and others. On most teams, a group like this would be considered the deepest on the whole team.

However, there is one position where the Cavaliers undeniably have some of the best depth in all of college football.

1: Running backs 

Peyton Lewis. Jekail Middlebrook. Xavier Brown. Solomon Beebe. Noah Vaughn. Xay Davis. Any of them could start for a large percentage of Power Four teams. All six of them play for Virginia.

The Cavaliers had depth before, although they only went five deep instead of six. That 2025 team ended up being led by J’Mari Taylor by season’s end, but this 2026 rendition might be more of a true split — especially between Lewis and Middlebrook. 

This offense has the potential to find more consistency than its preceding group.