Cavaliers Now

Will Malachi Fields Return to Virginia for One Final Season? 

Aidan Baller

Amber Searls-Imagn Images
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Charlottesville is all Malachi Fields has known his entire life. Fields attended Monticello High School, initially playing quarterback before transitioning to wide receiver, which led him to be recruited to his hometown school, the University of Virginia. 

Fields recorded 11 catches for 172 yards during his freshman year before undergoing surgery to repair a broken metatarsal in his foot. This injury sidelined him for the majority of his sophomore season. Despite this, in the one game he played, Fields showed glimpses of star power with five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown against Pittsburgh. 

Fields burst onto the scene in his junior year alongside now-NFL wide receiver Malik Washington. That year, as the wide receiver two, Fields registered 58 catches for 811 yards and five touchdowns, including two touchdowns in the final game of the season against Virginia Tech, a passing of the torch for the following season. In 2023, Fields finished eighth in the ACC in receiving yards, with Washington leading the ACC with 1,426. 

In 2024, Fields was primed for his best season yet with a supposed rising star in Anthony Colandrea and a Virginia football team that aimed to bring Charlottesville its first bowl game since 2019. 

The season started strong with wins over Richmond and Wake Forest, with Fields recording a combined 248 receiving yards in those first two games. Despite the strong start, Fields would only have one more 100+ receiving game against Louisville. 

Fields would draw significant attention from opposing defenses as the season progressed due to injuries and lack of depth, dampening his production. Further, an offensive line that struggled to give the quarterback under-center time made it even more difficult for Fields to rack up his statistics and help his hometown team win. 

Fields finished 2024 with 55 catches for 808 yards and five touchdowns, about the same production as the previous season, although he was destined for so much more. 

With his senior season concluded, three options lie before Fields: declare for the NFL draft, transfer to a new school, or return to Charlottesville for one final season. 

Transferring to a new school would most likely guarantee Fields a shot at receiving a large target share, giving him an excellent opportunity to improve his draft stock. 

If Fields declares for the draft, he will most likely get drafted in a later round. 

Finally, suppose Fields decides to return for one final year. In that case, that would signal that he is bought into Tony Elliott's vision and he would likely receive a portion of the recent NIL money that will give this Virginia program a significant boost. Fields is also 1,129 yards away from becoming Virginia's all-time receiving leader. 

As of the posting of this article (December 15th), Fields has yet to declare for the transfer portal, which opened on December 9th, making that option less and less likely, leaving Fields to either declare for the draft or remain in Charlottesville for one final season. 

If Fields returns, it would give Virginia a massive offensive boost with wide receiver Trell Harris and running back Xavier Brown both set to return, allowing the Cavaliers to retain their top three offensive weapons headed into 2025.

The best way to convince Fields to stay in Charlottesville is talent acquisition. If the Hoos can acquire a quarterback and some offensive linemen in the portal, it will give them the best chance to convince Fields to play one final season in the orange and blue.

There has been some positive movement on that front, as the Cavaliers earned a commitment from Nebraska quarterback transfer Daniel Kaelin on Sunday and they have several visits scheduled with offensive linemen.

Keep track of all of UVA's transfer portal activity, including outgoing and incoming transfers, here: Virginia Football Transfer Portal Tracker

Stay up to date on all of the transfers who have received offers from Virginia or who have scheduled visits to UVA here: Tracking UVA Football's Offers and Visits in the Transfer Portal

More Virginia Football News

UVA Football Adds Morgan State Transfer Defensive Back Ja'son Prevard

Louisville Defensive Back Transfer Devin Neal Commits to Virginia

Virginia Football Lands Nebraska Quarterback Transfer Daniel Kaelin

Former UVA Quarterback Anthony Colandrea Taking Visit to ACC School

UVA Football Hosting Several Defensive Transfers for Visits

Virginia Scheduled to Host Multiple Offensive Line Transfers for Visits

10 Potential Quarterback Targets for UVA Football in Transfer Portal

Published
Aidan Baller
AIDAN BALLER

Aidan has been writing for Virginia Cavaliers On SI since January of 2023 and covers UVA football, basketball, men's soccer, and men's lacrosse. He is from New York and is currently in his fourth year at the University of Virginia, enrolled in the M.S. in Accounting program.