Virginia Football: 10 Things to Expect from the Orange-Blue Spring Game

The Virginia Cavaliers have practiced long enough and are ready for the spring game to get over with already. The spring game will take place April 14 and is a chance for every player to prove themselves in a game-like atmosphere.

Head coach Mike London has done a great job with his team last season and returns 13 starters to try and build on last year's success. But we know it all starts with the spring game as it should explain a little bit about this year's team.

Here are 10 things to expect for the Virginia Cavaliers spring game.

Tight Ends Get Involved More

Junior wide receiver Colter Phillips has a height advantage over nearly every defense he plays at 6'6", but for whatever reason only caught three passes for 15 yards last season. Now that former wide receivers coach Shawn Moore has taken over the tight end position, he says you can bet the tight ends will be more involved in this offense.

"The thing I bring to the tight ends is the fact that I've been in this pass game for the past two years, and they haven't really been existent," Moore said. "Hopefully, we can get them more involved in the offense."

That means players such as Phillips, Paul Freedman and Jeremiah Mathis will be involved a lot more in this offense and will help create more of a passing game this season.

Jake McGee Could Make an Impact

Speaking of the tight end position and how the coaches will like them more involved, there is another player by the name of Jake McGee who will see a bigger role this season. The coaches like what the young sophomore is doing in practice and say he will see the field more than he did last season.

"The coaches tell me my role will be expanded a lot," he said. "We want to stretch the field and make some big pass plays."

It's pretty obvious that the Cavaliers are looking to expand their big plays on the offensive side of the field. McGee is a big target at 6'5", 235 pounds and has to be excited about receiving more playing time, considering he didn't haul in one pass his freshman season. 

A Bunch of Fans

There's really no better time to be a Virginia fan than right now as this program looks to be in great hands under head coach Mike London. Although the Cavaliers lost the bowl game last season, it was the first time they had even reached one and won at least eight games since 2007. This is a program that's on the right track, and with 13 starters returning, it looks as if it could be another big year for the program.

The Cavaliers have taken their spring practices on the road and every time have drawn thousands of fans in support of their team. It looks as if it could be another big year for the Cavaliers, and with the strong fan support, it only helps. 

Them to Build on Last Year's Success

When most smaller teams that lack top-tier talent have a great and successful year, many consider it a fluke. That doesn't seem to be the case with Virginia, as this is a team that really believes it can compete in the ACC. So instead of going back to the basics, they seem to keep pushing off of last year's success and trying to take that next step.

"I think there's more of a hunger," head coach Mike London said. "If you've tasted something before, and it was a positive experience for you, you want to continue to do those things."

This program hasn't experienced much success in recent years, but a confident bunch can be scary for the rest of the teams in the ACC.

Running Back Depth

Virginia was a solid rushing team last season that averaged 162 yards a game on the ground. Now with so much depth returning, the Cavaliers appear to have one of the best backfields in the country heading into the regular season. Senior back Perry Jones, of course, is going to lead the way, but with players such as Kevin Parks, who scored nine touchdowns, and Clifton Richardson and Khalek Shepard, this is a very scary unit.

"I think they're doing a great job playing fast. To me, that's as solid a group of four guys. I feel really good about all four of them, and I know all four of those running backs are going to help us this year," offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said.

Expect to see a sneak peak of a much underrated unit this weekend.

Anthony Harris to Become a Defensive Leader

One of the big question marks this spring for the Cavaliers is on the defensive side of the ball, where they return only five starters from a year ago. Strong safety Anthony Harris is only a sophomore but is expected to grow up very quickly and help lead this unit.

"This year, coming into the locker room and seeing the guys' faces, I just realized this is something you have to take and embrace," Harris said. "We all go out there and try to coach each other up. I try to tell the guys what they need to know about the defense since I'm ahead a little bit."

Harris is an athletic player who's capable of playing multiple positions, but he didn't play much last season at all. But with that said, Mike London expects him to be fine and grow into a solid player that many doubted he would ever become.

"He's got a chance to be really good, and we're excited about his development," London said. "He knows the coverages, he can watch film and call out formations."

Defense Continues to Be a Work in Progress

With all of the props Anthony Harris has received, the fact is that the Cavaliers have lost six starters on the defensive side of the ball and will have a lot of work to do to fill those areas. There's a lot of competition for those positions, and it's something that won't happen overnight.

"As a secondary I feel like we just need to always compete," redshirt sophomore cornerback Drequan Hoskey said. "We're always wanting to get better. The seniors left, and we just have to live up to the standard they left."

That's just the secondary; this team also lost three members of the defensive line and a linebacker who was seventh on the team in tackles. The spring game may help with a few decisions, but this is a unit that will be tweaked throughout the fall before everything is set in stone.

Offensive Line as Well

If you thought the defense had issues, the offensive line may be even worse for Virginia. In fact, that unit lost a couple of key members and will have to settle mostly on underclassmen to fill in the holes.

"It makes it look like, man, where are all the offensive linemen at?" coach Mike London said.

We know Morgan Moses will stay at the left tackle position, but nearly every other position seems to be up for grabs this offseason. What makes things even worse is that several players on the line are either missing time due to illness or injuries.

This is a unit that will take time to fix and may look bad in the spring game because of inconsistency in the spring.

Greyson Lambert to Put on a Show

One way to really take your program to new heights is landing an elite quarterback. With one of those on your roster, you have the ability to make up for so many other weaknesses. Virginia may have found its elite QB in four-star recruit Greyson Lambert. He's a true freshman but is already receiving props in the spring about his ability.

"He looks like an NFL quarterback already," wide receiver Dominique Terrell said.

Lambert has the great size already at 6'5", 195 pounds and has a fantastic arm and sees the field well. He's capable of making all of the throws on the football field and had offers from Alabama, Georgia and Miami for a reason.

Now don't expect a quarterback controversy this season due to Michael Rocco and David Watford having their jobs pretty secure. But I wouldn't be surprised if the young man puts on a show in the spring game and gets Cavaliers fans excited for the future.

A Solid Spring Game

Besides the offensive line, Virginia is for the most part pretty healthy. The Cavaliers may not have the most talented players in the world, but they have a head coach that knows how to get the most out of them. There are battles all over this team and positions up for grabs left and right, which should make for a very competitive and entertaining spring game.

There should be a few questions answered and enough positive outcomes to have Cavaliers fans excited about this future and beyond.