Virginia Gets Left Off ESPN's Top 100 College Football Players List

One could make the argument that Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris could ha ve been on the list, though it is not a terrible misjudgment that he is not.

Morris transferred to UVA in January after a prolific 2024 season at North Texas, where he started in all 13 games and quarterbacked the nation’s No. 3 offense in yards per game (488.7). A native of Highland Park, Texas, Morris completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns for the Mean Green. His 31 TD passes were good for fourth among all players nationally. Morris also led the country with four 400-yard passing performances and also set UNT single-season records for passing attempts (512), passing yards per game (314.5), and total offense (4,104) and TD responsibility (35). For his career, Morris has completed 526 passes, including 47 touchdowns, and accumulated 6,207 yards through the air. Prior to his tenure at UNT, Morris played at TCU (2021-23) and Oklahoma (2020).

Who could be on it by season's end?

I think there are a few players who could be on this list by the end of the season. Safety Devin Neal, running back Xavier Brown, and defensive end Mitchell Melton.

UVA head coach Tony Elliott has been pleased with Neal and Melton's performances in Fall Camp:

"You know, both of those guys that you referenced, Mitchell and we call him JT, they're quiet guys by nature, but you're starting to see their play talk loudly. And that was one thing with Mitchell. I just, I had a challenge and said, "Amen, you might've came from where you came from "and been a guy that was in the rotation, a depth guy, but here, man, you're going to be a leader. And that's, I think, why you came here. And you want to be a great player. So he's really embracing that. He's practicing a lot better, more consistent, from start to finish. I'm starting to see him lead his guys.

I'm hopeful that our linebackers lead us because that means the D line is doing their job and freeing them up to go make plays, right? I think what's happened is, you know, they, the D line is getting blocked, the linebackers were getting blocked, and now the safeties have to make the play right? So I'm hopeful that you know we're putting the backers in a better position to come down here to make plays because we're commanding double teams with that D line. But I think Devin Neal can do that. He was an all-ACC player two years ago, and he's playing fast, he's confident, he's down and he's down some footballs in the scrimmage on Saturday. So excited about him."

Brown is expected to lead the Virginia ground game this season.