UVa picked to finish 5th in division

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Virginia will start the 2009 season on paper where it finished the previous season in the standings.
On the heels of a five-win season that included a dismal 3-5 mark in the ACC, the Cavaliers were picked by members of the media to finish fifth in the league’s Coastal Division.
Virginia Tech, the league’s defending champ, was listed as the top team on 78 of the 87 ballots, easily becoming the favorite to win the Coastal. The Hokies were followed by Georgia Tech (415 points), North Carolina (350), Miami (282), UVa (148) and Duke.
In the Atlantic Division, Florida State was the clear favorite, earning 56 first-place votes and 479 points. The Seminoles were followed by Clemson (387), North Carolina State (364), Wake Forest (295), Maryland (157) and Boston College (145).
Virginia Tech was also picked as the favorite to win the championship game, which will be played in Tampa Bay.
For now, Virginia coach Al Groh has far more pressing issues to ponder, namely finding a starting quarterback, shoring up the kicking game and ironing out the depth chart defensively.
The three areas, Groh said, “are certainly not the only criteria for having a good team, but they are really three building blocks.”
At least one detail about the three-person battle to become the starting quarterback was announced at the annual league kickoff. Groh said fifth-year senior Vic Hall, a converted cornerback, would take the first practice snap on Aug. 7.
At least entering training camp, Hall has the early edge, albeit a small one, over senior Jameel Sewell and junior Marc Verica.
Hall, who has started 24 games at cornerback, was a surprise starter at quarterback in Virginia’s finale last year at Virginia Tech and worked exclusively with the offense during spring drills.
Questions linger, however, whether Hall can be accurate as a passer, having thrown just one incompletion against the Hokies.
“For us, for everybody, that’s the issue to be answered,” Groh said. “Until it has actually happened it’s not been done, but clearly if we went out there in the spring and the throws were such, we would have said, ‘this just isn’t going to work.’
“That would be pretty apparent and that wasn’t the case.”
While Hall could play cornerback in a pinch, Groh seemed to rule that option out.
“All we are going to give him [Aug. 6] is an offensive playbook,” he said.
Sewell, who has passed for 3,518 yards and 17 touchdowns, returns after being sidelined for the 2008 season following an academic suspension.
For now, Groh said he does not have “any expectation” in place for the left-handed senior.
“We are just going to go to practice and see what develops,” Groh disclosed.
The coach said he remains hopeful that Sewell will be in good standing with the school following his final summer school class.
“I hope that he is, but there certainly can’t be any missed steps,” he said. “It would be to be expected with somebody who is coming out of the circumstance that he is coming out of.”
Groh said Sewell’s focus and attention to detail has improved since his return, but would welcome the thought of further advancements.
“I would like to see it stronger,” he said, “but it progressed.”
Verica, who would appear to be the odd man out, was praised by Groh for his work on the fly last year after being thrust onto the field following quarterback Pete Lalich’s dismissal from school.
For the season, Verica passed for 2,037 yards and eight touchdowns, but tossed 16 interceptions.
“He made some throws there too that without which we couldn’t have won the game,” Groh said. “He did it under less preparation than probably almost all the
quarterbacks in the country had at that particular time. It shows what his positive side and high end is.”
As will be the case at quarterback, expect an audition of sorts in training camp to win the starting job kicking field goals. Chris Hinkebein and Robert Randolph, both sophomores, will be joined by recruited walk-on Drew Jarrett.
“Anybody at that placekicking position, whether it is the incumbents or somebody new, we are very interested in seeing what they can do,” Groh said.
Defensively, Virginia returns six starters, including a pair on the defensive line (DE Matt Conrath and NT Nick Jenkins).
Depth issues are present on the defensive line and at linebacker, a position that returns three fifth-year seniors that have logged a minimal amount of snaps, but have learned the Cavaliers’ 3-4 defense.
“The positions going in where there is the most open competition or the most competition would be at the linebacker spots,” Groh said, “and then just as importantly some of the spots on our nickel and dime, which is a significant part of any team’s defensive success.”
Entering camp, Denzel Burrell and Aaron Clark lead the depth chart at outside linebacker and Darren Childs is slated to start alongside redshirt freshman Steve Greer.
Entering training camp, Groh said the top goal for the defense was to “develop the type of cohesion that the units the last three years have had.”
That process started in the spring with new linebackers coach Bob Trott, converted secondary coach Anthony Poindexter and defensive line coach Chad Wilt.
“We made good progress with that in the spring,” Groh said, “and I would say that would be our No. 1 objective.”
Counting the spots
The NCAA will allow Virginia to open training camp with 105 players, a figure that includes invited walk-ons.
Without Jarrett listed, there were a total of 108 names on the team’s roster in the media guide. That will force some decisions as camp approaches, but health issues may be the ultimate factor.
“We have a couple of medical situations,” Groh said, divulging one without offering the player’s name. “This walk-on player had lyme disease this summer.
“We have a couple of spots there that we are going to see how they work out. We have a couple of medical situations and if the player is not cleared to practice we will have to make a decision there.”
One player that will not be in uniform, according to Groh, is highly-touted offensive lineman Morgan Moses.
“He will be going to Fork Union this year, which was much the expectation from the start,” Groh said. “It will be a very positive thing. He is very positive about it. The family is very positive about it.”
Virginia will be forced “technically” to re-recruit the state’s top offensive lineman.
“He says he is pretty recruited,” Groh said with a smile.
Extra points …
Perhaps the biggest grin of the day was displayed by Groh when he was asked about outside linebacker Cam Johnson, who played in six games last year as a true freshman. “He’s got the skills to become the next real producer at that position,” he said. … Hall received one vote as the ACC preseason player of the year. … Defensive end Will Hill, who enrolled for the second semester last year after graduating high school early, is listed as a backup on the depth chart and will play this season. … Groh’s summer plans included a trip to Florida. He said he attended former Cavalier standout Alvin Pearman’s wedding in Jacksonville, Fla., on July 5.