With football season now on the doorstep, it’s clear that Bryce squared likely will be the face of the Virginia football program this season. Quarterback Bryce Perkins set UVA’s single season record for total offense last year with 3,603 yards. Cornerback Bryce Hall, meanwhile, bypassed a sure spot in the NFL Draft to return for his final year after leading the nation with 22 pass break-ups.

There are a lot of other storylines beyond the dynamic duo, though. You don’t even have to leave the secondary to find a good one, in fact. Even with Hall back, the secondary lost two NFL Draft picks from last year’s team in Juan Thornhill and Tim Harris. The “50 Virginia Football Thoughts Before Kickoff” series looks at some of the contenders to play alongside Hall.

45 – Secondary Contenders

Early in this series, an article already looked at the possible ceiling for Hall in his senior season. Repeat All-ACC and All-American honors are a real possibility. Of course, that might depend on the cast around him. After all, with Thornhill and Harris also in the secondary last season, opponents were basically picking between three potential NFL defenders.

With those two now gone, opponents could now choose to avoid Hall in coverage a little more often. That means the players in the other spots need to be up to the task. That makes the secondary competition an interesting one when preseason practice opens Friday.

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