UVA head coach Tony Elliott provided an extensive injury update following Monday’s practice during Virginia football’s fall camp. Fortunately for the Cavaliers, much of the news he shared was positive, or at least better than expected.
Virginia held its first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday at Scott Stadium, and despite missing several key players due to various injuries, Elliott was pleased to report that the team emerged from the scrimmage in good health, with many injured players returning to practice this week.
Leading the group of returning players is Notre Dame transfer wide receiver Chris Tyree, who had been seen in a boot and missed most of last week’s practices. Tyree was fully engaged in practice on Monday.
As has been the case in recent seasons, the offensive line has faced injuries, with two starters sidelined during fall camp. Additionally, UCF transfer Drake Metcalf is expected to miss most, if not all, of the season due to an Achilles injury sustained in the spring. Nevertheless, Elliott noted that injuries to expected starting left tackle McKale Boley and starting center Brian Stevens shouldn’t keep them off the field for too long.
“We’re a little thin on the offensive line right now with [McKale] Boley being out. Boley will be down for a couple more weeks, and [Brian] Stevens is day-to-day,” Elliott explained. “We didn’t have some of our top guys, but it provided good experience for the younger players, because as we learned last year, depth needs to be ready.”
Stevens, recently named to the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy, is expected to return soon, while Boley could miss one or two more weeks. However, Elliott is optimistic they will be ready for the season opener against Richmond on August 31.
Unfortunately, junior wide receiver JR Wilson is expected to miss the beginning of the season due to a knee injury. Watching from the sidelines on crutches during Monday’s practice, Elliott mentioned that Wilson’s condition was actually better than anticipated.
“JR will be out for a couple weeks. We received good news that it wasn’t as serious as it could have been,” Elliott stated. “He did need a minor procedure, a scope, so he’s looking at a couple weeks.”
Another player likely to be out at the start of the season is junior running back Xavier Brown, who has a shoulder injury. Brown, who was expected to compete for the backup running back role behind Kobe Pace, missed most of the previous season with an elbow injury but could also return in a couple of weeks.
Senior defensive lineman Bryce Carter, who was projected to see significant playing time this season, is dealing with a knee injury that Elliott called the “most long-term” of the current injuries. Several players, including sophomore defensive end Mekhi Buchanan and junior linebacker Stevie Bracey, have already been ruled out for the season.
Elliott hopes to welcome back more injured players in the coming week, including senior linebacker James Jackson, who is recovering from offseason surgery. Although he was not a full participant in Monday’s practice, Jackson was seen exercising on the sidelines with good mobility.
“We have some players returning who were absent for the scrimmage,” Elliott said. “Throughout the week, we’ll see more come back, especially those recovering from soft tissue and hamstring issues.”
While some significant injuries were reported, including those to Brian Stevens and Xavier Brown, the overall outlook on the injury front is promising, allowing the Cavaliers to remain hopeful for a relatively healthy roster when the 2024 season kicks off.
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