Virginia Football Injury Report: Hoos In/Out in Week 2 at Wake Forest

Matt Newton | Sep 3, 2024

Virginia Athletics

One of the top priorities for Virginia in its season opener against Richmond, in addition to winning the game and doing so handily (check and check), was to do so without suffering any significant injuries. It seems the Cavaliers accomplished that task as this week's depth chart and injury report for the Wake Forest game are both fairly similar to last week's.

UVA released its week 2 depth chart on Tuesday and among the few notable changes were the additions of Ben Smiley and Bryce Carter, who both missed time during fall camp with injuries, to the depth chart on the defensive line. Meanwhile, junior left tackle McKale Boley was listed as the starter for the second-straight week, although Boley did not play in the season opener and Tony Elliott reported on Tuesday that Boley is "day-to-day" with an ankle injury he suffered during fall camp. The Cavaliers are being especially careful with Boley since his injury is to the same ankle he had surgery on in the offseason.

"So he [Boley] is still day-to-day and we're hopeful to get him back soon," Elliott said on Tuesday. "He had ankle surgery in the offseason and then early in camp got rolled up again on that ankle. So it's a day-to-day to where we can get him to a point where he can tolerate the discomfort. So hopeful, but again we're going to go at the pace in which he feels confident and comfortable to be able to play at a high level."

Senior Jack Witmer started for Boley at left tackle against Richmond and Dartmouth graduate transfer Ethan Sipe played some snaps at that spot as well. Witmer and Sipe are still listed as the second and third players at left tackle on this week's depth chart, which can be seen below.

Virginia Football Week 2 Depth Chart - Wake Forest / Virginia Athletics

Although Elliott did not specifically mention JR Wilson, his absence from this week's depth chart means the junior wide receiver will likely miss at least another game with a knee injury he suffered in fall camp.

Ben Smiley and Bryce Carter both missed extended time during fall camp and neither were listed on the week 1 depth chart, but Smiley returned to practice last week and played in the opener against Richmond. Smiley played well in that game, recording four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and half a sack. Carter did not play against Richmond, but seems poised to make his 2024 debut at Wake Forest after playing in seven games in 2023.

"I thought Ben [Smiley] did a good job considering the amount of practice that he missed during fall camp with injury. But I thought he played fast and I saw him trying to improve on some of the fundamental things that we asked Ben to do," Elliott said. "So with having him back, now that gives you a rotation that you feel really, really good about and I'm excited to get Bryce Carter back too. So Bryce was out with a knee for most of fall camp, but he was turned loose this week in practice. I'm not sure how many snaps he'll be ready to play being that it's the first week of practice. But with Smiley back in the mold, and then TT [Terrell Jones] and now Bryce, it just gives you some confidence in your rotation because you've got some older guys that have played a little bit of football and then you can keep Kam [Butler] and Chico [Bennett] fresh and each one brings a different skill set, which creates a changeup on the tackles."

Virginia is certainly hopeful that getting healthier on the defensive line will result in more pass rush production, as the Cavaliers registered just a single sack against Richmond. UVA will head to Wake Forest in week 2 for the ACC opener on Saturday at 7pm in Winston-Salem.

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