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Even before All-ACC cornerback Bryce Hall suffered a season-ending ankle injury in October, Virginia's football staff knew that it would need a successor in 2020. Although the Cavaliers would win five games without Hall, a protege was waiting in the wings. Hall, known for studying film and analyzing statistics, didn't hesitate to train Darrius Bratton in his craft. "I picked up a lot from Bryce in terms of how to organize and plan and prepare," said Bratton, a graduate of William Fleming High School. "With him, it's all about 'prepare, prepare, prepare.' Bryce took me under his wing."

Bratton was in a position to start for the Cavaliers, or at least be a regular in UVa's five-man nickel packages, when he suffered a torn ACL on the first day of fall practice. That prevented him from playing in the regular season and he would not have gone through spring practice before the coronavirus pandemic made that a moot point. Bratton has been in Roanoke during the spring, working out at gyms he knew from earlier times and running the hills near his home. "This [past] season was very hard for me mentally and physically," he said. "Not going into battle with my teammates was the hardest challenge I had to overcome." - Roanoke Times

(DS#110 CB) rSr/2023

CB Darrius Bratton, Virginia
News Source: Roanoke Times
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05/27/20 - Tony Poljan, rSr/2021, Virginia, 6-7, 251 (DS#7 TE) + More +

The Mid-American Conference athletic landscape has changed significantly in recent weeks as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, on May 15, the MAC announced it was implementing a cost-cutting plan for football heading into the 2020 season. As it stands the travel rosters for conference games will drop from 76 to 70 this fall and host teams will no longer be staying in hotels on the nights before games. These cost-cutting measures will save the conference a significant amount of money this fall. Players will now stay in their apartments or dorm rooms the night before game day. On May 12 the MAC announced it was eliminating eight conference tournaments and modifying the format to seven other conference tournaments. At Central Michigan University the athletic program has also cut pay to numerous coaches and administrators as a byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic. - Morning Sun

(DS#7 TE) rSr/2021

TE Tony Poljan, Virginia
News Source: Morning Sun
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05/12/20 - RaShaun Henry, rSr/2022, Virginia, 6-2, 185 (DS#77 WR) + More +

The Virginia football program has added graduate transfer Ra'Shaun Henry to its roster, the program announced Tuesday. Henry comes to Charlottesville after spending four seasons at the FCS level with St. Francis in Pennsylvania. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound wide receiver will have one year of eligibility remaining and can play immediately. Henry broke onto the scene in 2019 as a redshirt junior, tallying 90 receptions for 1,118 yards and nine touchdowns. He recorded 53 of those receptions in the team's final five games. Henry finished fifth among all FCS wide receivers in receptions last season.

St. Francis finished the 2019 season with a 6-6 record, ending the year with a 3-4 mark in Northeast Conference. The talent difference between FCS schools and Power 5 schools is noticeable, and the gap between the NEC and the ACC is big. Against one of the better FCS defenses last season in James Madison, Henry recorded five receptions for 60 yards. St. Francis as a team only completed 11 passes for 96 yards in the game, meaning Henry accounted for 62.5% of the team's receiving yards in the 44-7 loss. The Red Flash didn't face an FBS team in 2019. - Charlottesville Daily Progress

(DS#77 WR) rSr/2022

WR RaShaun Henry, Virginia
News Source: Charlottesville Daily Progress
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05/12/20 - RaShaun Henry, rSr/2022, Virginia, 6-2, 185 (DS#77 WR) + More +

The Virginia football program announced today it has added a transfer, according to head coach Bronco Mendenhall. Wide receiver Ra'Shaun Henry of St. Francis (Pa.) has signed a grant-in-aid document and will enroll at UVA this summer. Henry will have one year of eligibility for the Cavaliers and will be eligible immediately as a graduate transfer. - Virginia Athletics

(DS#77 WR) rSr/2022

WR RaShaun Henry, Virginia
News Source: Virginia Athletics
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05/03/20 - Keytaon Thompson, rSr/2023, Virginia, 6-4, 218 (DS#47 WR) + More +

Virginia's starting quarterback competition just became significantly more interesting. While the Cavaliers still aren't practicing due to COVID-19, they added graduate transfer Keytaon Thompson from Mississippi State on Friday. Thompson will be immediately eligible for UVa with two years of eligibility remaining. He'll likely compete with returning quarterback Brennan Armstrong for the starting quarterback position. "Keytaon is big, physical, fast, dynamic. An exceptional athlete," Virginia football coach Bronco Mendenhall said in a video posted by the program's official Twitter account.

