In the transfer portal era of college football, it can he hard to tell who has had a successful offseason and who has not. Sure, there are transfer portal rankings, but those can be a crapshoot, as evidenced by teams like Florida State falling apart after being heavy in the portal offseason after offseason. That does not mean every team is going to have a bad haul, but until the season starts, it is anybody’s guess as to how good these teams have done have done.
Which makes Virginia Football under Tony Elliott such a fascinating team this fall. The Cavaliers have not made a bowl game in his previous three seasons and that is the goal in 2025. Virginia has a massive transfer portal class, with 30-plus new players coming into the program and it is one of the highest-rated in the ACC according to 247Sports.
Has Virginia had a successful offseason? ESPN ranked every ACC team’s offseason and the Cavaliers came in 5th, behind only Clemson, Miami, SMU, and Florida State:
Key additions: QB Chandler Morris, WR Jahmal Edrine, S Devin Neal
Key departures: S Jonas Sanker, WR Malachi Fields, C Brian Stevens
Top incoming recruits: QB Cole Geer, OLB Isaiah Reese, WR Isaiah Robinson
Biggest coaching move: “There’s status quo in Charlottesville as coach Tony Elliott retained his entire on-field staff from 2024, when the team made a two-win improvement. After an aggressive transfer portal push, Virginia is banking on continuity with coordinators Des Kitchings (offense) and John Rudzinski (defense), and a staff that has tried to build back the program.”
What went wrong: “Not a whole lot as Virginia had its smoothest and most productive offseason under Elliott. The team lost its top receiver in Malachi Fields to Notre Dame, though, as well as No. 1 tight end Tyler Neville. Although Jahmal Edrine is an interesting addition, he has a lot riding on him to reboot the passing attack with Chandler Morris. Jonas Sanker was Virginia’s only first-team All-ACC selection in 2024, and he leaves a significant void after leading the team in total tackles (98) and tackles for loss (8.5). Virginia’s offensive line turns over quite a bit from last season with seven additions via the portal. Experienced transfers should help there, but the group still must figure out how to jell.”
What went right: “Virginia ramped up its investment and aggressiveness in the portal to give Elliott what should be his best roster since taking over as head coach. The team added an experienced quarterback in Morris, who had 3,774 passing yards and 31 touchdowns for North Texas last season, as well as some nice insurance in Nebraska transfer Daniel Kaelin. Edrine is among the key additions on offense, and Virginia bolstered its return game with James Madison’s Cam Ross. Virginia made a strong push for offensive line transfers, and its defensive additions could really stand out, including linebacker Mitchell Melton (Ohio State), safety Devin Neal (Louisville) and cornerback Ja’son Prevard (Morgan State).”
Connelly’s take: “Elliott kept his coordinators and added some exciting playmakers through the portal. That’s good, though the fact that he needed this many transfers after three seasons isn’t an encouraging sign of a strong culture taking root.”
Virginia has not been bowl eligible since going 6-6 after the 2021 season, but they have not actually played in a bowl game since making the Orange Bowl in 2019 after going 9-3 and losing to Clemson in the ACC Championship.
Yes, it has been that long.
However, the newest 247Sports Bowl Projections do not paint a good looking picture for Eliott’s team in 2025. Even with the schedule and the transfer class, UVA is nowhere to be seen in the projections. That would be a disappointment considering how the Cavaliers have approached this offseason.
Right now at Fanduel Sportsbook, Virginia’s win total is set at 5.5 and that seems reasonable. They open the season at home against Coastal Carolina and the Chanticleers are not supposed to be one of the better teams in the Sun Belt. A telling game this season will be in week two, when Virginia goes on the road to face NC State. The Wolfpack are always tough to beat at home, but they have lost a lot of talent this offseason and are beatable. If Virginia can win that, a bowl game should be within reach.
William & Mary plus Stanford should be gimmes for the Cavaliers and at worst, they should be 3-1 to start the season. They will be underdogs at home vs Florida State, but the Seminoles have plenty of question marks as well and could be vulnerable to an upset away from Tallahassee. It is anyone’s guess as to how they look this season.
Going on the road to beat Louisville might be too tough of a task but Virginia did almost clip the Cardinals last season. After a bye week, a home game against Washington State is not super intimidating considering their roster and coaching staff turnover this offseason and then another interesting matchup on the road at North Carolina. How the Tar Heels will look under Bill Belichick is anyone’s guess.
All four November games are winnable. Cal and Wake Forest are projected to be among the worst teams in the league, though the Cal game is on the road. Duke on the road will be tough and then to finish the season, Virginia has their annual rivalry game with Virginia Tech. The path is there for Elliott and the Cavaliers to make a bowl game, but they have to prove it on the field and show that this has been a successful offseason.
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