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One of the focuses for UVa's defense this spring has been getting more one-on-one pass rush from its defensive line. And Saturday, it appeared to be making progress. Just 9½ of UVa's 32 sacks last season came from defensive linemen. Getting back end Aaron Faumui, who opted out of the 2020 season, figures to give the team a big boost in that department. He had four sacks and nine hurries as a sophomore in 2019. - Charlottesville Daily Progress

(DS#999 DT) rSr/2024

DT Aaron Faumui, Virginia
News Source: Charlottesville Daily Progress
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04/30/21 - Jelani Woods, rSr/2022, Virginia, 6-7, 252 (DS#3 TE) + More +

Recruited to Oklahoma State as a quarterback out of Georgia, Woods didn't think much of his late-season assignment in 2017, being asked to play tight end for the scout team because of his size and athleticism. He was redshirting that year and figured it was a one-time situation. "I ended up giving them a great look throughout the week," said Woods. "Literally the next week, my coach came to me and proposed the deal with me. I loved it." Woods also said he loved his team at Oklahoma State, though in the Cowboys' offense, he was used mostly as a blocker. He finished his time there with 31 catches for 361 yards and four touchdowns. The move to UVa brings him both closer to home and transitions him into an offense that appears more committed to getting the ball to its tight ends. "Jelani is a really good addition to our team," said offensive coordinator Robert Anae. "He's really, really tall, big, strong, athletic. Then, man, you couple that with a really good football IQ. Dang, I think we're going to have a lot of good things to come."

Woods has quickly fit in with his new teammates and demonstrated a devotion to and aptitude for learning the playbook heading into Saturday's spring game at Scott Stadium, the final team practice before fall camp. "I met him the first day he got in here and he was asking a lot of questions," said senior Grant Misch, a fellow tight end. "But the questions are kind of gone and now it's more like friendly banter. He's a cool guy." He's impressed his coaches, as well. "Jelani Woods is probably the brightest spot that I've seen in our program this spring," said Mendenhall. "He is big and he's fast and he's physical and he catches the ball well and he's a great blocker, and man, is he thankful to be here. So, he is a welcome addition to our program at a position of need coming off Tony's performance." - Roanoke Times

(DS#3 TE) rSr/2022

TE Jelani Woods, Virginia
News Source: Roanoke Times
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04/22/21 - Joey Blount, rSr/2022, Virginia, 6-1, 201 (DS#10 FS) + More +

Big plays consistently crushed Virginia's defense, which yielded 29 passing plays that went for 30 yards or more. Only two other FBS squads allowed more. With disappointing defensive results last fall, Blount decided to use his additional year of eligibility for one final - and, with any luck, healthy - season in a Virginia uniform. "I've been super energetic," Blount said. "I'm looking forward to every day when we get to go practice. Being sidelined for so long, just hungry to experience the spring to its fullest." While Blount wished he was available more last season, he appreciated watching his underclassman peers earn game reps.

He saw Antonio Clary, a junior this season, grow into his own and become a more consistent option at safety. Coen King, another junior, led Virginia with 10 tackles in the season-ending loss to Virginia Tech. Both players were given significant playing time in 2020 due to injuries to usual starters. "I feel like there were a lot of identities that were found," Blount said. As for Blount, he's healthy during spring practices for the first time in his Virginia career. "Joey Blount is playing really well this spring," head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "This is his first offseason, which has been amazing. Even though he's been here quite a while, it's the first time he's been through an offseason and been healthy. He's strong and he's fast and he's physical and he's making lots and lots and lots of plays." - Charlottesville Daily Progress

(DS#10 FS) rSr/2022

FS Joey Blount, Virginia
News Source: Charlottesville Daily Progress
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04/21/21 - Lavel Davis Jr., Jr/2024, Virginia, 6-6, 219 (DS#999 WR) + More +

The Virginia football team's roster has suffered a major blow this spring, losing two potential starters for at least most of the fall season. Head coach Bronco Mendenhall announced Monday that sophomore wide receiver Lavel Davis Jr. and junior outside linebacker Chico Bennett Jr. have suffered ACL injuries. "That's always the risk of spring practice," Mendenhall said. The earliest return for the two impact players is November. UVa's head coach said those are the only two major injuries suffered this spring.

Mendenhall added that Davis' injury occurred when the receiver became tangled up with a defensive back during a practice session. Bennett's injury came in a non-contact setting. Neither injury occurred during a full-contact period, but Mendenhall wouldn't change anything about how the Cavaliers handled their practice routine. "The only way to really avoid that is not practice in the spring," Mendenhall said of the significant injuries. Davis was expected to be a starter at wide receiver for UVa after a tremendous first season. The 6-foot-7 target caught 20 passes for 515 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman. - Charlottesville Daily Progress

(DS#999 WR) Jr/2024

WR Lavel Davis Jr., Virginia
News Source: Charlottesville Daily Progress
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04/20/21 - Chandler Morris, rSr/2026, Virginia, 6-0, 192 (DS#32 QB) + More +

