Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong already earned the respect of his teammates as a two-time captain before kickoff last season and his record-breaking performance backed it up on the field. This offseason, however, has only added to his stature.

During a whirlwind of change that saw Bronco Mendenhall step down abruptly and Tony Elliott leave Clemson to take the helm, Armstrong remained a steady influence and his voice grew through the spring. Part of that came from being an elder statesman in the program since 2018. Part came from the new coaching staff pushing him.

Armstrong’s response earned the respect of his new coach.

“I’m proud of Brennan,” Elliott said. “He made a decision to come back and then some of his buddies decided not to come back, but he still stuck with it. He had to do the best that he could. I saw him just lead and grow as a leader and challenge himself to get better in the little things.”

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