Quarterback decision is crucial as Virginia and coach Tony Elliott face early tests

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Virginia coach Tony Elliott said at the start of the summer he didn’t want his open quarterback competition to be “a big deal.”

His players say they’ve bought in, but the decision is crucial for Elliott, who starts his third season with little margin for error as the Cavaliers attempt to regain relevance in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Elliott is 6-16 in his two seasons in Charlottesville, with a 3-12 mark in ACC play. This year’s squad was picked by reporters to finish 16th in the 17-team conference.

The path forward starts with picking the correct signal caller.

Tony Muskett started last year as Virginia’s quarterback and represents the veteran option. He spent three seasons at Monmouth, starting games in each of them, before arriving as a transfer last year.

The other option is sophomore Anthony Colandrea, who started six games last season while Muskett was injured, turning heads with his athleticism.

Elliott said in late July he is in no rush to name a starter.

“I think what’s been awesome to see, in this day and age, is two young men embrace the competition, and understand that competition is going to make each one of them better,” the coach said.

On Aug. 12, he said he was hoping a series of upcoming padded practices would produce some separation.

The winner will face an unforgiving early schedule. After a tuneup against Richmond of the FCS, Virginia heads to Wake Forest before hosting Maryland. The other early nonconference game, at Coastal Carolina, is no sure thing either.

“Our first opponent is ourselves,” Muskett said. “UVA’s first task of victory is UVA.”

As the doubters circle, Elliott said he’s not interested in trying to change the narrative. He said that work is best done on the field.

“Every year when you look at it they get it wrong,” the coach said of preseason predictions. “There are always teams picked to finish high that don’t finish high. There are always teams that are picked to finish low that don’t finish low.

“We’ve got 25 practices and 12 Saturdays, and all the days in between, to do something about it.”

Butler’s back

Virginia’s pass rush should get a boost from the return of Kam Butler, a defensive end who started last year with NFL buzz but saw his season end early due to a shoulder injury.

“Coming back was a no-brainer,” he said. “That injury just left a really bad taste in my mouth. I was off to a pretty good season. I can’t wait just to get back to where I was before I got injured this upcoming season.”

With Butler, Virginia recorded five sacks in its first four games. After that, the numbers dropped off, and the Cavaliers finished the season with the fewest sacks in the FBS. Butler’s 3 1/2 sacks ended up leading the team.

Butler will be joined on the line by Chico Bennett Jr., a fifth-year senior who is looking to reclaim his form. A seven-sack season in 2022 put Bennett on the map, but he was held to zero last year.

New facility dazzles

The facility race among college football teams is cooling down in the era of name, image and likeness compensation for players, but at Virginia the players spent the summer moving into posh new digs at the George Welsh Indoor Practice Facility, named for the most successful coach in program history.

The 93,000-square foot building will help Virginia keep pace with its conference rivals, and provide amenities like a state-of-the-art weight room, a “performance nutrition station” and a player lounge.

Offseason upgrades will also extend to the fans, who will enjoy a new, larger video board at Scott Stadium.

Safety Sanker leads the way

Virginia’s top returning player is likely safety Jonas Sanker, who has been named to a bevy of watch lists as the season opens, coming off a first-team All-ACC season last year.

Sanker led the Cavaliers in pass breakups (11), tackles (107) and forced fumbles (three).

A senior, Sanker is likely to receive NFL interest if he can put up similar numbers this season.

Top games

Elliott, a longtime assistant to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, makes his return to Death Valley on Oct. 19, a game that will likely be more emotional than competitive.

The Cavaliers also have a trip to Notre Dame as part of a brutal final stretch. The focus, as always, will be on whether Virginia can hang with rival Virginia Tech — a 2019 victory by the Cavaliers is the only one they’ve had since 2003, and last year’s game was a 55-17 blowout in Charlottesville.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football