"To win the Coastal Division and the ACC championship, two quarterbacks are always necessary, not just one. So in addition to Brennan Armstrong, who we already love, we get the chance to welcome Keytaon Thompson to our program. That just increases our chances to have the season we are all hoping for." At Mississippi State, the former four-star recruit played sparingly in recent seasons. In 2019, Thompson didn't throw a pass or carry the football, but he did bring in one reception for eight yards. - Charlottesville Daily Progress

(DS#47 WR) rSr/2023

WR Keytaon Thompson, Virginia
News Source: Charlottesville Daily Progress
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05/01/20 - Dejon Brissett, Sr/2020, Virginia, 6-1, 195 (DS#203 WR) + More +

The Toronto Argonauts drafted former Virginia wide receiver Dejon Brissett with second overall pick in the 2020 Canadian Football League Draft. The Mississauga, Ontario native fit the draft eligibility requirement, having lived in Canada for at least seven years before turning 15. Brissett, a 6-foot-1 wide receiver with good speed and size, contributed sparingly to Virginia's offense in 2019. The graduate transfer from Richmond played in 12 of the Cavaliers' 14 games, but he hauled in just two receptions for 18 yards the entire season. At Richmond, however, Brissett was one of the best receivers at the FCS level. He recorded 63 receptions for 896 yards and seven touchdowns in 2017, averaging 81.5 receiving yards per contest. That strong play carried through to his senior season with the Spiders. - Charlottesville Daily Progress

(DS#203 WR) Sr/2020

WR Dejon Brissett, Virginia
News Source: Charlottesville Daily Progress
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05/01/20 - Keytaon Thompson, rSr/2023, Virginia, 6-4, 218 (DS#47 WR) + More +

Keytaon Thompson's time at Mississippi State is over. The redshirt junior quarterback officially put an end to his maroon and white saga via a Twitter post Friday afternoon. Thompson announced he is transferring to Virginia with two years of eligibility remaining. As a graduate transfer, Thompson is eligible immediately. "Thank you to the Hail State family for embracing me for the past 3 years," Thompson wrote in the tweet. "I will forever cherish my time in Starkville, MS. To my teammates and brothers at MSU, I'll never forget the memories we made on and off the field."

Thompson will be remembered as the quarterback who took down Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson in the 2017 TaxSlayer Bowl. He threw for 127 yards and ran for 147 more and three touchdowns. Jackson threw four interceptions in Mississippi State's 31-27 victory. Thompson, a true freshman at the time, was playing in place of injured junior Nick Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald returned as Mississippi State's starter as a senior in 2018. Thompson served as his backup for the second-straight season. - The Clarion Ledger

(DS#47 WR) rSr/2023

WR Keytaon Thompson, Virginia
News Source: The Clarion Ledger
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04/29/20 - Charles Snowden, Sr/2021, Virginia, 6-6, 243 (DS#16 OLB) + More +

A rising senior, Snowden's physical traits should thrill NFL teams. Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 235 pounds, Snowden is a beast of a man. His frame still looks lean, and Snowden hopes to add a few pounds before the start of the next college football season. "Ideally I'd like to start the 2020 season in the low 240s," Snowden said. "Maintaining weight during the season has always kind of been my thing, so getting to the low 240s, that way, at the end of the season I can still be around 240." Snowden's length and size led to a good junior season. He finished with 72 tackles, including 11.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. He uses his length well to get into passing lanes. He recorded 11 passes defended as a sophomore. At his size, those numbers show he's capable of turning physical traits into on-field production. A senior season similar to his junior campaign should put Snowden squarely in the NFL Draft discussion. A better season could boost Snowden into the first few rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft. - Charlottesville Daily Progress

(DS#16 OLB) Sr/2021

OLB Charles Snowden, Virginia
News Source: Charlottesville Daily Progress
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04/20/20 - Keytaon Thompson, rSr/2023, Virginia, 6-4, 218 (DS#47 WR) + More +

Mississippi State's quarterback room is set to be a little less crowded. A source with immediate knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Dispatch Monday that redshirt junior Keytaon Thompson has entered the transfer portal as a graduate student. He will have two years of eligibility remaining. AL.com's Matt Zenitz was first to report the news. This marks the second time in less than a year that Thompson has entered the transfer portal. He previously did so after losing out on the starting job to Penn State import Tommy Stevens in August but he decided to return to MSU and redshirted last season.

