Virginia Football: Five Cavaliers Poised for Sophomore Leaps in 2024

Matt Newton | Jul 14, 2024

Kam Robinson tops our list of five Cavaliers who are primed for big sophomore leaps in 2024. / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Some of the biggest bright spots of the 2023 Virginia football season came from UVA's freshmen class, as an underrated recruiting class produced multiple instant playmakers and several more players who gained valuable playing experience and set themselves up for possible sophomore leaps.

Here's our five picks (plus a few honorable mentions) for rising sophomore Cavaliers who are poised for breakout years in the 2024 Virginia football season:

1. Kam Robinson

Though he is the most obvious choice to top this list, there's an argument to be made that Kam Robinson already had his breakout season, as he was selected a Freshman All-American by The Athletic, College Football News, On3, College Football Network, and 247Sports. The Tappahannock, Virginia native played in all 12 games and logged eight starts, finishing third on the team with 71 tackles, 46 of which were unassisted. Robinson tallied four tackles for loss, one sack, one pass breakup, four quarterback hurries, and led the Cavaliers with two interceptions. One of those interceptions was a pick-six on the road against then-No. 11 Louisville to tie the game in the third quarter. Robinson registered three games with double-digit tackles, including a 12-tackle performance against William & Mary, the most by a UVA freshman linebacker in a single game since Ahmad Brooks in 2003. Expect Robinson to be one of the best linebackers in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024, if not the country.

📞 House call from Kam!#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/RxbsTez0qc

— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) November 10, 2023

2. Anthony Colandrea

Though there remains some uncertainty over whether he'll even be Virginia's starting quarterback at the beginning of the season with Tony Muskett coming back, there's no denying the potential of Anthony Colandrea, who joined Robinson in being named a Freshman All-American by 247Sports and College Football Network in 2023. Stepping in for an injured Tony Muskett, Colandrea made six starts and played in eight games, completing 154 of his 246 passing attempts (62.6%) for 1,958 yards, 13 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He set the UVA single-season freshman records for completions, passing yards, and total offense and recorded the most passing yards of any true freshman Power Five quarterback in 2023. We won't litigate the Anthony Colandrea vs. Tony Muskett quarterback debate here, but given his electrifying play as a true freshman, Colandrea has a strong argument to get the nod as Virginia's starter in 2024.

3. Suderian Harrison

There's no substitute for experience in college football and Suderian Harrison got an abundance of it in his true freshman season at Virginia, playing in 11 of 12 games and making one start. Among UVA's wide receivers, Harrison ranked fourth with nine receptions and 94 total yards, averaging 10.4 yards per catch. Harrison also returned eight punts for 37 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per return. Though the Cavaliers added a few receivers from the transfer portal, there's still an opportunity for Harrison to use his dynamic speed to distinguish himself in a crowded receiving room. He got off to a great start in doing just that in the spring game, reeling in four passes for 49 yards and returning a punt 90 yards for a touchdown. Virginia would do well to frequently put the ball in Harrison's hands this fall.

4. Dre Walker

Virginia's secondary had a tall task in replacing Anthony Johnson and Fentrell Cypress II last season, but the arrival and development of Dre Walker certainly helped on that front. Though he missed three games with an injury, Walker was second only to Kam Robinson in terms of defensive impact from UVA's freshman class, appearing in nine games and logging three starts. Walker tallied 11 tackles, eight of which were solo stops, and recorded six passes defended and one interception. His play improved significantly by the end 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. Dre Walker taking another big step forward as a sophomore could be a major key to UVA's success on the defensive side of the ball in 2024.

5. Mekhi Buchanan

Another example where experience is key, Mekhi Buchanan played in all 12 games as a freshman, making 20 tackles, 10 of which were unassisted, and 1.5 tackles for loss. Buchanan recorded four tackles against Maryland and Georgia Tech. Like Walker, Buchanan should be in line for a big role and the Cavaliers will need that from him, as their defensive line was one of the bigger letdowns of the team in 2023. Buchanan being a force at defensive end would be huge for a defense that ranked last in the ACC in sacks last season.

Honorable Mentions

RB Noah Vaughn: He didn't play as a true freshman, but the UVA coaching staff has been raving about him since then and Vaughn had a fantastic spring game, leading all ball carriers with 50 yards on 11 rushing attempts. Vaughn could have an opportunity to seize the No. 2 spot on the running back depth chart behind Kobe Pace.

WR Jaden Gibson: He appeared in eight games, making two starts, and recorded five catches for 54 yards, averaging 10.8 yards per catch. It's a busy wide receiver room, but Gibson was reliable on limited targets as a freshman and deserves some opportunities this fall.

S Caleb Hardy: Another impact freshman in the defensive secondary, Hardy appeared in nine games and made four starts, logging 14 tackles and two passes defended as well as an interception that helped Virginia take down Duke. Look for Hardy to make more big plays in the UVA secondary in 2024.

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