No, it’s not a dream — the Virginia Cavaliers really are 5-1 to start the 2025 season. Spearheaded by a potent offense, timely stops, and an unshakeable grit, Tony Elliott has his team in a prime position
to scrap for a spot in the ACC title game. Heading into week seven, the ‘Hoos sit undefeated in league play and are one of two 3-0 teams in the conference (Duke), with Georgia Tech and Miami sitting at 2-0 and 1-0, respectively. The ‘Hoos will more than likely be favored in all but maybe one of their remaining six games, three of which are in Scott Stadium.
Now at the midpoint of the season, here are five takeaways from what’s been a heck of a start for the ‘Hoos:
Despite injuries, the offensive line continues to step up
Much of the talk around UVA’s offseason transfer portal haul centered around the added depth in the trenches, and for good reason. But seemingly from the second fall camp began, that depth started to wear away as fast as UVA accumulated it. Days into camp, the ‘Hoos were already down two projected starters in Monroe Mills, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the summer, and Makilan Thomas due to a broken foot. Pair those two with the injuries to Wallace Unamba, Brady Wilson, David Wohlabaugh, and now McKale Boley — could you really blame this group if they struggled to protect Chandler Morris and run the ball in the first half of the season?
What’s actually taken place on the field has been nothing short of stellar. Chandler Morris wasn’t sacked until week four, and has only been sacked on five plays this season, a mark that is well inside the top 20 nationally. The Cavaliers own one of the nation’s best ground attacks in the country on the back of this front as well, totaling the ninth-most yards through six games (1,305).
The Cavalier line bullied its largest opponent in Florida State with 211 rushing yards to slowly, but surely, wear down the ’Nole defense, despite having to play without Wilson and moving Drake Metcalf over to the center spot, while simultaneously inserting Kevin Wigenton into the starting lineup.
The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for what’s by far the least healthy unit on the team. Still, there could be good news on the horizon with Tony Elliott saying a week ago he expects Wilson and Wohlabaugh to return soon. At the same time, there have yet to be any updates on Boley’s status coming out of the Louisville win.
Des Kitchings has been refreshingly aggressive as a play caller
While the recency bias of a few 2023-esque calls coming out of the Louisville and NC State games is easy to point to with negativity, UVA’s offense has been rolling in both phases, allowing offensive coordinator Des Kitchings, along with Tony Elliott, to be ultra-aggressive with their decisions on all four downs.
Thanks to Chandler Morris, the trust the coaching staff has in him, and a talented supporting cast, the ‘Hoos are dictating possessions in ways they haven’t in years. Running the ball has always been priority number one for Elliott and Kitchings since they both arrived in Charlottesville; that’s no secret, but UVA’s ability to not just do it here and there, but dictate drives with the efforts of J’Mari Taylor and Xavier Brown has been a pleasant surprise.
As a team, UVA has rushed for 1,305 yards, averaging 218 per game — both stats rank inside the top ten among all power four teams. Pair that consistency with the effectiveness of Morris, who’s accounted for 13 total touchdowns and passed for 1,428 yards, and you have a recipe to stay aggressive on third down, knowing the offense can convert on fourth, if needed.
Through six games, the ‘Hoos are top ten nationally on third down and own a 60% conversion rate on fourth down. And for all the criticism Elliott and Kitchings faced after the fourth down decisions to kick a field goal on a 4th and 5, and toss the ball out wide on a 4th and 1 in the NC State loss, they’ve learned from both. UVA hasn’t messed around in short yardage situations since, running the ball straight up the middle with the game on the line against the physically stout defensive fronts of FSU and Louisville.
There’s been an increased willingness to go for those fourth downs as well. The FSU game was similar to NC State in that touchdowns, not field goals, were required to win. The only difference was that the ‘Hoos had the info to work off of from the trip to Raleigh. Now, seemingly anything near or past the 50-yard line is four-down territory, with a 4th and 10 attempt at Louisville being the prime illustration of that. Kitchings is calling games with the spirit of a Madden 08-playing 15-year-old — and I mean that as a serious compliment.
The pass-rush has gone from 0 to 100
After a slower start to the year, the ‘Hoos have managed 16 sacks through six games — a mark that’s tied for second in the ACC, and one of the best in the country. The positive jump from the past two seasons, where the Cavaliers finished the entire ‘23 and ‘24 seasons with 19 and 11 total sacks, respectively, is glaringly obvious.
Daniel Rickert and Mitchell Melton have been game-wreckers in the department so far. Rickert stands tied for second in the league with 4.5 sacks, while Mitchell Melton, due in large part to his performance against Louisville, now owns 2.5, and interior lineman Jason Hammond stands third on the team with two.
That defensive pressure isn’t just showing itself in the sack department — it’s played a key role in UVA forcing nine turnovers this season. From Kam Robinson’s pick-six last week to Ja’Son Prevard’s two takeaways against FSU, the ‘Hoos are finding ways to impact the game when able to shrink the pocket.
Rickert has been especially relentless at getting into the backfield. With 24 quarterback pressures, he stands tied for fifth among all Power Four defenders, per Pro Football Focus — and third in the ACC only behind two Miami edge rushers in Akheem Mesidor and the potential first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft in Reuben Bain Jr. There isn’t a better example of Rickert’s energy as a pass-rusher than him putting a Louisville tackle through the floor last Saturday:
UVA’s front office team already deserves a ton of praise
This past December, an anonymous donor helped equip the program with a competitive NIL arsenal that has largely helped the ’Hoos get to a 5-1 record through six games. That being said, it’s one thing to obtain the necessary cash and resources that plenty of programs already have to compete — it’s a whole other deal to spend those resources correctly to form a winning roster. UVA has done just that, and it’s showing on the field each week.
UVA’s front office is largely run by general manager, Tyler Jones and Justin Speros, who acts as assistant GM and chief of staff. Both played key roles in the construction of the current roster, and judging by the play on the field thus far, they hit home runs in doing so.
Morris and Taylor have been game-changers since they both stepped onto the Scott Stadium grass against Coastal Carolina, along with Jahmal Edrine and Cam Ross. Melton and Rickert have been critical, as previously mentioned, paired with Donavan Platt and Emmanuel Karnley making plays at the corner spots, despite the unit having its share of struggles.
The supplementation of newer players with the existing talent of players like Xavier Brown, Jahmeer Carter, Trell Harris, and Kam Robinson from last season and beyond has been season-changing for the ’Hoos.
The Cavaliers are one of the best stories across college football
Take yourself back to the summertime and think about this……UVA was voted 14th in the preseason ACC poll, with an over/under win total set at 6.5. Fast forward to week seven of the college football season — the Virginia Cavaliers sit undefeated in conference play, ranked 19th in the AP Poll, with the preseason number one and two teams in the country (Texas and Penn State) nowhere to be found in said poll.
If you somehow had that long sentence on your bingo card before the season, I’d suggest buying a lottery ticket.
UVA’s run to 5-1 in 2025 has more to do with persistence and a newfound relentlessness than that of luck. The ‘Hoos continue to meet any and all moments of adversity head on, not flinching like UVA teams of the past. Whether it was going up 14-0 against Florida State, only to give away 21 unanswered points, or the offense hitting a wall for the first time in a slugfest at Louisville, this team continues to find a way to get the job done.
There’s a visible difference in mentality. No one play, injury, or bad bounce of the ball seems to deter this team. Tony Elliott has successfully instilled a different intensity throughout the program despite having to maneuver the drastic roster flip in the offseason — and for that, he and the rest of the staff deserve a ton of credit.