Thompson had also been passed on the depth chart by rising-sophomore Garrett Shrader last season. While he could theoretically return to MSU, his potential departure comes with little surprise as the Bulldogs were slated to head into the fall with five scholarship quarterbacks and Vanderbilt transfer Allan Walters -- who is expected to be put on scholarship down the line. MSU also boasts two quarterback commitments in the 2021 class in four-star passer Sawyer Robertson and three-star recruit Daniel Greek. A former four-star prospect out of New Orleans, Thompson completed 50-of-105 career passes for 846 yards and eight touchdowns to just three interceptions in 17 career games. - The Dispatch

(DS#47 WR) rSr/2023

WR Keytaon Thompson, Virginia
News Source: The Dispatch
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04/17/20 - Ronnie Walker Jr., rSr/2024, Virginia, 5-10, 218 (DS#999 RB) + More +

While spring practices remain postponed due to COVID-19, the college football news cycle keeps chugging along. The Virginia football team added Ronnie Walker Jr., a transfer running back from Indiana, on Friday. He adds depth and talent to a position group in need of both. The Cavaliers also have a few players with the potential to be selected in next week's NFL Draft. Without spring ball, replacing those impact players could certainly be a challenge. Walker Jr. joins Wayne Taulapapa and Mike Hollins in the running back room. Last season, quarterback Bryce Perkins handled the bulk of the rushing load. With Perkins graduated and heading to the NFL, Virginia likely needs better rushing production from Taulapapa, Hollins and potentially Walker Jr. to find offensive balance. - Charlottesville Daily Progress

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2024

RB Ronnie Walker Jr., Virginia
News Source: Charlottesville Daily Progress
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04/16/20 - Jordan Mack, Sr/2020, Virginia, 6-3, 241 (DS#20 OLB) + More +

As the result of an injury that limited Jordan Mack in the postseason, Virginia football fans did not get one good last look at their elite inside linebacker. Fortunately for Mack, pro football scouts have more time for study. Mack was on the field for a handful of plays in Virginia's 62-17 loss to Clemson in the ACC championship game and did not play in the Orange Bowl, where Florida beat the Cavaliers 36-28. He finished the season with 69 tackles, giving him 289 for his career and putting him just outside the top 15 on UVa's all-time list. He almost certainly would have reached 300 if not for a 2018 injury that caused him to miss four games.

His right foot was in a cast at the Orange Bowl but he had the good fortune to receive an invitation to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis at the end of February. "They were able to verify my numbers in terms of height and weight," said Mack, who is listed at 6 foot 4 and 230 pounds. "They were able to put my face to a name and see what kind of individual I was. "I was probably 100% [physically] because the athletic training staff at UVa did a really good job of putting things together for me and still, to this day, keeping on top of me. From a teams standpoint, everything has been pretty positive." Most projections give him the best chance for a selection between rounds 5-7. - Roanoke Times

(DS#20 OLB) Sr/2020

OLB Jordan Mack, Virginia
News Source: Roanoke Times
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04/06/20 - Mike Hollins, rSr/2024, Virginia, 5-09, 204 (DS#999 RB) + More +

The rising sophomore carried the ball 21 times for 112 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman. A Louisiana native, Hollins showed promise while also struggling with ball security last season. Perkins led the team in rushing last season, which means Hollins and Wayne Taulapapa will be relied on heavily to produce on the ground. Hollins, who was a 3-star recruit coming out of high school, brings speed and elusiveness to the backfield. Taulapapa provides a slightly more physical style of running, and he excelled in short-yardage situations a season ago. With a large group of returning offensive linemen and a new starting quarterback, UVa's running backs should play a more important role in the offense's success. With Lamont Atkins, P.K. Kier and Seneca Milledge all leaving the program, the workload will likely fall on the shoulders of Hollins and Taulapapa, although the addition of a graduate transfer is on the table. - Charlottesville Daily Progress

