It’s time to take a look at the defensive position groups for Virginia Football and take a look at the groups to see how confident fans should feel heading into the summer. Let’s take a closer look at each position group and what fans can expect.
Defensive Line
It’s a potential chance that the Cavaliers could have a better defensive line than last year. The Cavaliers added Zion Wilson, Darrion Henry-Young, Devon Baxter, Matthew Fobbs-White, Nnanna Anyanwu, and Jonathan Allen. You throw in Fisher Camac, and you have a very talented room capable of playing at a high level. Last season, the Hoos recorded 31 sacks, and with the talent, should be able to eclipse that number in 2026. Virginia hasn’t had this talented of a defensive line in the Tony Elliot era.
Feel Meter: Very Confident
Linebacker
You can make the argument that Virginia has one of the best linebacking units in the conference and is very dynamic. You look at Maddox Marcellus and the role he played last season, and he filled in nicely after the injury to Kam Robinson. Robinson was playing at an All-ACC level before he tore his ACL. The duo combined for 113 tackles and should play at a high level next season. Overall, the unit is talented and has a lot of players that will be able to contribute.
Feel Meter: Confident
Cornerback
This one is a bit interesting when you look at it as a whole. The Cavaliers brought back Justin Ross, who should be another key player on the secondary. Omilio Agard is another the staff has very high hopes for. They have a stout cornerback in Josiah Persinger who made a number of plays in the spring and continued to stand out. He caught the coach’s eye and was a standout player. Jam Jackson and Jacobie Henderson bring much-needed veteran presence to the cornerback room, and one you can rely on.
Feel Meter: Somewhat Confident
Safety
Probably one of the positions you can hang your hat on if you are the Cavaliers. They went and got four safeties from the portal in Jalen McNair, Jaylen Jones, Christian Ellis, and Brandyn Hillman. All should help with the depth of the roster and even be able to land starting roles in some capacity. Safety is probably one of the deepest spots on the roster for Virginia and one they can rely on throughout the season.
Feel Meter: Extremely Confident
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