Virginia Adds Kobe Pace to Strong Running Back Group in 2023
Entering the offseason, running back was not towards the top of the priority list for Tony Elliott as he looked towards the transfer portal to supplement his roster for the 2023 Virginia football season. With several talented and experienced tailbacks set to return next fall, the Cavaliers were much more focused on bolstering the offensive line, cornerbacks, and wide receiver units this offseason.
In a press conference last week, Tony Elliott said that he told his staff that an exception could be made if a running back with remarkable talent or a previous connection to the UVA coaching staff became available in the transfer portal.
Clemson running back Kobe Pace checked both of those boxes.
Sure enough, Pace committed to UVA the day before the early signing period began and officially signed with the Cavaliers the next day, reuniting with his former offensive coordinator, Tony Elliott. With Pace in the fold, Virginia suddenly has quite the arsenal of capable running backs on the roster for the 2023 football season.
On Tuesday, senior running back Perris Jones announced that he would be returning to UVA for the 2023 season, exercising his final year of eligibility. A former walk-on, Jones earned the starting running back job after a strong fall camp and made his first-career start in the season-opener against Richmond. He rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown, becoming just the fifth Cavalier running back in program history to eclipse the century mark in his first start. Jones averaged 4.5 yards per rush in 2022, totaling 365 rushing yards and two touchdowns and also added two receiving touchdowns.
Virginia also returns Xavier Brown, who had a remarkable impact as a true freshman this season. He appeared in all ten games, rushing for 210 yards and a touchdown and averaging 4.2 yards per carry. Based on his performance in year 1, Brown has the potential to be one of the most dynamic running backs Virginia has had in a long time.
Tony Elliott noted in his press conference last week that he is particularly excited to see what Cody Brown can do in his second year in the program after transferring from Miami. Brown was a late transfer addition to the UVA football program last May, putting him behind schedule in comparison to the other running backs who participated in spring football. That, combined with some injury troubles, led to Brown appearing in only three total games and recording just two rushing attempts this season.
"I'm excited about [Cody Brown] because he's another big body, downhill kind of guy, but he didn't have the offseason, going through the transfer process, that he needed. So I'm excited about him," Elliott said. A former consensus four-star prospect coming out of high school, Brown could potentially be a major factor for the Cavaliers in 2023 after having an entire year to get acclimated to the program.
Amaad Foston missed the entire 2022 season after tearing his ACL in August and has yet to appear in a game through his first two years at UVA. But before his injury, Foston was making a solid case to earn some touches out of the backfield. The 6'0", 218-pound sophomore was one of the lead running backs last spring, recording 37 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in the spring game. If he can get back to his pre-injury level of play when he is cleared next year, Amaad Foston could be a serious contender towards the top of UVA's running back depth chart.
Mike Hollins has a long road to recovery after he was shot in the back during the tragic shooting that killed three of his UVA teammates on November 13th, but Hollins has resolved that he will play football again. Tony Elliott has made it clear that there will be a spot for Hollins when he is able to return. Of course, no one will be rushing Hollins back to the football field, but it seems he is very determined to play next fall. If that ends up being the case, Mike Hollins will give Virginia another strong, experienced ball carrier.
Virginia lost fifth-year Ronnie Walker Jr. to the transfer portal, but the Cavaliers added three talented running backs on early signing day, as Clemson transfer Kobe Pace joined high school recruits Donté Hawthorne and Noah Vaughn.
"We feel really good about Donté [Hawthorne] and Noah [Vaughn], the two high school guys," said Tony Elliott. "Kobe [Pace] was a guy that I recruited and in that class, I didn't offer that many guys... him and a couple other high-profile guys. When he got to Clemson, we knew, like okay this guy is going to be special. But obviously, Travis [Etienne] was still there and he had to wait his turn. And then the two guys that came after are really really good, so there's three NFL running backs, in my opinion, in that room."
A 5'10", 205-pound senior, Kobe Pace comes to Virginia after a three-year career at Clemson in which he totaled 793 yards and nine touchdowns on 152 carries in 28 games. Pace had a breakout season as a sophomore in 2021, Tony Elliott's final season coaching the Clemson offense, rushing for 641 yards and six touchdowns and averaging 6.2 yards per carry, tied for second in the ACC that year. Although injury troubles caused Pace to struggle to see significant playing time this season, Tony Elliott knows that Pace has the potential to be a star running back if given the opportunity.
"He's done it at the highest level in one of the biggest programs, one of the most competitive situations, so I think he brings a competitive toughness that we're looking for," Elliott said of Kobe Pace.
Virginia is committed to establishing a capable run game and while there are still some significant question marks up front on the offensive line, there is no doubt that the Cavaliers have the horses in the backfield to have a successful rushing attack in 2023.
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