The Virginia football team’s roster has no shortage of graduates with 20 players already completing undergraduate work. The tight end room carries one of the highest degree-to-player ratios on the team, though.

Grant Misch and Sackett Wood Jr. contribute to that number by themselves. Misch joined the UVA football program in 2018 and already received his degree. He returned for a sixth season as an exemption senior when the NCAA granted a waiver after the shooting deaths of Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D’Sean Perry last fall. Wood graduated early, but returned to the team as well.

That duo’s willingness to return to the team despite already graduating in the aftermath of the tragedy gives them a special place in Virginia offensive coordinator Des Kitchings’ eyes.

“I commend those guys and really value and respect them because they didn’t have to come back,” Kitchings said. “Grant Misch has graduated a couple times from UVA, he didn’t have to come back. Sackett has graduated, he didn’t have to come back. They made a choice. … They’ve come back with a great passion and work ethic. Not saying they didn’t have it before, but now their leadership is coming out. They’re asking questions. It’s fun.”

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