Wahoo Wire

Part 1: What’s new? and Offense

Part 2: Defense and Special Teams

Part 3: Recruiting and the Future

Part 4: Players to Watch and 2010 Season Outlook

Part II

In the last installment of the 2010 Virginia Football Preview, Wahoo Wire gave you a glimpse of the new-look Cavaliers and filled you in on what to expect on the offensive side of the ball. Now, we’ll take a closer look into the other two on-the-field squads, defense and special teams, and tell you if either of them can make a real impact come September 4^th.

Defense

There is no question that defense was the staple of the Virginia program during the Groh Era, and much of the same should be expected out of new Head Coach Mike London and Company.

Headed by Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Jim Reid, the Wahoos come into the 2010 season with a new defensive look: the 4-3 style. For all of you who are unfamiliar with this term, it just means that the Cavs will be operating with four lineman and three linebackers, instead of the other way around.

Linebackers

In the new scheme, London and staff have emphasized a focus on speed and quickness, as opposed to size and strength. Not only does London want his linebackers to be able to get to the quarterback in a hurry, but he also wants them to be able to successfully cover running backs, a major weakness in past seasons.

As a result of this new focus, the linebacker position has been shaken up to say the least, with a wealth of players either dropping weight or converting positions altogether.

One such example of this is second-year LaRoy Reynolds, who converted from safety this spring. Reynolds, a Norfolk native, appeared in nine games last season, all on special teams. However, Reynolds has hit the gym hard this summer and is relishing the opportunity to play the position that he did in high school. Not only will he be a starter this year for the Hoos, but he also has the potential to be a special player by the end of his four years in Charlottesville.

Lining up opposite of Reynolds is another converted safety and a name you probably haven’t heard a lot in years past: Ausar Walcott. The redshirt second-year linebacker has gone virtually unnoticed throughout his time in Charlottesville, appearing solely on special teams last season for the Wahoos. Since converting positions, however, things have seemed to click for Walcott, and if what we’re hearing is correct, he very well may be a starter for much of the season on defense. Watch for this guy to make a huge move up in the depth chart.

The middle linebacker position is the one that remains most unchanged from last year, with the bulk of the work expected to go to second-year Steve Greer. Greer was fifth in the nation among freshman in tackles last year with 92, earning him consensus All-American honors. In the 2010 season, we look for Greer to be the “glue guy” of the linebacker corps, showing the inexperienced guys how to get it done on Saturdays.

Backing up the trio is third-year Aaron Taliaffero, who took over for Greer in the spring after he injured his ankle. Taliaffero has only played in eight games in his two seasons as a Hoo, recording no tackles in that time. We expect him to see the field on some occasions, but don’t see him making a huge impact this year.

Defensive Backs

The defensive back position is one of, if not the most, established and talented positions on the team. Anchored by fourth-year cornerback Ras-I Dowling, the Hoos return a solid unit of safeties and cornerbacks, which will undoubtedly give their opposition a tough time when it comes to the passing game.

Dowling comes into the 2010 season with as much hype of any Virginia defensive player since Chris Long. A two-time second-team All ACC defender, Dowling has drawn serious attention from dozens of NFL scouts, and barring an injury, should be drafted in the first round of next year’s draft. After hauling in three interceptions, eight pass break-ups, and 58 tackles in 2009, look for Dowling to improve on those numbers in his last season in Charlottesville.

At the other corner, look for Chase Minnifield to get the majority of the playing time for the Wahoos in the 2010 campaign. The third-year Kentucky native has played in all twelve games each of the last two years, recording four interceptions during that period. From what we’ve heard, he’s been working hard this summer to improve his footwork and, in turn, his covering abilities, which we think will pay dividends come Saturday. We fully expect Minnifield to have a breakout season in 2010.

The safety position is also one with both talent and experienced, lead by third-year Rodney McLeod. McLeod was the team’s fourth leading tackler last year with 62 tackles, which he combined with an interception and two forced fumbles. There has been a lot of hype around him throughout the summer months, and many people associated with the program feel like he can make a huge impact this season.

At free safety, there are a slew of guys that could be battling throughout the season for playing time, although the leader of the pack at this point seems to be third-year Corey Mosely. Mosely has seen time in all 24 games the Hoos have played since he’s been on Grounds, but he’s only managed to reel in one interception. Yet, as we’ve been hearing with the entire defensive back corps this offseason, Mosley seems to have improved since London’s hiring, so look for him to have a better statistic season than the past two.

