What’s In Store For Virginia Linebacker Nick Jackson?

Virginia linebacker Nick Jackson started 10 games.
Nick Jackson led Virginia in tackles last season. ~ Photo courtesy Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics Media Relations

At no point was the 2020 season normal for the Virginia football team. The pandemic scrambled everything from spring practice to preseason preparation to in-season situations. The Cavaliers missed out on spring practice entirely, conducted much of their strength and conditioning on their own, and operated under strict protocols for Bronco Mendenhall once returning for the season.

The schedule itself was different too. The ACC adopted a plus-one model meaning every team was scheduled to play 10 conference games with one non-conference game. As the season progressed, some stadiums had limited capacity while others allowed little to no fan attendance at all. The latter group included Scott Stadium where the Hoos played in front of mostly empty stands for the home games. UVA also ended up with one fewer game when the FSU game was canceled due to coronavirus related reasons. The Cavaliers opted out of playing in a bowl game.

So, no, it was not a normal fall campaign. However, the Hoos had spring practice already, Scott Stadium has been announced at 100% capacity again, and the schedule features the typical four non-con games. That leaves open a lot of questions for Virginia as things return are expected to normal in 2021.

One of those questions for the TheSabre.com’s summer reading series “50 Thoughts Before Virginia Football Kickoff ”: What’s in store for Nick Jackson?

...