Over the past 35 years, very few top-flight wide receivers have come through Charlottesville on their way to the NFL. Off the top of my head, Germane Crowell, Herman Moore, Billy McMullen, John Ford, Pete Allen, Larry Holmes, Patrick Jeffers, Terrence Wilkins, and Kevin Ogletree. Not exactly NFL Hall of Fame receivers, but some damn good wideouts. If Mike London's Wahoos are going to prove the prognosticators wrong, Shawn Moore's wide receivers are going to have to stretch the field, not put the ball on the ground, and put TD's on the scoreboard. In his first season coaching college football at his alma mater, Coach Moore knows how to get the most out of his playmakers.

Last season, Kris Burd led Virginia with a paltry 413 yards on 31 receptions and one touchdown. The last time the Hoos had a player with more than 10 receptions in a game was 2007, and it was not a wideout, but tailback Mikell Simpson.

In 2009, Virginia's highest one-game receiving total was just 85 yards by the now-graduated Vic Hall. No 100-yard receiver at all in the season’s 12 games. No player had more than one touchdown reception in any contest last season. Jameel Sewell had 26 completions in the Southern Mississippi game, which is a very low season high for a team running the spread offense!

Fast forward to this season, and Virginia looks as good as ever at the wide receiver position. Kris Burd, lightning-fast 4.3 40 yard-dash-running Tim Smith, senior Dontrelle Inman, and Darrell Green's Junior son Jared Green are the 1-4 options at wideout for Coach Moore's group. Burd and Smith both had excellent summer camps, although Smith was seen recently walking around the McCue Center in a air-cast walking boot. My sources tell me that he will be fine, and will be available to start the Richmond game.

Another guy that has been lighting up the summer practice sessions has been redshirt freshman Bobby Smith out of Varina High School in Richmond. Smith is a towering 6’ 5”, and has the build of a tight end but has nice, soft hands, and a hell of an up-field motor. He could present some match-up problems both catching the ball in the flat, and over the middle of the field this season.

Rounding out the receiver corps is special teams stand-out Ray Keys, junior tough-guy Matt Snyder, and redshirt freshman Kevin Royal. This season, there are also a couple of walk-ons who will see some time on special teams, but I think Snyder shows the most promise of the second group of wide-outs. Snyder has nice size at 6’ 4” 205 is in his junior season and I'm not sure if anyone on the roster works harder.

I think that Virginia might not see a 1,000-yard pass catcher this year, but could get to 800 with either Burd, Inman, or Smith. Smith is such a game-changer with his speed that this could be a special season for him statistically. Go Hoos! 

During Al Groh's nine seasons in Charlottesville, Virginia ran a very unusual college defensive scheme. Gone is Groh and the Bill Parcells/Bill Belichick/Bill Cowher NFL style 3-4 defense. In is Mike London and defensive coach Jim Reid's more conventional 4-3 front.

In the 4-3 stack alignment, the Virginia defense will be able to rely more on the instinctive nature of football players, and less on complex, read-and-react schemes which are much more suitable for NFL players that have all day to study the game. College linebackers, the quarterback of the defense, also have to go to class at UVA. The more you have to think about where you are supposed to be out there as a young football player, well, the more mistakes you are very likely to make on the field, and the more out of position you will will often end up.

Virginia's new defense is championed by Jim Reid, who sometimes sounds like he's actually faking his Boston accent because it's so damn authentic. Reid, by all accounts is  a “players first” type of coach that trusts his players to be in the right place at the right time both on and off the field. In his 36th year of coaching, Reid has been a head coach three times, most recently at VMI in Lexington, and loves the game as much as anyone on the planet. He's the kind of guy I'd enjoy sitting down with a bottle of Maker's Mark and talking football on my back porch till the sun comes up.

Also coaching the defense will be Virginia's legendary safety Anthony Poindexter, who will coach the safeties and special teams. Vincent Brown, who played for the New England Patriots for eight years, will coach the linebackers. Jeff Hanson, who has on the the best coaching scowls I have ever seen, will handle the defensive line, as well as also coordinating the recruiting. Chip West, a native of the ever-important Tidewater region, will coach the cornerbacks.

As I mentioned earlier, the linebackers are the quarterback of the defense. The heart and soul of any good defense does not start here, that's the defensive front, but linebackers have to play almost every position on the defense at some point in the game. They rush the passer, defend the run, battle much faster wideouts, defend 6-6 tight ends over the middle and in the flat, and must play stopper against the run. The LB's especially in the 4-3 defense, since there are only 3 of them out there at one time, must fully understand every coverage on the defense. More often than not, they are the captain of a defense, and relay the call in the huddle from their coach to their teammates. Linebackers must be outstanding open field tacklers, as well as being able to be violent pass rushers up front, as well as sometimes from the edge. See former Tar Heel Lawrence Taylor in his career in the NFL, or Ray Lewis in his first 10 to understand how much a great linebacker can help a team win.

Gone from last season's three-win season linebacker spot is 6-4, 260 pound Cam Johnson, a beast who has moved to defensive end. Johnson should be much more suited for the end spot as he pretty much outgrew the LB position. Second year LaRoy Reynolds has moved from safety to linebacker, a position he excelled in for Maury HS in Norfolk.

One of the most surprising players this offseason has been Aaron Taliaferro, the 6-2 225 pound player out of Gloucester HS. Taliaferro received a Rock Weir Award (fullback Fell-Danzer won the other) as one of the most improved players on the team this offseason. The light has turned on for Aaron, and he could see valuable minutes on he field this year for the first time in his career here in Charlottesville.

