Emerging playmakers show promise with Cavs
CHARLOTTESVILLE — Spending his Saturday afternoon flinging passes to Dontayvion Wicks, Keytaon Thompson, Billy Kemp and Jelani Woods while sprinkling in a few handoffs for big gains and touchdowns to Ronnie Walker and Mike Hollins, Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong couldn’t help but think about the future.
From his point of view, the best is yet to come.
“I think we can be the best offense in the ACC, honestly,” Armstrong said after U.Va’s spring scrimmage in front of 5,000 fans — the maximum number U.Va. planned to permit Saturday in Scott Stadium.
“Yeah, it can be pretty dangerous. I’m just excited because this is just the beginning.”
While Armstrong ’s less-than-objective view comes as no surprise, there were indeed signs U.Va. could have a broader collection of weapons surrounding Armstrong than it had last season, when the Cavaliers were seventhbest in the ACC in scoring offense (30.7 points per game) and eighthbest in total offense (423.3 yards per game).
Wicks, who is returning after missing all of last season with a Lisfranc foot fracture, might have been the most promising of Armstrong’s targets in the spring game. Official statistics weren’t kept, but Wicks’ handful of receptions were highlighted by a roughly 20-yard touchdown catch from Armstrong.
“One of our primary focuses of (Saturday) was just to make sure that (Wicks) got enough volume to continue to emerge. ... We’re looking to catch up Dontayvion as fast as we can,” U.Va. coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “He’s an essential part, not just an optional part, of our offense for our receiving corps.”
After establishing a good rapport two seasons ago with Armstrong when both players were backups, Wicks said a lot of the spring was centered on reestablishing a level of comfort on the field with Armstrong.
“Due to the injury, (chemistry) didn’t really go anywhere, but chemistry can always get better,” Wicks said. “Coming back the first day of spring, we just had to work back into it. By the end (of the spring), to me, our chemistry got way better.”
Like Wicks, Thompson also had several catches and looked like he could be on the verge of becoming a bigger receiving threat than he was last season, when he had seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown.
The emergence of Wicks, Thompson and Demick Starling to complement Kemp, who was another of Armstrong’s favorite targets in the scrimmage after leading the team with 67 catches for 644 yards and a touchdown last season, will be crucial. Receiver Lavel Davis will be out until at least November because of an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees.
Woods, a 6-foot-7, 275-pound tight end who transferred this offseason from Oklahoma State, showed why he drew rave reviews this spring from Mendenhall, who a week-and-a-half ago referred to Woods as “the brightest spot I’ve seen in our program this spring.” His 24-yard touchdown catch from Armstrong during the nearly hourlong scrimmage displayed Woods’ concentration and athleticism.
Though Mendenhall said running back Wayne Taulapapa played better this spring than he ever has at U.Va., he didn’t play much in the scrimmage. Mendenhall said he wanted to get more touches for Walker and Hollins since they didn’t get as many — or any in Hollins’ case — last season, plus Mendenhall wanted to work in true freshman running back Amaad Foston.
Walker found daylight over the right side of the line of scrimmage for a 39-yard carry, setting up an eventual 1-yard touchdown run by Hollins, who is back after opting out last season. Foston caught a pass in the left flat from Armstrong and turned it upfield, scoring a 33-yard touchdown. Mendenhall said Foston is already the team’s best pass-catching option out of the backfield.
In addition to Foston, Mendenhall said quarterback Jacob Rodriguez, offensive tackle Logan Taylor and linebacker James Jackson were among U.Va.’s most impactful true freshmen who participated in spring practices.
Armstrong was the only quarterback to take snaps in the scrimmage, because Rodriguez was out with a slight hamstring strain and fellow backup Ira Armstead was also out with an injury. Senior receiver Ra’Shaun Henry also didn’t play for unspecified reasons, but Mendenhall said his absence wasn’t related to a disciplinary matter.
“We’re making an emphasis on playmaking personnel on the offensive side,” Mendenhall said. “That does not mean at the expense of the defense, but yeah, as many good players as we can put on the field that can catch and run and throw, or — as in Keytaon’s case — any of those things, the better we’re going to be.”