99 Virginia Football Thoughts Before Kickoff

Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall delivered good news to VirginiaSports.com reporter Jeff White in an interview posted on Twitter on Sunday, August 26. Discussing the overall health of the team, Mendenhall said: “I think that we’ll be about as healthy as any team in the country coming out of fall camp.”

“By Monday (August 27), I think all players will be back that were in the two-deep,” Mendenhall added. (Click here to view the entire interview between White and Mendenhall.)

This news is particularly important for a defensive line unit razor thin on experience. To our knowledge, the unit’s best player – junior nose tackle Eli Hanback – has been healthy and gives the Hoos consistency and productivity in the middle. Sophomore Mandy Alonso, who emerged to assume a starting role late last season, and junior Richard Burney, who moved from tight end to defensive end before last year’s bowl game and enjoyed a successful spring at his new position, are the likely starters at defensive end in Virginia’s 3-man front. Both players missed time during Fall Camp because of injury – Alonso with a lower leg injury (perhaps ankle) and Burney with a concussion. From Mendenhall’s comments above, it appears those two are expected back.

Who can we expect to contribute behind those first three? Well, the absence of Alonso and Burney, as well as junior transfer Cassius Peat (who was injured but should be back as well), allowed for more reps for first years Aaron Faumui and Jordan Redmond, who Mendenhall complimented following the August 17 practice. Another first year, Grant Misch, has moved from linebacker to defensive end, where he has played well according to Mendenhall.

Virginia had expected Ohio State grad transfer Dylan Thompson to be in camp. However, the 6’3”, 325-pound defensive lineman’s situation has become complicated. Mendenhall said on August 17 that it was “unlikely” Thompson would be with the team this fall. Thompson now appears to be in Charlottesville (per his Twitter account), but his official status remains unknown.

Faumui, Redmond, Peat and possibly Misch could contribute on this year’s defensive line. Thompson could, depending on his eligibility. Another player to keep an eye on in redshirt freshman scholarship defensive lineman Tommy Christ, who earned his number (No. 50) when the second wave of numbers were distributed, is getting more comfortable with major college football and appears ready to contribute at either end or nose.

No. 8 – Virginia Native Coming Around To Provide Needed Depth At DL

The 6’5” Christ arrived at UVA as a decorated prospect out of Dominion (Sterling, VA), where he earned 2016 VHSCA first-team all-state honors as an offensive and defensive lineman as well as 2016 Conference 21-B Defensive Player of the Year. Although he comes from a family rich in college football experience (his father played at Navy, his uncle played at Rutgers, his older brothers play at Virginia Tech and Monmouth), Tommy admitted there has been adjustment period.

“It was a pretty big shock when I first came in – just a lot higher intensity, a lot faster pace of practices. Everything’s a step ahead of what high school was,” Christ said. “It’s a transition. You’ve got to mature fast, but I feel like I’m handling it pretty well this past half year or so. I feel like I’ve made a pretty big jump from last year. I feel like I’m doing well.”

A redshirt year enabled Christ the time to adjust to this level, both physically and mentally. From a physical perspective, he now he measures in at 285 pounds heading into his redshirt freshman campaign, up 20 pounds from what he was a year ago. The mental development may be more important, though.

“I’ve gotten a lot stronger since last year,” Christ said. “Mental toughness is a big key for me. Just being able to stay in it mentally and not get distracted from what’s important.”

Finding answers in terms of playmaking and depth on the defensive line may well be a major key to Virginia’s success in the 2018 season. Christ sees talent at the position, and as of August 17 he was confident in that talent producing on the field.

“Myself included, we have young players at d-line,” Christ said. “Everybody’s just in the process of learning everything, but I think we’ve got the talent to be very good. We just have to keep progressing and I think we’ll be good for the season.”

“We have a lot of competition right now,” Christ continued, discussing the impact of the true freshmen. “[Jordan Redmond and Aaron Faumui] are doing very well. It’s pushing us as well as giving us a lot more depth that we need, so it’s definitely helping the defensive line to have it.”

Individually, “I’m not exactly sure where I’ll be when we hit the season, but I think I’ve been progressing,” Christ said. “From last season to spring to this season, I feel like I’ve been taking steps and I think I should do well.”

