When Dontayvion Wicks joined the Virginia football team in 2019, the receiver position was stacked. Key players taking snaps included Joe Reed, Hasise Dubois, Terrell Jana, and Billy Kemp IV. The first three are in the 100-1,000 club with at least 100 career catches and 1,000 career yards, while Kemp is set to join them soon with 67 more receiving yards.

That year’s team, of course, captured the program’s first ACC Coastal Division title and earned a trip to the Orange Bowl. In other words, Wicks’ true freshman season was a crash course apprenticeship behind some of the top receivers to date in the Bronco Mendenhall era. Prior to his chance to expand his role last season, however, Wicks suffered a season-ending injury in preseason practice.

That’s the starting point for the latest “50 Thoughts Before Virginia Football Kickoff” article – “How Will Dontayvion Wicks Bounce Back For Virginia?”

Wicks’ debut in 2019 did not include extensive snaps. Per Pro Football Focus, he played 81 offensive snaps in nine FBS games and he added 59 special teams snaps as well. Still, he did enough to drum up possibilities for the coaches, build chemistry with now starting quarterback Brennan Armstrong, and catch the attention of fans. The biggest flash: a 44-yard touchdown pass streaking toward the tunnel at Scott Stadium. He finished with 3 catches for 61 yards in limited duty.

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