Virginia Football: Five Players Returning From Injury to Watch in 2024

Matt Newton | Jul 21, 2024

Kam Butler tops our list of five Cavaliers returning from injury to watch in 2024. /

Injuries almost always play an unfortunately significant role in any college football team's season and the 2023 Virginia Cavaliers were no exception, having many starters and key contributors miss substantial time with injuries. As we enthusiastically approach the start of another season, some of the excitement comes from the long-awaited return of those players to the field.

Here are our picks for five Virginia football players returning from injury to watch in 2024:

Kam Butler, sixth-year defensive end

Butler was the team's best defender until he got hurt, suffering a season-ending shoulder injury early in Virginia's fourth game of the season against NC State. Even though he missed the final eight games of the year, Butler still led the Cavaliers with 3.5 sacks and was second on the team with five tackles for loss. He also recorded 23 total tackles, 16 of which were unassisted, in just 199 snaps.

It's something of a miracle that Butler is still playing college football, as he began his career at Miami (Ohio) in 2018. He played there for four seasons, but one didn't count due to COVID-19. The NCAA then granted an additional year of eligibility to UVA's seniors in 2022 following the tragic shooting, so Butler returned for another season and then used a medical redshirt after only playing in four games in 2023. If he can get back to his level of performance from early in the 2023 campaign, Kam Butler could be a huge difference maker for Virginia's defensive line in 2024.

Antonio Clary, sixth-year safety

Another player who has been in college forever, Clary is one of just two remaining players (Ben Smiley III) who were on the 2019 Virginia football roster. Clary missed the entire 2023 season with an ankle injury and the Cavaliers sorely missed his presence and leadership. He has appeared in 33 games over the last five years, including 13 starts, and he had his best season in 2022, totaling 56 tackles, one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one interception, and two passes defended in eight games. If Clary can stay healthy this season, that could translate to significant improvement for UVA's pass defense.

Xavier Brown, junior running back

Brown was voted Virginia's Offensive Rookie of the Year at the team's year-end banquet in 2022. That season saw Brown total 210 rushing yards and a touchdown on 50 carries and average 4.1 yards per rushing attempt in 10 games. It was one of the more disappointing developments last year that Brown missed most of the season with a dislocated elbow. He played in two games late in the season, but didn't get any touches. Virginia has some rushing production to replace with the departures of Perris Jones and Mike Hollins and the No. 2 running back spot behind Kobe Pace is up for grabs. Xavier Brown could fit the bill and realize some of the dynamic potential he showed in flashes in his freshman season.

Tony Muskett, graduate quarterback

This one is pretty obvious. Muskett was Virginia's starting quarterback to begin the 2023 season, but suffered a shoulder injury in the season-opening game against Tennessee, an injury that would linger for the entire year. He returned in week five and started the next five games, leading the Cavaliers to wins over William & Mary and North Carolina and looking very sharp at times leading the UVA offense. Then, Muskett suffered another injury, this time to his ankle, and missed the final three games of the season before undergoing successful shoulder reconstruction surgery at the end of the year. Now the question is, did Muskett lose his starting job to the rising sophomore Anthony Colandrea while he was out? Colandrea is Virginia's quarterback of the future but will that future begin this season? Both players have solid arguments to start and Muskett's leans on his experience and steadiness in leading the UVA offense. In six games, Muskett completed 93 of his 147 passing attempts (63.3%) for 1,031 yards and six touchdowns to five interceptions.

Read more: Any Significance to Tony Muskett Attending ACC Media Days?

Jaden Gibson, sophomore wide receiver

Gibson was an early enrollee in 2023 along with fellow freshman Anthony Colandrea and that early start paid off for both players. Gibson got extremely valuable experience as a true freshman, playing in eight games and recording five receptions for 54 yards, averaging 10.8 yards per catch. He missed the last month of the season with an ankle injury, or else he might've continued to improve. Virginia has some talented players in its wide receiver room this year with some quality returners like Malachi Fields and JR Wilson and some impact transfers like Chris Tyree and Andre Greene Jr., but keep an eye out for Jaden Gibson as a possible dark-horse candidate for significant playing time.

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