Defensive Line

With the switch to the 4-3, there has been a lot of adjusting and position changes in the trenches for the Hoos, with players having to take on different roles than they are accustomed to. Nonetheless, the Hoos are an experienced bunch on the line, so the transition should go as smooth as possible.

A pair of third-years, Matt Conrath and Nick Jenkins, headline the lineman corps for the Hoos this season, each coming off a successful 2009 campaign, at least individually. Conrath, before going down with a high ankle sprain that ultimately resulted in surgery, appeared in ten games for Virginia last season, racking up five tackles for loss, good enough to win him the team’s award for the best interior lineman.

Jenkins, on the other hand, is a converted nose tackle who amassed 41 tackles last season in the eleven games he appeared in. After losing nearly twenty pounds this past offseason, Jenkins is much quicker and explosive than a year ago, which should allow him to get after the ball carriers in a more effective way. Look for Jenkins to have a successful third-year and expand on the numbers he put up just one year ago.

At the end position are two more third-years in Zane Parr and Cam Johnson, neither of him have a whole lot of experience at their position. Parr appeared in ten games last season, but only started two, while Johnson comes into 2010 as a converted linebacker. The learning curve may be steep for these two, but if they continue to progress like they have throughout the spring and summer, then they should be rather effective this season.

Special Teams

Virginia comes into the 2010 season with a bundle of questions in regards to special teams. Who will return the ball on kickoffs? Who will be running back the punts? Will Robert Randolph be the go-to field goal kicker, or will Chris Hinkebein challenge him for reps? These are the questions that Mike London and Special Teams Coordinator Anthony Poindexter are desperately trying to answer before the Wahoos make their way out onto the field next week.

Kick Returners

The 2009 season was by no means one to remember for the Cavaliers’ kick returners, as they ranked at the bottom of the ACC in both kickoff (18.8 yards) and punt (8.3 yards) returns.

Chase Minnifield got the nod in both areas last season, returning 22 kickoffs for an average of 23.2 yards and 22 punts for an average of 4.4 yards. This year, however, it appears that Minnifield will be strictly used for punts, as a slew of other guys have stepped up in the kickoff return area.

From what Coach London said in his last teleconference, Raynard Horne and Dominique Wallace have established themselves as the clear one and two when it comes to kickoffs, followed closely by Rodney McLeod, Devin Wallace, and Tim Smith. Horne is the only one of the two with any experience on special teams, earning the George Welsh Special Teams Award in 2008, while Dominique Wallace saw action in just two games last season before going down with a season-ending injury.

Kickers

The 2009 season proved to be an interesting one for the Wahoos in terms of kickers, with three guys seeing time at three different roles. Third-year Robert Randolph, who was recently added to the Lou Garza Award preseason watch, connected on 17 of his 19 attempts, including three from beyond 40 yards; however, he was demoted to backup extra point in favor of Chris Hinkebein.

There was talk in the spring of consolidating these roles into one, but no one really separated themselves from the pack, so it’s back to square one when it comes to finding a regular. In a recent practice open to students, Randolph had mixed results, connecting on a few from over 40 yards, while hooking a few chip shots wide. If things continue the way they are, however, expect Randolph to be the go-to guy throughout the season.

Punters

There is no real competition at the punter position, as third-year Jimmy Howell returns. In 2009, the 6-6, 238 pound South Carolina native punted the ball 66 times for an average of 40.1 yards per punt. This stat, which was middle of the pack in terms of ACC rankings, includes 15 fair catches in addition to 18 downed inside the 20-yard line. In that regard, he has been effective.

However, there has been some concern with Howell as of late, particularly in regards to the time it takes him to get off his kicks. In the last week’s open practice, Howell had had three consecutive punts blocked and looked abnormally slow with his release. This may have been compounded last year with the pseudo rugby punt that the Hoos debuted to no avail, but under normal circumstances, he just needs to get the ball of quicker.

That’s it for Part II of the 2010 Virginia Football Preseason Preview. Check back in the next few days, as the final two parts of the series will be unveiled in time for this Saturday’s kickoff against Richmond.