A look ahead at the 2021 UVa football defense and special teams

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In my earlier article, I laid the groundwork for looking ahead to the 2021 Virginia football season and previewed the main players expected to contribute on offense, specifically the returners. Now, it is time to move on to the defense and special teams.

Remember, here's a list of players who were in their fourth or fifth seasons in 2020 that are taking advantage of the NCAA's ruling and returning in the fall:
Also, VirginiaSports.com just updated the roster for 2021-22, so hopefully everyone I have coming back in this article is on that roster. It has been a challenge to track down who's graduating or leaving early, who's transferring in and out, and who is taking advantage of the extra year (and who decided not to, whether by the player's choice or Bronco Mendenhall's).

Players that have graduated or have left are labeled red, returners are green, and any newcomers are blue.

As a reminder, I’m not including an exhaustive listing of the freshman class. However, my Hoos Place colleague Karl Hess did a series detailing the Class of 2021 first-years that you can check out: Karl's offense article. Karl's defense article. Karl also recently published a piece that takes a deep dive into the three transfers Virginia picked up before New Year's Day.

Defensive line: The transfer of sophomore star Jowon Briggs after seven games continues to perplex me just a bit, but he ended up at Cincinnati, in his hometown, so he was clearly motivated by wanting to be near his family. And while the Bearcats aren’t a big-name program, they did nearly topple Georgia in the Peach Bowl and are going to be one of the best Group of Five teams as long as coach Luke Fickell remains at the school. I still wish Briggs had actually finished the season, but that’s in the past now, and the future is still bright on the defensive line.

I believe the only other defensive lineman that is leaving is sixth-year senior DE Richard Burney -- the last link to the Mike London era -- and who can blame him? He would’ve been able to come back for a super rare seventh year under the NCAA’s ruling, but after some productive games yet frustrating injuries and health concerns, Burney is calling it a career. In five 2020 games, Burney set single-season career highs in tackles for losses (four) and sacks (two) and was well on his way to a single-season career high in tackles, finishing with 16 (he had 21 in 2019). In addition, he was a highly respected captain and was chosen to break the rock at the end of fall camp.

Bit of a side note: Because of injuries but also the versatility of players recruited under Mendenhall, the roles of defensive linemen at Virginia have seemed to routinely shuffle among different players. For instance, a player listed as a generic defensive linemen may play tackle or end, and some ends have played in the middle as well. I get specific when talking about how these guys are listed on either the depth chart or the official roster, just know that often, the staff's goal is to put the best players on the field, so the position I put next to a player in this article may not always match where he will play in 2021.

Playing as a true senior in 2020, DE Mandy Alonso will be back in 2021. He recorded 26 tackles, four for losses, two sacks, a breakup, and six QB hits this past season. By the end of the year, JMU transfer Adeeb Atariwa was starting at the other end spot, and he will back as well to use his extra season of eligibility. He finished with 16 tackles, two for losses, two sacks, and three QB hits. True freshmen Nusi Malani and Olasunkonmi Agunloye saw time in seven and two games, respectively, and will bolster the depth at DE, as will redshirt freshman Ben Smiley III, who played in two games.

Perhaps the most important returner in the middle of the line is a guy who did not play in 2020. Aaron Faumui was a true sophomore in 2019 and tallied 33 tackles, eight for losses, four sacks, two breakups, and nine QB hits. He also seemed to play with a physical attitude that bordered on drawing penalties. He opted out of the 2020 campaign -- I think the unit missed that attitude -- but is expected back. Going into 2020 before it was known he opted out, Faumui was tied for second nationally among returning DTs with 40 QB pressures in 2019.
After Briggs left, the role of true freshman Jahmeer Carter in the middle increased, and he acquitted himself well, racking up 14 tackles, half a sack, and one QB hit in nine games. Redshirt sophomore Jordan Redmond saw significant time as a true freshman out of necessity in 2018. Last year, he only played in three games, and in 2020, it looked like he was maybe not going to see the field at all, but he was pushed into action due to injuries and Briggs' exit. Redmond played in the final three games, starting against BC and VT, and finished with three tackles and a QB hit.

Though Briggs is leaving, the Wahoos hopefully have recruited another monster to the line in Bryce Carter, who said in early December he'd be joining the 'Hoos next season. Carter is a 6-foot-3, 250-pound four-star player out of Life Christian Academy in Chester, just south of Richmond. He is the highest-ranked recruit in the Class of 2021 for UVa and the third-highest ranked recruit of the Mendenhall era, after Briggs and OL Andrew Gentry, who will arrive in the fall of 2022 after a two-year Mormon mission. Carter is bound to push for playing time early somewhere along the line.

Linebackers: There was some attrition at this position group, but not a devastating amount, and plenty of players return, including the Wahoos' leading tackler.