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

• No. 99 – The Importance Of A Fast Start
• No. 98 – The Impact Of Early-Ending Careers
• No. 97 – Jordan Mack’s Role
• No. 96 – Welcome Back
• No. 95 – Han Solo Says
• No. 94 – Smart Addition
• No. 93 – The Center Spot
• No. 92 – Finding A Punt Returner
• No. 91 – Facing Running Quarterbacks
• No. 90 – Interceptions
• No. 89 – Kickoff Times
• No. 88 – QB Optimism Not Enough To Tilt Early Predictions Too Far
• No. 87 – It Starts With Jordan Ellis
• No. 86 – Virginia’s Most Dangerous Game
• No. 85 – The Tight End Swan Song?
• No. 84 – Teach A Man To Fish
• No. 83 – No Ordinary Joe
• No. 82 – Now Or Then
• No. 81 – How To Treat The Kickoff Rule Change
• No. 80 – Play, But Still Redshirt
• No. 79 – Which Red Zone Offense Is The Real One?
• No. 78 – Schedule For Success
• No. 77 – Who’s The Worst?
• No. 76 – ACC Coach Rankings
• No. 75 – Keep That Cold Weather Gear
• No. 74 – 1,000 Target For OZ
• No. 73 – Cross Out Cross-Training For Cross
• No. 72 – Punting Plans
• No. 71 – Redshirted … Ready?
• No. 70 – A June Jolt
• No. 69 – Who?
• No. 68 – Stops To Start Second Half
• No. 67 – Root, Root, Root For …
• No. 66 – Wildcard Extras
• No. 65 – Defense Showed Red Zone Improvement
• No. 64 – Welcome Back, Mr. Robinson
• No. 63 – The Florida Footprint
• No. 62 – True Freshmen Will Play, But Who Will Make The Most Impact?
• No. 61 – Four Fireworks-Worthy Moments In The Bronco Mendenhall Era
• No. 60 – Juan Thornhill Primed For An All-ACC Caliber Season
• No. 59 – Rebuilding The Offensive Line Is On Schedule
• No. 58 – Bouncing Back On The Defensive Line
• No. 57 – Underrated Hoos
• No. 56 – Lordy, Lordy, How ‘Bout 40?
• No. 55 – Peace Talk
• No. 54 – Hoos’ Handle On Social Media Bodes Well For Future Recruiting
• No. 53 – Filling The Void At Wide Receiver
• No. 52 – The Sixth-Year Seniors
• No. 51 – Borrowing A Burning Question
• No. 50 – Beat Tech!
• No. 49 – A Resolute Leader
• No. 48 – The Perkins Theorem
• No. 47 – Beat Pitt!
• No. 46 – A Look At Virginia Football’s 2018 Walk-On Class
• No. 45 – I Sense A Trend
• No. 44 – The Need For (More) Speed
• No. 43 – Progress With Penalties
• No. 42 – Preseason All-ACC Musings
• No. 41 – Designing Sacks
• No. 40 – Go Long
• No. 39 – Please Stay Healthy!
• No. 38 – Sorting Out The Secondary
• No. 37 – Preseason Injury Report Concerns
• No. 36 – The Third Down Swap
• No. 35 – The Last Time
• No. 34 – More Rushing Options
• No. 33 – Opponents Say
• No. 32 – Preseason Practice Watch List
• No. 31 – Snowden Emerging
• No. 30 – Deja Vu With Dubois?
• No. 29 – Reduce Opponents’ Explosive Touchdowns
• No. 28 – Nelson’s Encore
• No. 27 – Ranking The Positions On Offense From Strongest To Weakest
• No. 26 – Hold On To That Ball Petey!
• No. 25 – R.J., The Elder
• No. 24 – Bratton’s Road Of Resilience
• No. 23 – Tag Team Linebacker
• No. 22 – Numbers Begin To Fill In
• No. 21 – Ranking The Positions On Defense From Strongest To Weakest
• No. 20 – Eli’s Gold
• No. 19 – Covering Punts
• No. 18 – I Need A Sub!
• No. 17 – Is Mejia The Answer Virginia Needs At Place-Kicker?
• No. 16 – More Position Changes In Store For The First Years?
• No. 15 – Moore More Ready
• No. 14 – German Flair
• No. 13 – Jersey Selection Musings
• No. 12 – Mystery Man
• No. 11 – Increasing Explosive Touchdown Plays
• No. 10 – Countdown Wishes
• No. 9 – Opponents’ Plan: Run It At ‘Em