UVA Football: Players to Watch in Virginia vs. North Carolina

Breaking down who you should look out for when the Virginia Cavaliers host North Carolina on Saturday.

Anthony Colandrea will look to lead the Cavaliers to a bounce back victory after suffering two straight losses. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Virginia football looks to bounce back after suffering back-to-back losses against Clemson and Louisville for the first time this year. Returning home this week, the Cavaliers turn their attention to arguably their biggest must-win game of the season against the North Carolina Tar Heels, who have dropped their last four games after starting 3-0.

Here are three players from each team to look out for during Saturday afternoon's matchup between Virginia and North Carolina.

#28 Omarion Hampton - Running Back, North Carolina

The North Carolina offense runs through star running back Omarion Hampton. The junior finished fifth in the NCAA in rushing yards last season with 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns. In 2024, it has been much of the same, with Hampton running for 901 yards and seven touchdowns, good for 4th in the NCAA in rushing yards. If Hampton goes off for the Tar Heels, it'll be a long day for the Hoos. In 2023, the Cavaliers held Hampton to only 112 yards, which did the job in Virginia's 31-27 upset over No. 10 North Carolina. 

#12 Jacolby Criswell - Quarterback, North Carolina 

The Tar Heels have had three quarterbacks this season, with Criswell now being the firm starter for North Carolina moving forward. Criswell has passed for 1,367 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions this season. In addition, Criswell has not thrown an interception in his last two games. A product of the transfer portal, Criswell started in North Carolina before transferring to Arkansas for a year before returning to Chapel Hill. Criswell, who is filling the shoes of injured quarterback Max Johnson, has looked the part, but if the Cavaliers could contain Drake Maye last year, the Hoos can should be able to do the same against Criswell. 

#23 Power Echols - Linebacker, North Carolina 

Power Echols, a candidate for first-team all-name, has served as the backbone of the North Carolina defense, leading the Tar Heels with 48 tackles this season. Echols has proved himself to be an excellent run stopper in addition to his coverage in the secondary with three pass deflections this season. Echols has had two 100-yard tackle seasons in his career and is looking for a third, as the Cavaliers should expect Echols to be involved in most of their plays when the Virginia offense is at work. 

#0 Xavier Brown - Running Back, Virginia 

The Cavaliers rushed for 228 rushing yards in their massive 31-27 win over No. 10 North Carolina in Chapel Hill last season, a win that may be a key reason why Tony Elliott is still coaching in Charlottesville. Anyways, if the Cavaliers want to defeat the Tar Heels for the second year in a row, it will start with once again establishing the run, which begins with Xavier Brown. Brown has shown promise and potential all year, with his two best plays being a 46-yard touchdown reception against Louisville and a 75-yard rush against Coastal Carolina. Brown is the Cavaliers' explosive playmaker, so look out for the junior to have a massive day on Saturday. 

#10 Anthony Colandrea - Quarterback, Virginia 

Colandrea has played smart football against two of the ACCs best defenses, Louisville and Clemson, over the last two weeks with no interceptions. Now, Colandrea will face one of the worst defenses in the conference. Expect the sophomore to let it rip on Saturday in a contest that could become a shootout at Scott Stadium, producing yet another thriller in the South's Oldest Rivalry. 

#5 Kam Robinson - Linebacker, Virginia 

Containing Omarion Hampton will be the Cavaliers number one defensive priority on Saturday. Not letting Hampton produce explosive gains will start with Robinson shooting gaps and not letting Hampton get to the next level and punish the Cavaliers. If the sophomore can rise to the challenge, forcing Criswell and the North Carolina offense to be one-dimensional would be massive for the Cavaliers.

More Virginia Football News

Virginia Football Bowl Projections Heading Into Week 9

UVA Football Week 9 Injury Report: James Jackson, Antonio Clary, Ty Furnish

Virginia Football Depth Chart vs. North Carolina | Takeaways, Analysis

Virginia Football: ACC Football Week 9 Power Rankings

Virginia Football Opens as Home Favorite vs. North Carolina in Week 9