Also changing positions was the teams leading tackler Steve Greer. Greer has moved from inside backer to the outside, and he reminds me of the gritty, gutty Ohio version of former Virginia linebacker Jon Copper. Smart, hard working, a huge student of video, and with a eye on making the play, 6-2 230 pound Greer has battled injuries while at UVA. If he can stay healthy, he just might become one of the stars of Reid's defense.

New Jersey native and sophomore Ausar Walcott is another guy battling to see the field at linebacker. Last season, he only played sparingly on special teams. But this year, the athletic Walcott should be battle Jared Detrick for playing time. Detrick, who is very talented, but often injured, looks to be a guy that fits London's system quite well. A senior, Detrick has only been on the field for about 150 plays in his time in Charlottesville hopes he can put the injury bug behind him.

Sophomore and Charlotte native Tucker Windle earned his first start of his career against the dreaded Hokies as he made five tackles, and he should make the rotation. Tucker's dad played for UVA in the mid 70's. Bill Schautz, who blocked a punt last season against the Miami Hurricanes, will battle for time on the gridiron as well.

True freshman Henry Coley could see action if Virginia suffers multiple, serious injuries at LB, but most likely will redshirt. I'm psyched to see the athletic Coley hit the field after hearing such good things from my friends in Virginia Beach who watched him play in high school at Bayside.

I think this group could be one of the strengths of the team if they stay healthy, and if the defensive front is better than advertised. Detrick, and Green must come back from their injuries at 100%, and Reynolds needs to be quicker to the ball. But I'm certain of one thing: coaches Vincent Brown and Jim Reid are going to get more from less with this group of young men. These guys can flat out coach! Go Hoos, beat those damn Hokies. 

If Virginia is going to prove all the naysayers incorrect, well, then senior quarterback Marc Verica is going to have to pull the proverbial rabbit out of a hat: win with a young, inexperienced offensive line and a new offensive coordinator/quarterback coach.

Writers around the country have picked Virginia to finish last in the ACC Coastal division. The only way they don't finish near the bottom of the league is if Verica (or Metheny, Strauss, Rocco) somehow put this team on their backs and march the ball down the field.

Virginia has not had much to work with at the quarterback position since Matt Schaub graduated and headed to Houston in the NFL. Sure, Marques Hagans almost single-handedly won games for the Hoos with his scrambling ability and his huge heart, but Schaub, who was an All-Pro last season with the Texans, was the last big-time quarterback to run the huddle in Charlottesville.

2010 will be economics major Verica's senior season for the Hoos. In his four years here, he has had six 200 yard games. That's one more than former fan-favorite Don Majkowski, and two more than my former QB coach Gene Arnette. Verica has the tools to win games. He's exceptionally bright, very coachable, and he has a rising star in Bill Lazor orchestrating him on offense.

So, can Verica win games? Yes, if his offensive line stays healthy and gels and the fullbacks, tight ends, and tailbacks block for him. Verica must be better under duress while out of the pocket. He has made some pretty regrettable decisions under attack, and I'm hopeful that he can draw on those negative experiences and instead of throwing an ugly interception or a wobbly ball over the middle he can mange the game and limit mental mistakes. You don't have to be 6-5 and run a 4.3 40 to be an outstanding quarterback. But you do have to be able to not repeat mistakes, quickly put bad throws aside, and mentally be tougher than anyone else out there.

Playing quarterback at a high level requires tons of film study, a decently-strong arm to make all the different throws, an ability to have your teammates want to follow you into battle, and quite a bit of luck to stay healthy. Of course, I'm simplifying the position a bit, but Verica has these skills. I've seen him throw some beautiful post patterns and sideline routes in practice this summer. He's got the skills to get Virginia to seven wins (which would be a HUGE season), but man, a ton of other things have to come together perfectly in order for that to become a reality.

Ross Metheny should be the backup going in to the season. He's had a redshirt season standing on the sidelines with the clipboard, and he throws a nice ball, but does not have a huge arm. Metheny is a classic drop-back left-handed passer, and will not amaze you with his running out of the pocket, but he very well might develop into next years starter. Let's hope that Verica can stay healthy and let next season be Metheny's year under center.

Lynchburg's Mike Rocco comes from a nice pedigree of coaches. The true freshman also been one of the real surprises of the fall camp, and might become the backup later on during the season if London decides not to redshirt him. Rocco has a very strong arm, is a hell of a leader on the field, and could also play safety for the Hoos. I think he will redshirt this season, but could very well be the starter opening day next year.

True freshman Michael Strauss enrolled in January and has a leg up on the other freshman since he was able to compete in Spring practice. Strauss played for former Wahoo Earl Sims at Gulliver Prep in Miami. He's playing in Lazor's pro-syle offense for the first time here at UVA, after quarterbacking the spread in high school. He will most likely be in a huge battle with Metheny and Rocco for the back-up spot.

Freshman Miles Gooch, who hails from Georgia, looks to me like a guy that will play another position at the college level. He's strong and very athletic, and he should easily make the move to receiver, or H-back on this team. He very well might move back to quarterback next season, or maybe not since the Hoos are light at the receiver position with the transfer of Quintin Hunter to JMU.

Go Hoos, beat the Hokies!  But, Wahoos, beat Richmond first.