It’ll be the third stop along his college football journey. After trying out the sunny states of California and Florida, Virginia seemed like a nice change of pace. A reunion with a former coach, an excellent Master’s program – what more could you ask for? Drake Metcalf knows he’s in the right place, and he’s excited about the future of Virginia football.

Coming off a 2023 season in which the Hoos allowed 3.58 sacks per game (123rd worst nationally), it was obvious that the coaching staff had to beef up the offensive line. Virginia’s offensive line coach Terry Heffernan had his eye on Metcalf, who played for him originally at Stanford. The two reunite in Charlottesville with hopes that Metcalf can bring some veteran experience and wisdom to a still developing offensive line, particularly on the interior.

“Why wouldn’t you want to come to the University of Virginia,” Metcalf said. “This place is such a historical university, set up in such a beautiful location and the academics have proven true throughout the years with people graduating from here and going on to do such great things in the world, whether that be in the professional athletics world or in careers outside of that.”

Metcalf is from Orange, California. In high school, he attended St. John Bosco High School. The national powerhouse program has produced names like quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and NFL cornerback Trent McDuffie, who just won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs. Metcalf was a 4-star recruit and ranked as one of the top 10 centers in his class. For college, he opted to stay in-state and attend Stanford University.

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