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2024

RB Mike Hollins, Virginia
News Source: Charlottesville Daily Progress
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04/03/20 - Hasise Dubois, Sr/2020, Virginia, 6-2, 215 (DS#54 WR) + More +

Despite 75 receptions for 1,062 yards and six touchdowns, questions remain about Dubois' speed. Nobody doubts his catch radius or his strength or his reliability, but scouts and draft analysts frequently leave him off their seven-round NFL Draft boards because of their doubts about his speed. Without UVa's Pro Day, Dubois lost a chance to prove his speed. "I believe it was going to be very important because a lot of teams wanted to see what I was gonna run on my 40," Dubois said. "They were just worried about the speed part of my game."

Luckily for Dubois, he knows someone who can make him faster and turn doubts about his speed into a strength of his game. Ishmeal Robbins, Dubois' brother, ran track in high school and in college and still runs track today. Robbins wants to qualify for the Olympics one day, and he's only improved his speed since becoming the first Irvington High School track athlete to ever sweep the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races at his conference championships. Dubois planned on training with his brother before the draft knowing that his 40-yard dash was a key area of improvement. With Dubois home in New Jersey, Robbins put Dubois on his own "strict workout plan." - Charlottesville Daily Progress

(DS#54 WR) Sr/2020

WR Hasise Dubois, Virginia
News Source: Charlottesville Daily Progress
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03/27/20 - Charles Snowden, Sr/2021, Virginia, 6-6, 243 (DS#16 OLB) + More +

If the coronavirus pandemic has made a mess out of 2020 college football preparations, Virginia football player Charles Snowden isn't sure that the Cavaliers will suffer. "I know coach [Bronco] Mendenhall loves consistency," said Snowden, an outside linebacker coming off a breakout season in 2019. "I know this definitely throws him off a bit. I also know he loves challenges and creating chaos. Although he doesn't have any control over it, I think he's excited to see how we react." Snowden was in South Florida when he learned that spring classes had been canceled as a result of the coronavirus and that classwork would be handled online.

"Initially, I thought it was going to be for a couple of weeks," he said. "I've been home, finding different ways to kind of work out, and talking to my coaches and teammates because they're trying to figure it out, too." Snowden had heard from team nutritionist Randy Bird earlier in the day Wednesday. "I personally don't have a strict diet," said Snowden, listed at 6 foot 7 and 235 pounds. "No weight is kind of bad weight for me right now." Physically, Snowden would like to weigh 240 pounds when the season comes around. "My sack number wasn't anywhere close to where I wanted it to be," said Snowden, whose five sacks ranked him third on the team behind Jordan Mack and Noah Taylor. "I got a lot of QB hits and a lot of QB hurries, so that's still the area that I'm looking to improve the most this offseason. Possibly, it will be a big step from the year before." - Roanoke Times

(DS#16 OLB) Sr/2021

OLB Charles Snowden, Virginia
News Source: Roanoke Times
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03/26/20 - Bryce Hall, Sr/2020, Virginia, 6-1, 202 (DS#11 CB) + More +

When Bryce Hall was carted off the field last October at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, it was clear almost immediately that his Virginia football career had ended. Moreover, there had to be questions about the future of an All-ACC cornerback who had clearly attracted the interest of NFL scouts up to that point. Hall accepted an invitation to the NFL Combine but was unable to work out after earlier undergoing surgery for a collection of injuries, including a broken fibula, torn deltoid ligaments and a dislocated ankle. "The first time I really got a prognosis was a week before I went to the combine," said Hall of an event that was held the last week of February.

"The doctors and my [personal trainer] said I should be 100% by training camp. "Within the past couple of weeks, I started to see a lot of progress in terms of me starting to do some running, some cutting, some jumping stuff. Lately, that's been encouraging. For a while, I really had progressed slowly." "What I've been hearing from a lot of coaches is that they realize the status that I'm at," Hall said. "They've been paying attention to my film. "I've had meetings set up with coaches, so I feel like they've really got the chance to know me and what I'm about. I think, at the end of the day, the film speaks the most." "It would have been nice to show them something, but I'm still confident in what they know and what they're looking for from me." - Roanoke Times

(DS#11 CB) Sr/2020

CB Bryce Hall, Virginia
News Source: Roanoke Times
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