When Kurt Benkert arrived at Virginia last summer as a transfer from East Carolina, he quickly impressed his new teammates as a quick release with a lot of zip on the ball endeared him to the receivers. By the time the season opener rolled around in early September, he had solidified himself as the starting quarterback.

Still, during his first and only spring practice period at UVA the past few weeks, the praise for Benkert revealed even more praise. The Cavaliers insist he’s even better this season than last.

”He’s more confident. He’s taking charge,” Virginia senior receiver Andre Levrone said. “I feel like when he steps into the huddle, he’s commanding the huddle. He’s reminding us to see the sticks if it’s third down and let us know if we’re usually going to run the route at six yards, make sure we to get the sticks so we can convert and keep the chains moving.”

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