Virginia Football Fall Camp Notebook: Takeaways From Week 2

Matt Newton | Aug 12, 2024

Malcolm Greene has been having a strong fall camp for the Virginia football secondary. / Virginia Athletics

With two weeks of fall camp complete, more and more questions are being answered as the Virginia football team marches towards the start of the 2024 season on August 31st. Here's volume 2 of our UVA football fall camp notebook, which includes some injury notes provided by Tony Elliott followed by several noteworthy observations on the defensive side of the ball informed by Virginia defensive coordinator John Rudzinski.

Read volume 1 of our fall camp notebook here: Virginia Football Fall Camp Notebook: Takeaways From Week 1

Tony Elliott reported last Monday that three players expected to start for Virginia this season had suffered injuries and were not participating in practice. Starting left tackle McKale Boley had a boot on his left foot, Notre Dame transfer wide receiver Chris Tyree had a boot on his right foot, and junior wide receiver JR Wilson also missed practice and was wearing a brace. Elliott did not provide any particulars on the nature or severity of those injuries, but expressed optimism that none of the injuries would be long-term. Tyree did not practice on Thursday, but was observed without the boot he had been wearing on Monday.

Virginia arrived at fall camp already with some semi-significant injury troubles. Tony Elliott confirmed on the first day of fall camp that four Cavaliers are expected to miss the entire 2024 season with injuries: junior linebacker Stevie Bracey (knee), sophomore defensive end Mekhi Buchanan (hip), junior offensive lineman Noah Hartsoe (knee), and freshman wide receiver Triston Ward (hip). Bracey and Buchanan are particularly damaging losses, as both players were expected to fill key roles on Virginia's two-deep defensive depth chart.

The media had a chance to speak with John Rudzinski for the first time since last Thursday and UVA's defensive coordinator was able to provide some updates on developments on that side of the ball.

Although Virginia returns a lot of talent and experience on the defensive line, the Cavaliers are facing the challenge of replacing defensive tackle Aaron Faumui, who played in 60 career games over the course of six years (five seasons) at UVA. Rudzinski was asked about the candidates to replace Faumui and he identified senior Michael Diatta and sophomore Jason Hammond as two players who have stepped up so far during fall camp and seem poised to fill in at that spot on the defensive line.

"Mike Diatta's doing a tremendous job. Jason Hammond made some great plays yesterday," Rudzinski said on Thursday. "I'm excited for those two young men as far as their opportunity there."

Diatta appeared in all 12 games and recorded 18 tackles and one sack. Hammond, meanwhile, got valuable experience as a true freshman, playing in seven games and making three tackles. In addition to Hammond, Rudzinski identified Kam Robinson and Dre Walker as other rising sophomore defensive players who got significant on-field reps as first years and who could be ready for big jumps in their second seasons. On just the defensive side of the ball, true freshmen played more than 1,400 snaps for UVA last season.

Speaking of experience, Virginia has a great deal of it returning in the secondary, headlined by a pair of safeties who have played a ton of college football in 2023 First-Team All-ACC selection Jonas Sanker and sixth-year Antonio Clary, who returns after missing all of last season due to injury.

"Antonio does a tremendous job in his preparation, does a tremendous job, coming off of his injury, making sure that he was ready for this season," Rudzinski said of Clary, before adding that he and Sanker are capable of playing both safety positions for the Cavaliers. "They're interchangeable. They are. We were practicing today, they were playing both spots. One's a field, one's a boundary. They're both safety spots. There are some intricacies as you teach offensive schemes, but what you can do is you'd like those guys to be able to play both spots."

Virginia Safety Jonas Sanker Named to 2024 All-ACC Preseason Football Team

Also providing versatility for the Virginia defense is Akron graduate transfer Corey Thomas Jr., who might be the most talked about player on the Cavalier defense coming into this season. Rudzinski continued the trend that started back in January of the UVA coaching staff raving about his ability to play fill different roles on the defensive side of the ball.

"Corey, you know, he has the ability to be a nickel, he has the ability to be a linebacker, so we're excited to use him in different capacities because he's a big, long, super-physical young man," Rudzinski said of Thomas. "He's a special player. What's even better, he's a great student of the game."

Rudzinski said he's never seen a player with the level of versatility that Thomas brings to the table, as an athlete with the size to rush the passer as a linebacker and the speed to cover slot receivers.

New UVA linebackers coach Mike Adams drew praise from Rudzinski for his work in getting the linebacker unit to fit the run. Of course, the continued development of freshman All-American Kam Robinson is paramount for that unit. Rudzinski says Robinson has a "new maturity" and much-improved comfortability in his approach to the mental aspect of football.

Robinson and senior linebacker James Jackson will be top candidates to be the player chosen to have the coach-to-player helmet communication, which is new to college football this season. One player on the field, designated by a green dot on the midline of his helmet, will be permitted to have communications inside his helmet to his coaching staff, communications that will be shut off with 15 seconds left on the play clock or at the snap of the ball. While a linebacker is usually tasked with "calling the defense", there are plenty of veterans on that side of the ball who could be chosen the bear the green dot and the in-helmet communications for the UVA defense.

The most competitive position battle occurring on the Virginia defense during fall camp is for the two coveted starting cornerback positions, for which there are a number of quality candidates. Rudzinski didn't give anything away as to who might be emerging as favorites to top the depth chart, but he did specifically mention former Clemson transfer Malcolm Greene and said there are "four guys fighting for those spots." Once again referencing versatility as a valuable trait, Rudzinski said Greene has shown he can be effective blitzing from the corner, making tackles on bubble screens, and even filling different roles as a nickel or safety.

"Goodness, he can play corner. He could play nickel. Shoot, if we needed to, he's be more than happy to be a high safety," Rudzinski said of Greene.

Finally, at the end of the press conference, Rudzinski was asked what he wants the identity of his Virginia defense to be this season.

His answer? "We're gonna be fast, intelligent, and tough. That'll be the defense."

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