Virginia Football: Ten Cavaliers Who Raised Their Stock in Fall Camp

Matt Newton | Aug 23, 2024

Trell Harris was one of the biggest stock-risers in Virginia football fall camp. / Virginia Athletics

Fall camp is officially in the books and just over a week remains until the start of the 2024 Virginia football season. As we take our final chances to preview and predict this upcoming season, let's take a look at some of the standout performers from the last few weeks of practices, beginning with 10 Cavaliers who raised their stock over the course of fall camp.

DB Kempton Shine

Fall camp was an absolute battlefield at the cornerback position for the Cavaliers. After losing Sam Westfall and Coen King, who combined to log 19 of the possible 24 starts at the two corner positions last season, UVA went to work in the offseason, bringing in four defensive backs in the transfer portal. Three of those four transfers are competing at cornerback and one in particular has made an excellent case to earn one of the coveted starting jobs in week one. Eastern Michigan transfer Kempton Shine was praised by Tony Elliott and other UVA coaches all throughout camp for his consistently impressive play and it would not be surprising to see him lined up as a starter at corner with fellow transfers Kendren Smith and Jam Jackson and rising sophomore Dre Walker as the other candidates at that position.

Read more: Virginia CB Kempton Shine Impresses in First Fall Camp as a Cavalier

WR Trell Harris

On the opposite side of the ball, another incoming transfer has apparently seized the opportunity in front of him in a crowded and talented wide receiver room. Virginia brought back two wideouts in Malachi Fields and JR Wilson who were likely to earn starting jobs, but with Wilson expected to miss the start of the season with an injury, a big opportunity was available in fall camp. While Notre Dame transfer Chris Tyree is likely to start in the slot, it was Kent State transfer Trell Harris who distinguished himself in fall camp and seems to have held off the likes of Suderian Harrison and North Carolina transfer Andre Greene Jr., both of whom should also get significant snaps this season, for that third starting wide receiver spot.

LBs Trey McDonald, Dorian Jones, and Landon Danley

In another instance of injuries providing opportunities, returning senior starter James Jackson missed a big chunk of fall camp and Stevie Bracey, who would have likely played meaningful snaps this season, went down with a season-ending meniscus injury right before the start of fall camp. With Jackson out (but expected to be available when the season starts), junior Trey McDonald stepped up into a starting role at the linebacker spot and excelled, proving that Virginia has starting-caliber playable depth that goes at least two-deep. That was further emphasized by the development of Cincinnati transfer Dorian Jones, who has used his 47 games of college football experience to pick up the slack following Bracey's injury, and sophomore Landon Danley, a converted defensive back who has impressed the UVA coaching staff since the position change.

Read more: Virginia Football: New Faces Emerging in Injury-Riddled Linebacker Unit

RB Jack Griese

Xavier Brown missed a couple weeks of fall camp with a shoulder injury. In his stead, former walk-on Jack Griese drew praise from Tony Elliott and Des Kitchings for his consistency and somewhat surprising display of speed in the open field. Even with Brown back in practice, Virginia is going to need Griese to have an impact if the Cavaliers are finally going to establish an effective rushing attack. UVA brings back Kobe Pace, but Perris Jones and Mike Hollins are gone and the Cavaliers will need Pace, Brown, and Griese to be productive in order to open things up for the passing game.

Read more: With Xavier Brown Injury, Jack Griese is Next Man Up in Virginia RB Room

DTs Michael Diatta, Jason Hammond, and Anthony Britton

Virginia has the tough challenge of replacing the production of veteran Aaron Faumui and his 60 games and 134 career tackles at the defensive tackle position. The Cavaliers were excited about the potential of sophomore Mekhi Buchanan, who played all 12 games and recorded 20 tackles as a freshman last season, but he is out for the season after undergoing hip surgery. Fortunately, both Tony Elliott and John Rudzinski noted that Michael Diatta and Jason Hammond have both made immense strides this offseason and into fall camp, creating a real spirited competition for the starting spot, which has in turn given the Cavaliers two quality players at a position where depth is crucial. Anthony Britton has also progressed nicely in fall camp and could provide another option at the tackle position, either behind Diatta and Hammond or backing up Jahmeer Carter at nose tackle.

Virginia Football Position Overview: Analyzing UVA’s Defensive Line in 2024

OL Ty Furnish

After an up-and-down 2023, Ty Furnish drew praise from Tony Elliott early in fall camp for some significant offseason improvements in his fundamentals and technique. That progress, combined with his 25 games and 20 starts of experience, means Furnish could be in store for a big season in 2024. If Furnish and Blake Steen can get the right side of the offensive line caught up with the left, the Cavaliers could finally get the consistency up front that has been largely absent through the first two years of the Tony Elliott era.

Freshmen Honorable Mentions

We'd like to shout out a few freshmen who were mentioned by the UVA coaching staff as showing flashes of potential during fall camp: offensive lineman Grant Ellinger, wide receiver Kam Courtney, defensive end Jewett Hayes, and tight end John Rogers.

It should be also noted that we're purposefully leaving off established players who might have had strong fall camps, but who were ineligible for consideration because their stock was already pretty high - Malachi Fields, Kobe Pace, Kam Butler, Corey Thomas, Jonas Sanker, and more all had good showings in camp, establishing themselves as starters.

More Virginia Football News

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