99 Virginia Football Thoughts Before Kickoff

Seeking to bolster the numbers on the defensive line, Virginia football coach Bronco Mendenhall moved true freshman Grant Misch from linebacker to defensive end. The move isn’t all that surprising. I spoke with Misch’s high school coach, Paul Barnes, about the possibility of his standout prospect, who was 6’4”, 235 pounds as a high school senior, developing into a defensive end on the major college level.

“What [the Cavaliers] are getting position-wise, it doesn’t matter,” said the Potomac Falls (VA) head varsity football coach. “Whatever position he plays, Grant will find a way to get the job done. If it’s at linebacker, he’ll get it done. If it’s at defensive end, he’ll get it done.”

“The word you want to use with Grant is intensity,” Barnes added. “He’s a very intense human being. He has a willingness to improve every day. He always plays with a chip on his shoulder. As a leader of this football team, he expects everybody to try and improve. He just wants everyone to do their job and be the best they can be. I think he can say it because he is an example of it.”

Mendenhall’s move seems to be paying off, as he praised Misch following UVA’s August 17 practice. Although I thought Misch would get a longer look at linebacker, I felt defensive end was likely to be where he ended up ultimately. It would be a surprise to me to see him move back.

Misch’s position switch got me thinking … could more true freshmen scholarship players make moves to other positions? I decided to tackle this topic in the latest “99 Thoughts.”

No. 16 – More Position Changes In Store For The First Years?

Offense

I haven’t seen or heard anything to indicate Brennan Armstrong will be playing anything other than quarterback. Wayne Taulapapa looks like a sure-fire running back to me. While he may be at least a year away from being able to contribute, the 5’9”, 200-pound Hawaiian should stick at running back. I’m not sure where else he would be a fit, to be honest.

Through two weeks of practice, Mendenhall seems pleased with the personnel in place at wide receiver. In terms of the true freshmen, Billy Kemp looks promising as an H-Back/returner. Kemp’s high school coach, Loren Johnson, feels he could play receiver or corner, but Virginia needs more playmakers on offense. I think Woody Theork-Youmans will stay at receiver. Tavares Kelly’s speed and quickness are as-advertised; the only caveat with him is whether he’ll end up in more of an H-Back role as opposed to purely playing wide receiver. H-Back should be a real option for Kelly, a player with the ability to take it to the house any time he touches the ball.

Heading into preseason practice, 6’0”, 190-pound Ugo Obasi was a player I thought could get a strong look at wide receiver, corner and safety. He was and still is a quality prospect on both sides of the ball. However, if Coach Mendenhall’s praise of him last week is any indication, wide receiver is most likely his present and future.

On the offensive line, Virginia signed five players in 2017 and five more in 2018. I wouldn’t expect a lot of tinkering in terms of moving offensive linemen to defense, considering the offensive line numbers were so porous when Mendenhall took over as head coach. Still, it could happen. Joe Bissinger, Derek Devine, Bobby Haskins and Martin Weisz are sure-fire offensive linemen in my opinion. My only question is Micah Mariteragi, who is listed as being 6’2”, 265 pounds. Depending on his development (physically and position-wise), I could easily see Mariteragi ending up on the defensive line.

Defense

Virginia brought in three defensive linemen in its 2018 Class in Aaron Faumui, Jordan Redmond, and Samson Reed. Faumui and Redmond are pushing for some serious playing time this coming season. Both are playing defensive end right now, but in the future I envision Redmond possibly moving inside to nose tackle. Reed was recruited as a nose but has potential at either position. With Misch now at end as well, this is a promising class.

There are three scholarship first-year linebackers now on the roster with Misch moving to end, including mid-year enrollee Noah Taylor, Javar Garrett, and T.C. Harrison. Look for Garrett and Harrison to stick at linebacker. Both players have the athleticism and versatility to play either spot, a bonus if the Cavaliers lose depth at one of those positions. Meanwhile, Taylor is an interesting case. His speed is obvious. The 6’5”, 215-pound true freshman would give Virginia a ton of speed off the edge at linebacker. However, he has seen some action at safety since arriving at UVA. A 6’5” safety with speed is very intriguing and potentially very intimidating for an opposing offense. Either way, I like his future.

Joseph White and Jaylon Baker are two highly regarded defensive back prospects – White as a safety and Baker as a cornerback. Each player has the size and athleticism to play safety or cornerback, and this versatility appears to be a staple with most of Mendenhall’s defensive back recruits. Ultimately, I think 6’2”, 170-pound Baker stays at corner. White will probably stick at safety, although a good friend of mine who covers Tidewater football believes he has the most upside on offense. If receiver becomes a concern, don’t be surprised to see White get a look there.

Special Teams

Brian Delaney, who signed with Virginia in 2017, has potential as a punter and placekicker. I think he has a great chance to take over for starting punter Lester Coleman after this season, but for now he is handling kickoff duties. Virginia signed another kicker in 2018 in Hunter Pearson, who appears to be a placekicker all the way.

The “99 Virginia Football Thoughts Before Kickoff” series has discussed much more. The previous articles are below. Click away.

1 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. Chris-
    Another great article and with Kris and Jeff White picking it up this year, this is the best coverage that I have seen since I started following Virginia in 2016.

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