Virginia's spring football practices will culminate with the annual Blue-White Game on Saturday at 2pm at Scott Stadium. The UVA roster has been divided into two teams for a four-quarter intrasquad scrimmage (see the rosters here). As the Cavaliers give us a glimpse of what's to come in the 2024 season, here's five things to watch for in the Virginia football spring game.
1. Virginia's Quarterback 'Situation'
We're calling it a quarterback situation, as opposed to a quarterback competition as Tony Elliott and Taylor Lamb have done their best to give the impression that there is not a battle going on between Anthony Colandrea and Tony Muskett this spring, despite the fact that both quarterbacks started six games last season and both have been getting first-team reps in spring practice. If there is to be a position battle between Colandrea and Muskett, it will be fought and ultimately decided in fall camp four months from now, but it will still be interesting to see how each quarterback looks in command of UVA's offense on Saturday. Muskett has made a quick recovery after undergoing shoulder surgery at the end of the season, while Colandrea has reportedly looked more and more comfortable orchestrating the offense in his second spring at Virginia. Look for both QBs to make an impression as they go head-to-head in something resembling a 'real game' setting.
2. Speaking of Injuries
We mentioned that Tony Muskett has made a fast recovery after he missed the last few games of the season with an ankle injury as well as a shoulder injury that ultimately required surgery at the end of the season. But he won't be the only Cavalier making his return to the field this weekend, as there will be more than a few players eager to see "real" game action on Saturday, including sixth-year safety Antonio Clary, who missed the entire 2023 season with an ankle injury. Many others are still recovering from injuries, including several starting offensive linemen who underwent surgery in the offseason. As usual, the spring game will offer opportunities for nearly every player on the roster to get playing time, but those "next men up" on the depth chart who will get starting reps due to injuries to the players above them stand the most to gain with a good showing. It'll be interesting to see who is out and who steps up on Saturday, particularly on the offensive line.
3. Breakout Performers?
The spring game can serve as a massive launching point for previously unsung players to build momentum towards carving out a more significant role for themselves come the fall. Last season, it was the young gunslinger Anthony Colandrea who put the entire UVA football community on notice with a dazzling performance in the spring game, completing 18 of his 29 passing attempts for 218 yards and a touchdown and putting his electrifying improvisation abilities outside of the pocket on full display, skills that he went on to show time and time again last season as he shattered the UVA record books for freshmen quarterbacks. The season before that? It was the former walk-on Perris Jones running for 129 yards and a 75-yard touchdown as the opening act of a year-long case that ultimately landed him the starting running back job to begin the 2022 season. Who will be the next key contributor to have his breakout performance at the spring game?
4. New Transfers Making Their Cavalier Debuts
Saturday will provide our first opportunity to see several transfers suit up in the orange and blue for the first time. We're particularly excited to get a first glimpse of former Notre Dame wide receiver Chris Tyree, former Clemson tight end Sage Ennis, and former North Carolina wide receiver Andre Greene Jr. On the defensive end, we're looking forward to seeing Akron transfer Corey Thomas Jr., who has been the subject of much praise from the UVA defensive coaching staff this spring. Thomas has a linebacker build at 6'4" and 215 pounds, but the speed and athleticism of a defensive back and the Cavaliers currently having him playing safety.
5. Freshmen Early Enrollees
Last year, Virginia had only two freshmen enroll in January and participate in spring practice. Those two first years - wide receiver Jaden Gibson and the aforementioned Anthony Colandrea - benefited greatly from that head start and were significant contributors in their first seasons at UVA, particularly Colandrea. The Cavaliers have seven freshmen who enrolled early and are participating in spring practice this time around. We're especially interested in seeing Ethan Minter, a two-way athlete who has transitioned from quarterback to safety and who has been very impressive so far, according to Tony Elliott. But chances are, there are multiple future stars in that group of freshmen and Saturday will be our first chance to see them play in a Virginia uniform.
Kickoff for the 2024 Virginia football Blue-White game is set for 2pm on Saturday at Scott Stadium. If you can't make it to the game in person, the game will be streamed on ESPN+ and there will be a rebroadcast of the game on the ACC Network at a later date.
