With Anthony Harris, an almost certain NFL Draft pick, no longer in the mix, Virginia is in search of a new starting safety this offseason. Harris finished his career tied for 10th in program history with 11 interceptions and he piled up 289 tackles as well.
In recent practices, junior Kelvin Rainey has made a move up the depth chart. The Houston, Texas, native had a significant role on special teams last season and has developed into a potential option at 6’1″ and 200 pounds. Rainey played mostly cover corner in high school and didn’t hit much, but he has grown into the physical safety role in college.
Rainey said waiting for playing time behind a potential NFL safety like Harris is understandable and requires patience.
“You have to stay humble,” Rainey said. “When you’ve got a guy like Ant Harris in front of you, that guy is going to go on to do great things. You have to wait for your opportunity. I was never really frustrated by the time or anything like that.”
Of course, Rainey nearly missed out on this opportunity early in his career. As a freshman in the program, he nearly ran afoul with the coaching staff for not having his overall act together. Both coach Mike London and Rainey recalled that with a smile before a spring practice, noting college immaturity as the root cause.
London said that Rainey was centimeters away from losing his scholarship spot on the team.
“First you think you’re untouchable just because you’re a D-1 athlete and then they give you that and it’s like geez, I’ve got to get it together or I’m gone,” Rainey said.
Since redshirting as a freshman and pulling it all together as a college athlete, Rainey has started to carve out a role. He played significant snaps on special teams last season and recovered a crucial fumble in punt coverage against Louisville. The fourth quarter recovery set up Ian Frye’s game-winning field goal from 42 yards with 3:42 remaining in the 23-21 win against the Cardinals.
London said Rainey had approximately 20 tackles in a recent scrimmage this spring.
“His development has led to Maurice having a chance to play some corner,” London said. “That’s been a pleasant surprise. He’s very physical. Kelvin has been around … and he knows where to go and what to do. That allows us to use Mo to his abilities.”
Mo in this case is veteran defensive back Maurice Canady, a rising senior that has tallied 109 tackles in his career. Canady opened spring practice at safety alongside returning starter Quin Blanding, who led the team in tackles last season. Canady, who played safety for at least a half in 2013 when Harris sat out for a targeting penalty in the first half of the Virginia Tech game, is versatile enough to play in multiple spots. He can play corner on the outside in the base defense or on the inside in the nickel defense. He can also play safety because he can tackle and cover.
Rainey’s emergence could let the Cavaliers float Canady among all of those spots during the upcoming season, something that could be a big benefit to the overall defense. Defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta likes to mix packages and various zone blitzes into his schemes by using the versatility of players like Canady or other hybrid positions like outgoing linebacker Max Valles (who declared for the NFL Draft).
“I don’t think it’s a big difference. If you can play corner, you can play safety,” Blanding said. “He can play all over the place. That’s one good thing about him is that he’s very versatile on the defense. One minute, he can play corner, the next minute, he can play safety, and the next minute, he can be at our nickel. He can always move around places that are a fit for him.”
Return Of The Fullback
Virginia has not used a fullback much during offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild’s tenure to date, but that may be changing in 2015. The Cavaliers are thin at tight end with only three players listed at that position on the current roster and that includes converted quarterback Brendan Marshall, who just shifted to the spot this offseason. By including the fullback, you add senior Vincent Croce and junior Connor Wingo-Reeves to the equation as extra options around the line of scrimmage.
Adding a fullback to some offensive packages could help boost a running game that has been average at best under Fairchild. The Hoos ranked 77th and 100th nationally in rushing yards per game the past two seasons. This spring, the Cavaliers have focused on being more physical at the point of attack with lead blockers at fullback and more experienced offensive linemen in the mix.
“It’s been one of the more physical springs we’ve had since I’ve been here,” London said. “But it’s been very needed as we talked about trying to develop those identities that we need to be a successful team. The running game has allowed us to look at some guys and how they can help the football team.”
The fullbacks clearly have embraced the changes. The position is one of the best stories of the spring, according to London.
“We talked about the running game whether we’re running powers or isos and trying to get push on the line of scrimmage,” London said. “The fullback blocking a linebacker or a defensive end is not afraid of contact. Vince Croce and Connor Wingo-Reeves have done a really good job of putting their face, their body, and their physicality into their blocks and it helps. I’d say the fullback position … particularly has been a pleasant surprise.”
Bone Marrow Drive
The football team hosted its sixth annual bone marrow registry drive as part of the “Get in the Game, Save A Life” program on Friday. The testing drive helps to find matches to treat people with different types of blood and bone marrow cancers and benefits the Be The Match Foundation. In the first five years, the Hoos registered more than 1,300 people for the donor database. Friday’s event registered at least 400 participants.
Former players Trevor Grywatch, David Marrs, and Chris Hinkebein have matched up as donors and at least eight participants have been selected as matches from the UVa drive. The Cavaliers became involved with the program through coach Mike London, who donated bone marrow in 2003 to his daughter Ticynn, who had a rare blood disorder.
“It’s a yearly thing that our team has embraced here,” London said. “We’ve had players that have been matches. We’ve had students that have been matches. … We talk about the community service that these guys do and it’s important. … I relish the fact that this is a platform to talk about bone marrow drives, bone marrow issues, and raising awareness and people getting involved with it. … I’m very proud of the fact that they’ve adopted the community service culture and identity for this team.”
Worth Noting
- Linebacker Micah Kiser has missed recent practices with a lower leg injury and he may sit out the Spring Game this weekend. Kiser is in competition for the starting spot at middle linebacker this season.
- True freshman offensive lineman Grant Polk, who enrolled in January, is among the players nursing injuries currently. Corner Tim Harris, safety Wil Wahee, and offensive lineman Eric Tetlow are some of the other names in addition to Kiser.
- Coach Mike London said there has been an added emphasis on red zone offense this spring. UVa finished 116th nationally (out of 128 teams) in red zone touchdown percentage (46.9%) last season.
- Virginia replaced Stanford with Indiana on the schedules for 2017 and 2018.
