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UVA Football: Jonas Sanker Named 4x ACC Defensive Back of the Week

Matt Newton

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For the first time in the history of the Virginia football program, a Cavalier defender has been named to the ACC Football Team of the Week four times in a single season. UVA senior safety Jonas Sanker was named the ACC Defensive Back of the Week for the fourth time this season, as announced by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Monday afternoon.

Borrowing an idea from the UVA football social media team, the ACC should consider renaming the ACC Defensive Back of the Week award to the Jonas Sanker award.

Sanker racked up a career-high 13 tackles in UVA's loss to Notre Dame on Saturday. That included eight unassisted tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack. Sanker also came up with a takeaway for the second week in a row and recovered his second fumble of the season. He won ACC Defensive Back of the Week last week for coming up with an interception and a blocked field goal for the Cavaliers in their upset victory at Pittsburgh. Sanker has been named the ACC Defensive Back of the Week in back-to-back weeks twice this season, as he also garnered that distinction for his standout performances against Boston College and Louisville earlier this year.

Sanker headlined a solid defensive effort by the Cavaliers on Saturday against Notre Dame. Though the Fighting Irish controlled the game from start to finish and ultimately defeated UVA 35-14, the Virginia defense still delivered an admirable performance, holding Notre Dame to 1/12 on third downs. Of the 35 points the Cavaliers allowed, 21 of them came on Notre Dame drives that started inside the UVA 35-yard line.

For the season, Sanker leads the team with 82 total tackles, 55 solo tackles, and nine tackles for loss. He is tied for second on the team with two sacks and one interception and has the second-most fumble recoveries in the ACC. Sanker has posted double-digit tackles four times this season and 11 times in his career. He leads the entire ACC and is eighth in all of college football in average solo tackles (5.5 per game) and is seventh in the ACC in total tackles per game (8.2).

See the ACC Football Team of the Week for week 12 below:

Week 12 ACC Football Players of the Week
Quarterback of the Week – Ashton Daniels, Stanford
Running Back of the Week – Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Receiver of the Week – Emmett Mosley V, Stanford
Offensive Lineman of the Week – Savion Washington, Syracuse
Defensive Lineman of the Week – T.J. Parker, Clemson
Linebacker of the Week – Kobe Wilson, SMU
Defensive Back of the Week – Jonas Sanker, Virginia
Specialist of the Week – Emmet Kenney, Stanford
Rookie of the Week – Emmett Mosley V, Stanford

Virginia (5-5, 3-3 ACC) will host No. 13 SMU (9-1, 6-0 ACC) on Senior Day and the final home game of the season on Saturday, November 23rd in Charlottesville. Kickoff between the Cavaliers and Mustangs is set for 12pm ET at Scott Stadium and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

More Virginia Football News

Virginia vs. Virginia Tech Kickoff Time & TV Designation Announced

Virginia Football Opens as Home Underdog vs. SMU in Week 13

UVA Football Report Card: Handing Out Grades for Virginia vs. Notre Dame

By the Numbers: Breaking Down Virginia's Loss to Notre Dame

Five Takeaways from Virginia Football's 35-14 Loss to Notre Dame

Published
Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.