The University of Virginia football team will conclude its spring practice with the annual Blue-White spring game at Scott Stadium on April 18. The event, which begins at 3:30 p.m., will give fans a preview of the Cavaliers’ updated roster following a busy offseason that included the addition of multiple transfers and freshmen.
The spring game is an important opportunity for coaches, players, and fans to assess how the team has developed since last season. With no longer a spring transfer portal period, head coach Tony Elliott said Virginia’s roster is expected to remain largely unchanged leading up to their Aug. 29 season opener against North Carolina State in Brazil.
Twenty-seven out of twenty-nine transfers who joined through the portal are already participating in spring practices, with only Patrick Campbell and Ezekiel Larry set to arrive after completing their undergraduate degrees elsewhere. Elliott said Thursday night that there are fewer questions in the secondary this year compared to last year.
This year’s game will feature a different format: offense (in white) versus defense (in blue), rather than splitting into two traditional teams. The scoring system awards points not just for touchdowns but also defensive plays like turnovers and three-and-outs. Linebackers coach Mike Adams leads the defense while quarterbacks coach Taylor Lamb oversees the offense. “We’re trying to simulate a game as much as possible,” Elliott said after his team’s fourteenth practice.
Key returning offensive linemen have influenced several transfer decisions, including quarterback Eli Holstein from Pittsburgh and tailback Jekail Middlebrook from Middle Tennessee State. “I knew that the majority of the O-line was coming back,” Middlebrook said about his decision, while Holstein added: “[Having] an offensive line like that that’s going to be able to protect you is definitely something I want to be a part of.” Both players are competing for starting roles alongside other newcomers and returnees.
Wide receiver and running back positions have seen significant additions through both freshmen recruits and transfers such as Rico Flores Jr., Da’Shawn Martin, Jacquon Gibson, Peyton Lewis, and Solomon Beebe. Elliott expressed optimism about these groups’ depth: “I’m excited about what we have… I think we’re a deeper running back room with more versatility than what we’ve had in the past.”
Despite injuries limiting some positions during spring drills—especially linebacker—Elliott remains eager for Saturday’s scrimmage atmosphere as he evaluates how players respond under simulated game conditions. “I want to see competition… I want to see guys having fun… When you go in the stadium now you can add in these other circumstances, and I want to see how they respond,” he said.
