“The more you can do, the harder it is to get rid of you.”

This is the mantra for the 2023 Virginia football team’s defensive backs unit, led by coach Curome Cox. After losing two of last season’s top performing corners, Anthony Johnson and Fentrell Cypress II, the team is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding the most capable corners come the fall. That includes working some players listed at safety at corner.

Johnson finished his career with eyes on the NFL Draft after earning First Team All-ACC honors a season ago, and Cypress II has transferred to Florida State after earning Second Team All-ACC honors. In 2022, the pair finished 1st and 2nd in the ACC (5th and 7th nationally) in passes defended per game, 1.6 for Cypress II and 1.4 for Johnson. Together, they spearheaded one of the most formidable coverage groups in all of college football.

Though their departures leave a lot of production to replace, Coach Cox doesn’t seem too worried about the transition.

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