Oklahoma has released Chandler Morris from his national letter of intent. Finally. OU coach Lincoln Riley informed Morris on Friday that OU would release Morris from his NLI, a source confirmed. OU had refused to release Morris from his NLI much of this offseason, creating a stir nationally. Riley talked about his belief that student athletes should not be able to transfer within conference without consequence. Those comments came before the Big 12 agreed to waive its intraconference rules requiring players to sit out one season earlier this week. The NCAA also adopted rules that will allow student athletes the opportunity to transfer one time without penalty. OU and Riley relented after the new policies were announced. Morris is expected to compete for the backup job behind starting quarterback Max Duggan this season. - Fort Worth Star

(DS#32 QB) rSr/2026

QB Chandler Morris, Virginia
News Source: Fort Worth Star
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04/07/21 - Mitchell Melton, rSr/2026, Virginia, 6-3, 256 (DS#999 DE) + More +

Ohio State football lost another potential defensive contributor for the remainder of the spring. Redshirt freshman linebacker Mitchell Melton was on crutches Monday during the portion of practice reporters were allowed to watch. Ohio State coach Ryan Day would not go into injury specifics but said Melton suffered "a long-term injury." Melton joins defensive tackle Haskell Garrett, cornerbacks Sevyn Banks and Cameron Brown, linebacker Dallas Gant and safety Kourt Williams as defensive players who are out or limited from practice. "We're going to have to do a great job developing the young guys, so we're a little thin going into the preseason," Day said. "I think we have a good plan and Al (Washington) will do a great job with the young guys." - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#999 DE) rSr/2026

DE Mitchell Melton, Virginia
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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04/06/21 - Kobe Pace, rSr/2025, Virginia, 5-10, 205 (DS#81 RB) + More +

Clemson's rotation at running back has been one of the biggest question marks this spring. Lyn-J Dixon appears he will get the first crack at replacing Travis Etienne, who will be drafted into the pros later this month. Dixon played for the White team and rushed four times for 25 yards. But Saturday's game let the coaches and fans see other guys get a shot, including Kobe Pace and freshmen Will Shipley and Phil Mafah. Pace shined early and rushed for 69 yards, most of that coming on the opening drive. Mafah scored a TD late in the game and finished with 38 yards. Shipley rushed for 13, caught a pass and also played on special teams.

Swinney on the TV broadcast said that Shipley and Mafah have a chance to be similar to the "thunder and lighting" duo the Tigers had with James Davis and CJ Spiller years ago. Swinney said Shipley, who played at Weddington High in North Carolina, is ahead of where Travis Etienne was at this point in his freshman year. "He's better than advertised," Swinney said. "He's going to be a great one. He's going to be a great player. He's incredibly dynamic. He can return, he can catch and he's physically way ahead for a high school kid." - The State

(DS#81 RB) rSr/2025

RB Kobe Pace, Virginia
News Source: The State
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04/03/21 - Chris Tyree, rSr/2025, Virginia, 5-09, 192 (DS#66 WR) + More +

Chris Tyree said the sentence so matter-of-factly, the boldness didn't resonate at first. "I think we all understand that good things happen when the ball is in my hands," he said. The Notre Dame running back didn't deliver the line with a smile or grin from the other end of a Zoom press conference with reporters following Saturday's first spring football practice. A little less than three months removed from his freshman season, Tyree flatly expressed his expectations for making a bigger impact in 2021. "Being able to expand that and getting me opportunities to give me the ball is the goal for right now," Tyree said.

The 5-foot-10, 188-pound Tyree established himself as the No. 2 running back in his freshman campaign with the Irish. He showed flashes of his potential while totaling 73 carries for 496 yards and four touchdowns as the backup to ACC Rookie of the Year Kyren Williams. "Coming into the season, I really had no idea what to expect," Tyree said. "I knew that whatever my role was I was going to play that and do it to the best of my ability. When it comes to my expectations, I'm pretty happy with what I did." - Indianapolis Star News

(DS#66 WR) rSr/2025

WR Chris Tyree, Virginia
News Source: Indianapolis Star News
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03/25/21 - Shane Simpson, rSr/2021, Virginia, 5-08, 198 (DS#42 RB) + More +

For every rep performed by former Virginia running back Shane Simpson on the bench press at the Cavaliers' Pro Day on Wednesday, he won't just be helping his NFL Draft stock, he'll be helping those battling rare diseases. The Towson transfer turned Virginia tailback joined forces with Uplifting Athletes ahead of his Pro Day. He's participating in the 2021 Reps for Rare Diseases campaign. Supporters can pledge a donation based on how many bench press reps Simpson records at Pro Day, and all proceeds will go to Uplifting Athletes, a charitable organization that raises money for rare disease research and awareness. Simpson learned of the organization this offseason and felt it would be a good one to support on Pro Day. "I wanted to do something that was bigger than myself and bigger than football," Simpson said. "Trying to give back in some way." - Charlottesville Daily Progress

