UVA Football Midseason Awards: Seven Standout Cavaliers

Identifying seven Cavaliers who have been bright spots in an otherwise disappointing Virginia football season

The first half of the season has not gone well for the Virginia Cavaliers. UVA is 2-4 overall and has lost each of its first three ACC games to begin the season. Despite the rough start, there are still several Cavaliers who have played well through the first six games and are deserving of recognition. Here are seven players who have stood out through the first half of the 2022 UVA football season.

Chico Bennett Jr.

A knee injury delayed Chico Bennett's UVA debut by an entire season after he transferred to Virginia from Georgia Tech following the 2020 season. Bennett missed all of last year, but has made up for the lost time since stepping on the field for the Cavaliers. Named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week after recording two sacks and four total tackles at Syracuse in week 4, Bennett is currently fifth in the ACC with four sacks on the season. 

Nick Jackson

As expected, Nick Jackson has been solid and dependable at the linebacker position. Jackson leads the team and is third in the ACC with 62 tackles. He also has recorded two sacks, two pass breakups, and a quarterback hurry. Jackson has accomplished all of that despite missing over three quarters of game action due to a targeting ejection, one of very few mistakes Jackson has made all year. The ACC's leader in tackles from a year ago looks to compete for that title again as the leader of a revamped UVA defense. 

Anthony Johnson

Another veteran leader of the UVA defense, Anthony Johnson has led the Cavaliers both by word and by example this season. Johnson is third on the team in tackles with 39 and has recorded three tackles for loss and two interceptions, including an incredible one-handed pick against Louisville, his former team. With seven pass breakups on the season, Johnson is currently tied with teammate Fentrell Cypress II for 2nd in that category in the ACC. 

Fentrell Cypress II

Speaking of Fentrell Cypress II, the junior cornerback has been a key element of UVA's improvement in the secondary this season. As mentioned above, Cypress has the second-most pass breakups in the conference. He has also recorded 24 tackles, 15 of which have been solo stops, and a fumble recovery. 

Keytaon Thompson

The sole representation from a UVA offense that has fallen off a cliff this season, Keytaon Thompson has been essentially the only reliable playmaker on the offensive side of the ball for the Cavaliers. As is the case with most of UVA's receiving corps this season, Thompson has had a few drops, but has been steady for the most part. He currently ranks second in the ACC in receptions with 42 and third in the conference with 449 receiving yards. Thompson has pretty much been the only receiver who has been even remotely on the same page as Brennan Armstrong in 2022. 

Jonas Sanker

Another standout player in the UVA secondary, Jonas Sanker earned his job with an impressive showing in fall camp just before the start of the season. Through the first half of this 2022 campaign, Sanker has proven that starting him at one of the safety positions was a very good decision by John Rudzinksi and the UVA defensive coaching staff. He is currently second on the team with 45 tackles and he recorded an interception against Louisville and has also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble on separate occasions. 

Antonio Clary

Although he has struggled with some injury troubles that have held him out of two of the six games so far, Antonio Clary has proven himself as one of Virginia's better playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. Despite missing two games, Clary is still among the team's leaders in tackles with 27 on the season, including an assisted tackle for loss. He has also recorded an interception, a pass breakup, and one forced fumble. The Virginia defense is better with Antonio Clary on the field, so the health of the senior safety is paramount moving forward. 

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