Zane Zandier in the middle and Charles Snowden on the outside have declared for the NFL Draft after spending four seasons in Charlottesville. Zandier finished second on the team with 79 tackles while also piling up 7.5 tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks, one breakup, eight QB hits, and a forced fumble. ZZ Stop is as solid as they come and will be missed. Snowden was named second-team all-ACC after his campaign started slowly, kicked into high gear, but then was cut short with a broken ankle. In just eight games, Snowden led the team in tackles for losses (10) and sacks (six). He also had three breakups, four QB hits, and a forced fumble. Snowden did most of his damage in just three games -- Miami, North Carolina, and Louisville -- the crucial stretch in which UVa turned its season around. At home versus UNC, he had four sacks in a game for the ages. Snowden was missed over the final two games, and there was a segment of the fan base hoping he'd return, but he probably made the right choice.

Virginia also is losing some depth behind them with the exit of senior Rob Snyder in the middle and senior Matt Gahm on the outside. Snyder, who battled injuries during his career, played in eight games this season, finishing with 10 tackles, a sack, and a QB hit. Gahm slid into the starting spot vacated by Snowden in the final two games and played in all 10, ending with 38 tackles, 6.5 for losses, four sacks, two breakups, two QB hits, and a forced fumble.

Headlining the returning group is MLB Nick Jackson (in picture with Noah Taylor), who played as a true sophomore in 2020 and was named third-team all-ACC. He led the 'Hoos with 105 tackles, including six for losses, 2.5 sacks, two breakups, three QB hits, and a forced fumble. He slid admirably into the full-time starting role after seeing some time and a couple of starts as a freshman after Jordan Mack went down with an injury. I'm excited to see the jump Jackson makes. Depth in the middle includes redshirt freshmen Hunter Stewart and Josh Ahern and redshirt sophomore T.C. Harrison. Stewart played in every game and had four tackles. Ahern played in nine and tallied six tackles and a pass breakup, and Harrison played in nine and had three tackles.

On the outside opposite Snowden and then Gahm, Noah Taylor was a true junior in 2020. My gut feeling was that he was not quite as disruptive this season as he was last season, but his numbers don't necessarily say that. Here are Taylor's stats, with 2020 first followed by 2019: games (nine, 14), tackles (44, 57), tackles for losses (8.5, 13.5), sacks (three, seven), interceptions (one, two), breakups (two, four), QB hits (seven, eight), forced fumbles (one, one). And here are some of those stats broken down on a per-game basis, since it is kind of difficult to compare 10 games in 2020 to 14 in 2019: tackles (4.89, 4.07), tackles for losses (0.944, 0.964), sacks (0.33, 0.5), and QB hits (0.778, 0.571). So his sacks decreased (but he may have pressured QBs more, given the number of hits), his tackles increased, and his tackles for losses pretty much stayed the same. Opposing coaches probably accounted for him more in their 2020 game plans than in their 2019 game plans. I think my gut feeling was off. Either way, Taylor can be penciled in as a starter in 2021. He is a force on the outside, and it is excellent that he is back. It's also worth noting that Taylor had two of the biggest picks of the past two seasons. In 2019, he had the INT against Virginia Tech that helped spur that huge win, and this year, his pick-6 on Louisville's opening drive set the tone for the rest of the game.

Depth on the outside includes Elliott Brown and D'Sean Perry. Brown was a true senior in 2020 and will be back for a fifth season. He played in all 10 games, started one, and posted four tackles, one for loss, one breakup, and six QB hits. Perry was a redshirt freshman and played in two games, tallying one tackle and the infamous point spread-covering 84-yard pick-6 at the end of the Abilene Christian game. Promising recruits who did not see the field in 2020 include Jonathan Horton and Brandon Williams. Williams opted out.

Also, on Friday, Virginia picked up another transfer in Georgia Tech DE Chico Bennett Jr. He actually projects to be an outside linebacker for the 'Hoos, so that's why I am including him in this section. Bennett played as a true sophomore for the Yellow Jackets in 2020 and has three years of eligibility remaining. He played in nine games this season, starting two, and recorded 13 tackles, with 1.5 going for losses. So throw him into the mix as well at outside linebacker, or possibly at DE.
Finally, a true freshman for next year to keep an eye on is Josh McCarron, a 6-4, 215-pound Washington state native who will likely slot into an outside spot. But the four-star Rivals recruit faces stiff competition for playing time in 2021.

So with a pair of starters gone in Zandier and Snowden, and a guy with starting experience exiting in Gahm, it will be time for a few new faces to settle in beside likely starters Jackson and Taylor.

Safeties: So far, it looks like there are only two losses among the safeties, and those departures are mitigated by three guys returning to the secondary for fifth or sixth years. But let's keep in mind that the secondary as a whole was pretty terrible in terms of passing defense. Virginia has to improve in that category in 2021.

