When looking over the Virginia football roster, the secondary leaps out as one of the most experienced groups on the team. Four seniors and a junior all have played a lot of snaps and the seasoned rotation includes an All-American in safety Anthony Harris.

That’s a great place to start for a team trying to turn things around in 2014. Harris put together a special season as a junior when he recorded 80 tackles, eight interceptions, six pass break-ups, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick. The safety led the nation in interceptions, which helped him earn All-American recognition from Sports Illustrated and SB Nation. Entering this season, he’s on the watch lists for awards such as Walter Camp Player of the Year, Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award, and CFPA Defensive Back of the Year.

Elected as a captain by his teammates, he’s also tasked with leading, encouraging, and critiquing his peers. That includes an important role as mentor to five-star safety recruit Quin Blanding, who opened camp with the first-team defense alongside Harris. Blanding is considered the top safety recruit in the nation’s incoming class by ESPN.com, Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports.com.

If Blanding can get up to speed quickly, it could bolster the experienced secondary’s versatility. Why? It would allow senior Brandon Phelps and his 6’0″, 185-pound frame to line up at cornerback where he appears more comfortable. Phelps backpedals and turns well without giving up any physicality to most receivers, which could be a significant asset for Jon Tenuta’s aggressive scheme. Cornerback Maurice Canady, after all, found a lot of success in the system last year when he wasn’t injured. Canady, similarly built at 6’2″ and 190 pounds, posted 44 tackles, two sacks, eight pass break-ups, and one forced fumble. During the spring, Tenuta indicated that Canady could be UVa’s best cover guy and best match-up corner.

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