Virginia Planning to Use "Committee Approach" With Deep Running Back Room
The position group expected to have the most depth on the Virginia offense this season is the running back unit, with anywhere from 5-7 players capable of getting significant carries in any given game. As expected, UVA offensive coordinator Des Kitchings confirmed that the team's rushing attack will be carried out by committee rather than having a single bell cow getting the bulk of the carries.
"It'll be a committee approach," Kitchings said after Virginia's final practice of fall camp on Monday. "And then as the game flows, and one guy's getting hot with the ball, then we can kinda cater things towards him. But the initial attack will be as a committee."
A week earlier, Kitchings was asked if any of UVA's running backs were standing out in fall camp and he began to rattle off names before simply saying that every player in the running back room was maximizing his opportunity.
"To be honest with you, any of those guys that have been put in there... they've all taken their opportunities and maximized them to where we have a lot of confidence in that room regardless of who's in the game," Kitchings said.
Looking at Virginia's roster at running back, which has a solid mix of talent and experience, speed and power, the Cavaliers have to be pleased with the depth they have at that position.
The most exciting name on the list is Kobe Pace, a transfer from Clemson. Pace was one of the lead tailbacks for the Tigers in 2021, Tony Elliott's final season as Clemson's offensive coordinator, and enjoyed a breakout season in which he totaled 641 yards and six touchdowns and averaged 6.2 yards per carry, second-best in the ACC. Injuries caused Pace to fall down the depth chart in a crowded Clemson running back room last season, but he still has tremendous potential and should get plenty of opportunities to reach that potential this fall.
Virginia also returns its starting running back from a season ago in sixth-year senior Perris Jones. He emerged almost out of nowhere in fall camp last season to earn the starting job and totaled 365 yards and two touchdowns. Jones missed the last two games with an injury, but his 4.51 yards per carry ranked eighth in the ACC. Expect Jones to be at or near the top of the depth chart, potentially retaining his role as the team's lead back this season.
Of course, Virginia has one of the best comeback stories in the sport with Mike Hollins returning to the field after surviving last November's tragic shooting. Everyone will be happy to simply see Hollins on the field, as they were when he scored a touchdown in the spring game in April, but Hollins is very much in the mix to get significant carries this fall. He averaged 4.1 yards per carry in nine games last season and found the end zone twice.
Rising sophomore Xavier Brown is currently out with an elbow injury that'll likely keep him off the field for the first week or two of the season. That's certainly disappointing as Brown was one of Virginia's most impactful freshmen, appearing in all 10 games and totaling 210 yards and a touchdown while averaging 4.2 yards per carry. Brown has explosive speed and has also built up his strength this offseason. He'll be sure to get more than a few chances with the ball in his hands once he gets healthy.
Former Miami transfer Cody Brown only played in three games and got just two rushing attempts in 2022 due to injury troubles, but he still has significant potential to develop into a capable and productive running back. A consensus four-star prospect coming out of high school, Brown was ranked the No. 12 running back in the country on ESPN. At 215 pounds, he carries a lot of power when he runs and could be a very effective option for Virginia in short-yardage situations or in the red zone.
Junior Amaad Foston looked to be in line for a big role in the running back room last season before tearing his ACL in fall camp. He's at the end of his long road to recovery and is now "getting his opportunity" according to Des Kitchings, who added that he thinks Foston will have a substantial role this season.
As a sophomore walk-on, Jack Griese shouldn't be in the conversation for touches in such a crowded running back room, but he is and he has certainly earned it. Griese stole the show in the UVA spring game with 90 rushing yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns. He continued to ride that momentum in fall camp and is now a legitimate contender to receive carries this fall. At 6'0", 217 pounds, Griese has the size to absorb hits and break tackles and is deceptively fast.
And though they aren't likely to see the field much this season, freshmen Donté Hawthorne and Noah Vaughn are waiting in the wings and have exciting futures ahead of them.
In summarizing the great depth Virginia has at running back, the obvious question is how will UVA distribute carries to all of these players? As Kitchings said, everybody will get a chance with the "committee approach" and then the Cavaliers will go with the hot hand each game. The most important effect of this depth is the insurance it offers Virginia in the inevitable case of injury. With how often running backs get banged up since they're tackled on every play, having a lot of depth at that position is a great thing.
"Those guys get hit every play," Kitchings said. "Everybody in that room is going to be expected to help us at some point this year."
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