Malachi Fields made 5 touchdown catches for Virginia last season. ~ Photo by Kris Wright/TheSabre.com

As the calendar turns to August, the Virginia football now sits one month from kickoff. The Wahoos face Richmond on Saturday, August 31 for the season opener at Scott Stadium at 6 p.m. When that day arrives, one interesting storyline will be the play of the receivers.

Last fall, inbound Northwestern transfer Malik Washington rolled into Charlottesville for his only season and rewrote the UVA record book for a single season. Washington caught a season record 110 passes for a season record 1,426 yards in 2023 while also hauling in 9 touchdowns. That performance helped make Washington a sixth round NFL Draft pick by the Miami Dolphins.

As impressive as the numbers were and his play looked on the field, it opens up a huge void entering the 2024 season. UVA has experienced quarterbacks and what appeared to be an improving offensive line situation last season, but only one other receiver caught more than 10 passes last fall. So can the Hoos find some receiver magic again? The Sabre Summer Reading Series takes a look at the group as the next installment in the series.

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