As has been stated throughout the 2021 season and the offseason, the Virginia football team’s defense left a lot to be desired. The unit ranked No. 121 in total defense (466.0 yards allowed/game) and had issues keeping opposing offenses off the board (31.8 points per game allowed, ranking No. 104). Along with this, it was ranked No. 123 in rushing defense, showing that much went wrong with no real bright spot as a whole.

It still can be debated about how much of the woeful effort on defense was due to the players or the scheme. Sometimes, it seemed the players were simply not in the correct position. Either way, it does not eliminate the fact that the Cavaliers need to improve if they want to slow down opposing offenses.

The good news is they do return a few impactful leaders, but they also have a group of younger players with minimal experience. This is where those guys at the second level need to step up. At linebacker, Virginia returns one of the top tacklers in the ACC and beyond over the past couple of seasons, but other players need to come in and make an impact.

For the next entry in The Sabre Summer Reading series, let’s look at the linebackers. As the Cavaliers switch schemes, the series will split out the “Bandits” hybrid position that is a cross between linebacker and defensive end. Some players could get looks in multiple spots so that’s something to watch closely when preseason practice rolls around later this summer.

...