Tony Elliott Shouts Out Five Cavaliers Poised for a "Coming Out Party" in 2024

Matt Newton | Jul 25, 2024

Rising sophomore cornerback Dre Walker was one of five Cavaliers Tony Elliott mentioned as having potential "coming out parties" in 2024. / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Shortly after leaving the podium at the ACC Football Kickoff on Tuesday, Virginia head coach Tony Elliott was asked on the ACC Network set to choose a few players from his team who he thought were poised for a "coming out party" in the 2024 season. Elliott ended up answering with a list of five Cavaliers he thought could break out this year, including three offensive players and two defensive players.

Starting with the offense, here's what Elliott said:

"Coming out party - I think offensively, be on the look out for JR Wilson, a wide receiver for us. He's a guy that's been in the program for a couple years and we saw him probably take the biggest step this spring from any of the wide receivers. I want to see Noah Vaughn, at running back, take a step. A young guy that we redshirted last year, I think he'll give us a chance and give us something a little bit different at the running back position. I want to see McKale Boley - I think he's a very talented offensive [lineman] that has the ability to be all-conference caliber. I want to see him take the next step."

JR Wilson appeared in all 12 games and started five in 2023, coming in as the team's third-leading wide receiver behind Malik Washington and Malachi Fields. Those two got the lion's share of the targets, but Wilson still recorded 10 catches for 98 yards. And according to Elliott, Wilson was the receiver who made the biggest leap this spring, possibly setting himself up for a breakout year in 2024.

A somewhat surprising inclusion on this list due to the fact that he's never played a snap of college football, Noah Vaughn gets the shoutout from Elliott thanks to an impressive spring that ended with him delivering the top running back performance in the spring game, racking up 50 yards on 11 carries. With Kobe Pace being the lone returner from Virginia's main trio of running backs last season, there is certainly an opportunity for the redshirt freshman Vaughn to get some substantial carries if he can keep that momentum going.

McKale Boley has been a key cog on UVA's offensive line since he first set foot on Grounds. An injury to another player just before the 2022 season began resulted in Boley joining D'Brickashaw Ferguson as the only two Virginia true freshmen to start on opening day at offensive tackle and becoming just the sixth Cavalier to start any game at offensive tackle as a freshman. After being limited to six games as a freshman due to his own injuries, Boley started all 12 as a sophomore and had some really good stretches. Boley is perhaps the most promising of an offensive line unit that can and must turn a corner in 2024.

READ MORE: Projecting UVA's Depth Chart Ahead of Fall Camp

Shifting now to the defense, here's who Elliott shouted out on that side of the ball:

"Defensively, a young man that came in and just caught everybody's attention is Corey Thomas, a transfer from Akron. I think he has an opportunity to really help us. A guy that we're really excited about, Keandre Walker, at corner, played as a freshman for us last year. And I could go on, there's a lot of guys that have an opportunity, but we've got 25 practices and they gotta go put in the work."

Though he has yet to play a game for Virginia, the coaching staff has done nothing but rave about what they've seen from Corey Thomas since he transferred from Akron. At 6'4", 215 pounds, Thomas has the length and athleticism to perfectly fit the mold of UVA's SPUR position, a versatile player that ranges between linebacker and defensive back. Between his experience having played in 40 games over five seasons at Akron and his remarkable physical tools, Thomas could be an essential piece to Virginia's defensive puzzle this season.

Though he missed three games with an injury, Dre Walker was perhaps second only to Kam Robinson in terms of defensive impact made by a UVA freshman. Walker appeared in nine games and logged three starts, tallying 11 tackles, eight solo stops, six passes defended, and an interception. His play improved significantly over the course of the season, with his best game coming in week 12 against Duke when he made six tackles and defended two passes in Virginia's upset win.

Like Elliott said, the 25 practices of fall camp will go a long way in determining if these five players are actually set up for big seasons in 2024, but they are certainly coming in with a lot of momentum. Virginia is set to begin fall camp next week.

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