Virginia football notes: Hoos benefiting from revamped training camp schedule

The change in Virginia’s training camp schedule has enabled players to seek out their coaches more frequently than they did last August.
And on Friday after the Cavaliers’ third preseason practice, offensive coordinator Des Kitchings said it’s benefiting the offense.
“There’s a lot of guys hanging around in McCue [Center] wanting to get extra film, nuggets and tips,” Kitchings said. “There’s more of, ‘Coach, why are we doing this?’ There are more guys asking, ‘Why?’ as opposed to assuming.”
This month, UVa is exclusively focusing on football. Second-year coach Tony Elliott earlier this week said during in his first training camp in charge last year, players were balancing practice with summer courses.
Players aren’t in classes this time around, though, Elliott said.
“We get a lot more time to really, really hone in on the details,” Elliott said, “because we have ‘em captive as opposed to last year when we were sharing them with the academic component.”
Said Kitchings: “This is really a training camp. Last fall, during summer training camp, our guys had classes, so they were at class and then we were scrambling for an hour or so to meet and then we were practicing. Now, we have a big block of meeting time in the morning and then have a midday break and then we’ve got another meeting before practice.”
Junior wide receiver Malachi Fields said he’s noticed more of his teammates on offense spending their extra time trying to pick Kitchings’ brain or speak with other assistant coaches, too.
Virginia coach Tony Elliott instructs wide receiver Malachi Fields during a drill during Wednesday's practice in Charlottesville.
On top of the football-concentrated days players have now, he said, there’s one more reason why the Cavaliers are trying to learn as much as they can.
“Just because I think we’re more comfortable with the coaches after being around them for a year,” Fields said, “and seeing that they really care about us succeeding in football and outside of football as well. It’s super nice to be able to go to them to talk ball and talk life or whatever it is.”
Monmouth transfer quarterback Tony Muskett agreed, and noted he feels like he can have an input on the offense because of the communication he’s had with Kitchings.
“Coach Kitchings is awesome and says his door is always open,” Muskett said, “and that we can come into the offensive staff room at any time whether it’s to talk football or personal stuff, so he’s all ears and he loves talking football, talking new scheme and concepts. So, if you have an idea that comes to mind — and obviously it’s got to be a good idea because you’re not going to bring him just anything — but he’s all ears for it.”
Kitchings said the increased back-and-forth between the offensive coaches and their players has allowed for a better understanding of the system.
— There’s a necessary enhancement, Muskett said, he’s making because of who the quarterback practices against each day.
Muskett said he must release the ball sooner now than he did while playing behind center for the Hawks.
“There is definitely a little bit of a difference,” in how fast the opposing pass rush reaches quarterback in the FBS compared to the FCS, Muskett said.
“But I think it’s probably more of a difference against our defense,” he continued, “because our defense is pretty good, but it’s awesome to play against a group like that because when they force you to speed up your decision making a little bit … you’ve got to make that decision a split second quicker. So, come game time, I feel like it’s going to be easier for me to go through my progressions and that I should be calm back there. It’s an adjustment, but I’ve always felt like I can play the game with the best of ‘em, so I can’t wait to keep proving myself.”
He said UVa’s D-Line, led by Chico Bennett Jr. and Kam Butler, give him as quick of a pass rush as he anticipates facing this season. Bennett tallied seven sacks in 10 games last season and Butler has 18 sacks in his career.
— At wide receiver, Kitchings said, he’s hoping to have six who can contribute by the time the season begins.
Kitchings called Fields “a steady presence” and said Northwestern transfer Malik Washington “is very smart and savvy and plays well in space.” Kitchings also said freshman Jaden Gibson, who was enrolled early and participated during the spring drills, is already building on what he did then.
“You see a kid that’s benefited from being here through spring practice,” Kitchings said. “He’s more confident now whereas some of the other freshmen who got here in June are still a little timid.”
— The Cavaliers have a noticeably fuller list of practice participants currently than they did this past spring, and while of course they’ve added the bulk of their freshman class since then, they’ve also managed to return likely significant contributors from injury.
D-linemen Bennett and Aaron Faumui as well as linebacker Josh Ahern, safety Jonas Sanker and offensive guard Noah Josey are practicing again after sitting out the entirety of the spring while running back Amaad Foston is full-go after missing all last season with a torn ACL.
Virginia offensive lineman Noah Josey discusses his return to the practice field after offseason back surgery.
Josey had offseason back surgery, he said, and Sanker said he was sidelined while recovering from a shoulder injury.
“It had kind of been lingering for a few years,” Josey said about his back issue. “I had hurt it initially my senior year of high school and played my first few years [in college] with it and got a couple of shots and nothing really worked. So, we decided halfway through the season last year that after the season in December we’d look at it.”
He said he’s feeling much better now.
“I’m really happy to be back out here,” Josey said. “The recovery was long and I missed my guys a lot, but it’s great to be back out here with the team.”
Josey is in competition for a role on the interior of the offensive front. Last year, he started the final four games at left guard and played in the last nine games of the campaign. Sanker had most of the tackles of any returning defender last season with 63 takedowns.
“I feel great,” Sanker said. “I feel healthy. I feel loose.”