UVA Football: Players to Watch in Virginia vs. Clemson

Breaking down who you should look out for when the Virginia Cavaliers travel to face Clemson on Saturday.

Kobe Pace has 331 rushing yards in 2024 and will look to further that total against his former school on Saturday. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Virginia football looks to bounce back after a wrenching loss against Louisville where the Cavaliers led in the late stages of the fourth quarter. After a tough loss, the Cavaliers turn their attention to arguably their toughest game of the regular season against Clemson, who is number one in our week 8 ACC Football power rankings.

Here are three players from each team to look out for during Saturday afternoon's matchup between the Virginia Cavaliers and the Clemson Tigers.  

#2 Cade Klubnik, Quarterback, Clemson 

The commander of the Clemson Tigers offense for the second year running is the junior from Austin, Texas. Cade Klubnik has been prolific this season with 1,528 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and only two interceptions. Klubnik is by far the toughest quarterback the Cavaliers have faced this season and most likely the best quarterback the Virginia defense will face all year. Klubnik takes care of the football, is efficient in the air, and certainly could be a wake-up call for the Virginia secondary. 

#7 Phil Mafah -  Running Back, Clemson

In the backfield, Phil Mafah leads the charge for the Tigers with 604 yards and four touchdowns this season, including an 83-yard rushing touchdown against Appalachian State. In an almost flawless offense, Mafah is the primary tailback behind a dominant offensive line in the Clemson offense. It'll be interesting to see how the improved Virginia-run defense matches up against Mafah. 

#3 T.J. Parker - Defensive End, Clemson

The Clemson defense is arguably the best in the ACC, which isn't well demonstrated statistically as the Tigers blow out their opponents, allowing teams to score against their second-stringers. Of the explosive playmakers on this Clemson defense, T.J. Parker is one of the many, leading the team with four sacks this season. Parker also has 22 tackles this season. The Cavaliers have done a solid job against edge rushers this season, so it will be interesting to see how McKale Boley matches up against Parker. 

#82 Kam Butler - Defensive End, Virginia

As Parker is the Tigers primary edge rusher, for the Cavaliers, Kam Butler has taken up the mantle for the Virginia pass rush. The graduate student has two forced fumbles and two sacks this season, cementing himself as a force for the Virginia defense as the Cavaliers defensive line continues to build on its significantly improved year compared to 2023. 

#20 Jonas Sanker - Safety, Virginia

The two-time ACC defensive back of the week in 2024 is on absolute fire as the senior from Charlottesville continues to prove himself as one of the best safeties in college football. Sanker leads the Cavaliers with 49 total tackles, in addition to one sack, four tackles for a loss, three pass deflections, and a scoop-and-score touchdown against Boston College. On Saturday, expect to see Sanker involved in almost every play for the Virginia defense. 

#5 Kobe Pace - Running Back, Virginia

Just as Tony Elliott is headed to his old stomping grounds, it's also homecoming on Saturday for Kobe Pace as the graduate student will don his new shade of orange at his old home, Death Valley. This season, Pace has 331 yards of rushing, two touchdowns, and 123 yards of receiving. Against the Tigers, it will be essential for the Cavaliers to find rhythm in the ground game or provide Colandrea an easy check-down, which will start with Pace on Saturday.

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