Depth Chart Discussion Spring 2011: Defense

With spring practices in the rearview mirror and May on the calendar, it’s the no man’s land time of year for Virginia football fans. For the players, classes are wrapping up and exams are on the front burner for a couple of weeks before summer workouts and conditioning take a priority slot. In the meantime, TheSabre.com is breaking down the post-spring depth chart. After the offense’s turn last week, the defense enters the spotlight this time around.

Familiar names dot the two-deep roster, meaning some familiar names will have to help spark the hopes of a turn-around for the defense, which ranked 10th in both scoring and total defense in the ACC last season.

Defensive Line

Beginning with the defensive front where four down linemen reside after UVa shifted from a 3-4 to a 4-3 alignment when coach Mike London took over the program, there are two key questions facing the unit as the transition in schemes continues. Will there be a more consistent and balanced pass rush? Can a front that leans toward undersized speed consistently stop the run? There were ups and downs for the answers to those questions in 2010.

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