Virginia Football Defense Preview: Can the Hoos Take Another Step Forward?

With eight defensive starters returning, can John Rudzinski's Cavaliers replicate their success from the 2022 season?

Tony Elliott's first season at the helm of the Virginia football program was filled with immense challenges, both on the field, and tragically, off of it too. But with all the struggles the Cavaliers faced in their 2022 campaign, the almost miraculous turnaround of UVA's defense was an unexpected, and significant, bright spot. John Rudzinski and the new defensive coaching staff worked wonders with a unit that was the biggest weakness of the 2021 Cavaliers and transformed it into the team's biggest strength. 

Virginia improved its scoring defense numbers by more than a touchdown on average from 2021 to 2022, moving from 103rd in the country to 49th in that category. That progress can be seen in UVA's stats across the board. The Cavaliers were 87th in passing defense in 2021 and moved up to 30th, 123rd in rushing defense and moved up to 71st, and 121st in total defense and moved up to 44th, cutting down their opponents' average total offense from 466.0 yards per game to 357.6 yards per game. Virginia's pass rush was a major key, averaging 3.0 sacks per game, 12th-best in all of college football. 

If Virginia is to experience overall success in 2023, it will have to start on the defensive end. The good news is that the Cavaliers are returning eight starters on defense and have also added a few quality additions, giving John Rudzinski plenty to work with as he hopes to replicate the unit's success from last season. 

Although UVA returns most of its starting defense, including the entire defensive line, there are a few significant holes to fill, headlined by the departure of three-time All-ACC selection Nick Jackson, the undisputed leader of the Virginia defense who also paced the Cavaliers in tackles in each of the last three seasons. UVA must also replace the production of the first All-ACC cornerback duo in program history with Anthony Johnson and Fentrell Cypress II leaving the program. 

Fortunately for the Cavaliers, they have a plethora of experienced playmakers returning at each position group: 

Defensive Line

Widely considered to be the strongest unit on the roster, UVA's defensive line could be one of the best in the ACC when it's all said and done. Two-time ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week Chico Bennett Jr. leads the group, but he will miss the season opener against Tennessee as he recovers from a knee injury. Tony Elliott reported that he anticipates Bennett, who led the Cavaliers with seven sacks last season, to be ready to return for UVA's second game against James Madison. 

Without Bennett, Virginia will lean on Ben Smiley, Kam Butler, and Paul Akere at the edges of the defensive line. Elliott has been raving about Smiley all offseason and believes the fifth year defensive end is poised for a breakout season. Butler and Akere, who both provided meaningful contributions a season ago, give the Cavaliers experience and power on the other side of the line. On the interior, Jahmeer Carter, Aaron Faumui, Olasunkonmi Agunloye, and Michael Diatta will look to wreak havoc and push the line of scrimmage in favor of the Wahoos. 

Linebacker

One of the biggest questions facing the Cavaliers this season is how they will fare in the absence of Nick Jackson, who transferred to Big Ten country this offseason and will spend his final season of college football as a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes. Calling the defense in Jackson's stead will be another Jackson - James Jackson, who was third on the team in tackles last season with 60 stops to go along with one sack, one pass breakup and three quarterback hurries. Fifth-year Josh Ahern will start at weakside linebacker and will look to have a big year after injuries limited him to six games last season. Virginia is very excited about the potential of the ultra-athletic true freshman Kam Robinson, who is listed as Jackson's backup on the week 1 depth chart, and Stevie Bracey should get some significant snaps this season after appearing in seven games as a freshman. 

Secondary

Replacing Anthony Johnson and Fentrell Cypress II at the cornerback position was never going to be easy, but the UVA coaching staff took their best shot as they acquired Clemson transfer Malcolm Greene and SMU transfer Sam Westfall, who are still battling for the starting spot at right corner, while sixth year Coen King is getting the nod as the starter on the left side, per the team's week 1 depth chart. Another transfer, Tayvonn Kyle from Iowa State, is manning the SPUR position in Virginia's five-defensive back system. After a breakout sophomore season, Jonas Sanker will look to make another big leap as he occupies the free safety spot and then Lex Long, who has worked at both safety and linebacker leading up to the season, rounds out the UVA secondary at strong safety on the depth chart for week 1. Fifth-year safety Antonio Clary, who is expected to be a core leader of the defense this season, is dealing with a high-ankle sprain suffered in fall camp and is questionable for the season opener against Tennessee. Micah Gaffney, Dave Herard, Aidan Ryan, and freshman Dre Walker give the unit solid depth as well. 

With several question marks facing the Cavaliers on the offensive side of the ball, the Virginia defense will be leaned on heavily especially early in the season when UVA plays multiple challenging opponents. Anything less than a high level of production from the Cavalier defense could make this a very long season. 

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