Nate Collins is one of six captains on this year’s team.

With Virginia shaking up its staff of assistant coaches last year, several of the replacements have plenty of pressure to whip their respective units into shape. Gregg Brandon revamping an offense that finished outside the top 100 teams each of the last three seasons; Ron Prince finding a way to spark sluggish return units; Bob Trott handling an unusually inexperienced group of linebackers.

New defensive line coach Chad Wilt, though, may have the fewest worries of any of the new assistants, as he inherits a D-Line that has experience, promise and longevity. All of last year’s starters return this year; one is a senior captain, while the other two were called two of the team’s best players by Virginia coach Al Groh, and have three years of eligibility remaining.

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