JMU transfer safety D'Angelo Amos finishes his one season in Charlottesville with five starts, 47 tackles, three for losses, two picks, four breakups, and a blocked kick. And also at safety, oft-injured Brenton Nelson won't be back for a fifth season. He played in only four games this year but was on pace to have a solid-to-great season, recording 12 tackles, 3.5 for losses, and two picks. Nelson also played in just eight 2019 games. It's a shame, because he was never able to get back to the level he was at as a first-year in 2017 when he took the ACC by storm and was named the conference's defensive rookie of the year after tallying four INTs.

Joey Blount, a true senior in 2020, will be back after starting all five of the games he was healthy enough to play in and racking up 25 tackles, 2.5 for losses, a sack, two breakups, five QB hits, and a forced fumble. Blount struggles with pass coverage but has always been a tough hitter. If he is able to stay healthy in 2021, Blount would provide a great veteran presence in the back of the defense.

By the end of the season when Blount returned for the BC and VT games, starting beside him was a former walk-on, redshirt sophomore Coen King, who earned a scholarship in August. King played in eight games and started the final four, posting 30 tackles. Another sophomore, Antonio Clary, played in nine games, getting three starts, and tallied 24 tackles, two for losses, half a sack, and two breakups.

Depth at safety includes redshirt freshman Chayce Chalmers (10 games played in 2020, three tackles) and true freshman Donovan Johnson (four games, two tackles).

Cornerbacks: Two junior CBs from 2020 that have played sparingly have decided to transfer: Darnell Pratt and Heskin Smith.

Returning at one cornerback spot but listed as a safety on the official roster is De'Vante Cross, who will be in his sixth season in Charlottesville. I thought he played his best ball at safety in the early part of the 2019 season, but he has played at corner since the second part of that year. This year, I thought he started fairly strong, but seemed to regress as the season progressed. Cross started every game and piled up 29 tackles, three for losses, one sack, two INTs, four breakups, and one QB hit. He ended the year on a bad note, though, when he completely whiffed on trying to tackle VT wideout Tayvion Robinson, who ran 60 yards down the sideline for a score to make it 27-7 Hokies. Cross is a smart guy who has been through many position changes and is a versatile player, but it looked like he made minimal effort on the play. I hope someone can emerge at corner so that Cross can move back to safety. The 'Hoos could do worse than having Nelson and Cross starting at the safety spots come Week 1 in 2021. Whatever happens, Cross will provide good depth in the secondary.

At the other cornerback spot is another guy taking advantage of the NCAA's ruling and returning for a sixth season -- Nick Grant. He started every game as well and came away with 31 tackles, 1.5 for losses, two picks, three breakups, and a forced fumble. He and Cross both can struggle mightily at times, but Mendenhall has mentioned Grant's all-out effort on a number of occasions, and the team can always use those guys as leaders. Also in contrast with Cross, Grant made a great tackle in the Tech game when he blew up a wideout screen in the second half.

A name to watch at cornerback is Louisville transfer Anthony Johnson, who committed to UVa on Dec. 21 as a redshirt junior, so he could play in Charlottesville for two years. He started just one game in 2020 but played in eight and recorded five passes defensed. In 2019, Johnson had a larger role. He played in all 13 games, got three starts, and recorded 27 tackles, two for losses, broke up seven passes, had one interception, and forced three fumbles, which tied for the team lead. With the way the Cavaliers secondary looked in 2020, I think Johnson should push for time in 2021 and maybe even start.

Darrius Bratton was a redshirt junior in 2020 and will be back in 2021. He finished this year as the top reserve corner and got into nine games, posting eight tackles and a breakup. Bratton had a starting spot locked down opposite Bryce Hall going into 2019 but suffered a season-ending injury before games began. I'm not sure if he has been the same since.

Depth at corner includes redshirt sophomore Jaylon Baker (seven games played in 2020), true freshman Elijah Gaines (four games, five tackles, one sack), and Tenyeh Dixon, who played in nine 2019 games as a true freshman but opted out of 2020.

I would like to see a rejuvenated Bratton starting at CB in 2021 with Grant on the other side, but it wouldn't surprise me if Cross or the transfer Johnson start.

Kicker and punter: The competitions should be fierce here, with neither senior kicker Brian Delaney nor senior punter Nash Griffin returning. Redshirt junior A.J. Mejia made 51 of 51 extra points in 2017 and 2018, but struggled on field goals, going 8 for 12 in 2017 and then 1 for 4 in 2018 before being pulled for Hunter Pearson and then Delaney. But Mejia won't be back. Other kickers on the roster include Pearson, a redshirt sophomore who went 2 for 2 on field goals in 2018 before getting hurt, and redshirt freshman Justin Duenkel, who handled kickoffs in the final seven games of 2020. The only other punter listed on the roster is redshirt freshman Brendan Farrell.

I hope this article and the one on the offense gave you an overview of some of the players you can expect to see on the field for the 2021 season. I'll try to keep you updated on other major changes to the roster and in recruiting as the offseason unfolds, especially once the basketball season ends.

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