Cavs retool O-line

A midsummer stroll down the magazine aisle at any local grocery store was able to do the trick.

Finding the incentive to persevere through grueling conditioning drills in the humid air or completing early-morning weightlifting requirements was made easy after reading the subpar predictions for Virginia’s 2008 football campaign.

The focus — nationally and within the region — has remained for months on the lengthy list of players slated to be missing in action and not those destined to don a helmet and pads when training camp opens in early August.

Being picked as an ACC afterthought and even as low as the Coastal Division’s cellar dweller by many pundits — a crippling drop in the standings that would require finishing behind Duke — provided the Cavaliers’ returning players with ample inspiration.

That mentality changed as opening day and a date with national powerhouse Southern California on Aug. 30 inched closer. It was replaced with the belief that something special can be accomplished.

“When we first started we kind of used it as motivation, but I guess now we know what we need to do and that people out there don’t really respect us or give us any credit,” said Virginia right tackle Will Barker. “That has helped us through the summer, but we are confident we are going to do big things this year and I think we are going to surprise a lot of people.”

Barker, a junior, joins senior left tackle Eugene Monroe as the lone returning starters on one of the units in question heading into the new season. Former incumbents Branden Albert and Ian-Yates Cunningham, both guards, and center Jordy Lipsey must be replaced on assistant coach Dave Borbely’s offensive line.

The leading candidates entering camp, in Barker’s opinion, are sophomore B.J. Cabbell (right guard), sophomore Jack Shields (center) and senior Zak Stair (left guard). Patrick Slebonick, a junior, could provide depth at multiple spots. 

“A lot of people haven’t seen B.J. play, or Zak, or even Jack Shields — Zak got more playing time than the others — but I think this year everyone is really fitting in,” Barker said. “For Gene and I, it makes it feel like they have been around a long time and it’s not their first year.

“They all have a real good grasp on the offense and the work ethic. For us, it is comforting to know that these guys know what they are doing and have the confidence in doing it.”

With the five veterans in the trenches last season, Virginia ranked sixth in the ACC and 79th nationally in rushing yardage per game, averaging 135.6 yards per game. The Cavaliers also averaged 194.8 yards per contest moving the ball through the air, a figure that bettered only two teams in the league and ranked No. 90 in the country.

Entering the new campaign and despite the one-year expected hiatus of quarterback Jameel Sewell due to an academic suspension, hopes remain strong within the team that the ability to spread defenses out with occasional four- and five-wide offensive looks will create a two-headed monster.

“If anything the situation gives us diversity,” Barker said. “We are going out there, whether we run the ball or throw the ball, ready to move the ball down the field and score.”

Barker, who plans to play at a weight between 305 and 315 this season, has another reason to smile.

When Barker arrived at his locker as a rookie, thanks to his jersey number, he was placed next to defensive end Kevin Crawford. After leaving the team and school during training camp before the 2007 campaign, Crawford has returned and is expected to push for playing time at a position that must fill the void of losing Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Chris Long.

“Kevin’s coming back adds so much depth,” Barker said. “We have been doing some offensive line-defensive line stuff and so far he has looked great.

“It looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. I’m really glad he is back.”

Just kicking it

Virginia could have another player in the mix to battle redshirt freshman Chris Hinkebein and recruited walk-on Robert Randolph for the opportunity to handle kickoffs and placement kicks.

According to multiple sources, former Virginia soccer player Yannick Reyering is expected to be with the team when training camp opens and was training at the school last week.

Reyering, who was drafted in the second round of Major League Soccer’s supplemental draft earlier this year, boasts one year of eligibility in football.

In April and May, Reyering trained with a pair of former Cavalier specialists, kicker/punter Chris Gould and punter Ryan Weigand. During limited practice time, Weigand noticed that the German boasted excellent hang time on kickoffs — often timing at 4.2 seconds to reach the end zone — and employed a soccer-style approach similar to Clemson placekicker Mark Buchholz on placement kicks.

“He’s really got a strong leg,” Weigand said.

Reyering led the UVa soccer team with 13 goals in 2007 and tallied 39 for his career.

Status change?

Earlier this week, Virginia’s official website updated the team’s roster, which now includes positions and jersey numbers of the 18-member recruiting class for 2008.

There was also a glaring omission.

Junior cornerback Mike Brown has been removed from the roster that was posted during spring practice. Brown was held out of the 15-practice period as he awaited the trial date for a series of felonies he was charged with in February. He is slated to appear in Charlottesville General District Court on Thursday.

Virginia coach Al Groh will likely address the matter when he meets with members of the media Monday at the ACC’s annual kickoff event, which will be held in Greensboro, Ga.