(DS#42 RB) rSr/2021

RB Shane Simpson, Virginia
News Source: Charlottesville Daily Progress
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03/25/21 - Chandler Morris, rSr/2026, Virginia, 6-0, 192 (DS#32 QB) + More +

Former Oklahoma quarterback Chandler Morris transferred to TCU following his freshman season but has yet to be released by OU. TCU head coach Gary Patterson was asked of Morris' status earlier this week, which currently won't allow him to be eligible for the 2021 season. OU coach Lincoln Riley addressed his program's decision, which he noted had nothing specifically to do with Morris but rather a view his staff holds when players transfers to other Big 12 schools. "This particular situation for us is about something that we believe in," Riley said. "Myself, the leadership here at OU, we think it's unhealthy for college football to encourage intraconference transfers."

Riley said he isn't against student-athletes transferring to programs outside of their current conference and becoming eligible right away. He noted the Sooners immediately released freshman tight end Jalin Conyers, who transferred to Arizona State this offseason. "I do think the intraconference can complicate things and the world of coaches understand the big picture and understand that's gonna bring along a lot of negatives that I just don't know that we want in this game," Riley said. - Norman Transcript

(DS#32 QB) rSr/2026

QB Chandler Morris, Virginia
News Source: Norman Transcript
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03/25/21 - Chandler Morris, rSr/2026, Virginia, 6-0, 192 (DS#32 QB) + More +

Oklahoma has not released former quarterback Chandler Morris from his national letter of intent. Morris entered the NCAA's transfer portal after spending his true freshman season with the Sooners in 2020 and opted to join the Frogs a few days later. At the time, nobody knew if Morris would be eligible to play this fall. That hasn't changed in two-plus months since he arrived in Fort Worth. "We don't know yet on Chandler," Patterson said on Monday. "It looks like rules are going to change here real quickly. He still hasn't been released by Oklahoma." There's multiple steps in the process for Morris to gain eligibility next fall, starting with OU releasing Morris from his national letter of intent because Morris is in his first year. If the Sooners do that, then TCU can pursue an immediate eligibility waiver for Morris from the NCAA. The caveat to the waiver is whether the NCAA will adopt a policy allowing one-time transfers. If it does, TCU and Morris would not need to go through the waiver process. - Fort Worth Star

(DS#32 QB) rSr/2026

QB Chandler Morris, Virginia
News Source: Fort Worth Star
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01/12/21 - Jacob Finn, rSr/2022, Virginia, 6-4, 205 (DS#16 P) + More +

Florida punter Jacob Finn will play his final year of eligibility elsewhere. The redshirt senior, who was placed on scholarship prior to the 2020 season, has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Finn took over for Tommy Townsend as the starter and averaged 46.3 yards per punt on 26 attempts, including a long of 67. Finn, who joined the team as a walk-on in the summer of 2016, is taking advantage of the NCAA's extra year for all fall sport athletes due to COVID-19. - Gainesville Sun

(DS#16 P) rSr/2022

P Jacob Finn, Virginia
News Source: Gainesville Sun
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01/07/21 - Daniel Sparks, rSr/2026, Virginia, 6-6, 217 (DS#3 P) + More +

The Gophers added a specialist to its 2021 roster, a walk-on transfer. Daniel Sparks finished his true freshman season at Louisiana-Monroe where he handled kickoffs and punts. His 33 kickoffs went an average of about 53 yards, while his 30 punts averaged about 45 yards, including five of more than 50 yards. His longest was 63 yards. The 6-6 Alabama native joins a Gophers team that has perennially struggled on special teams. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

(DS#3 P) rSr/2026

P Daniel Sparks, Virginia
News Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
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01/06/21 - Daniel Sparks, rSr/2026, Virginia, 6-6, 217 (DS#3 P) + More +

The Gophers football program added transfer punter Daniel Sparks on Tuesday. As a freshman at Louisiana Monroe this fall, Sparks averaged 44.6 yards on 30 punts, landing five inside the 20-yard line and six going 50-plus yards. His average was second-best in the Sun Belt Conference last season. Sparks, who is 6-foot-6, also had 33 kickoffs, with six touchbacks. - Pioneer Press

(DS#3 P) rSr/2026

P Daniel Sparks, Virginia
News Source: Pioneer Press
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01/04/21 - Chandler Morris, rSr/2026, Virginia, 6-0, 192 (DS#32 QB) + More +

TCU football added some competition and depth to its quarterback room on Sunday. Oklahoma transfer Chandler Morris announced his intentions to join TCU in a social media post. Morris is the son of former SMU and Arkansas coach Chad Morris. It's to be determined if Morris will be eligible to play next fall. There's multiple steps in the process that will make that determination, starting with Oklahoma releasing Morris from his national letter of intent because Morris is in his first year. The NCAA is also scheduled to vote on whether to allow one-time transfers on Jan. 11 and, after that, the Big 12 will decide on how to handle intra-conference transfers. - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

(DS#32 QB) rSr/2026

QB Chandler Morris, Virginia
News Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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