UVa’s Glaspy takes ownership of safety position

The Byron Glaspy story seems to get better with every newly-written chapter.

From the depths as a mere member of the student body, the senior safety has climbed rapidly, and he suddenly finds himself in a unique position that Virginia coach Al Groh called one of the “solid spots” on the early-season depth chart.

Glaspy, listed at 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds, has started 24 straight games for the Cavaliers at safety, something that apparently will not change any time soon.

“I would say not only does [Glaspy] have the inside track but he has got ownership of [the position],” Groh said during a teleconference Tuesday. “He is a real good player. He is one of our most alert, knowledgeable players and sees to it that we are properly lined up, that all the checks and adjustments are made in a timely way.

“The game really makes good sense to him. He is set and that’s really, I would say, one of the solid spots on the team.”

Glaspy worked his way onto the roster in 2005 after a spring tryout. The program knew about Glaspy before the audition, but few expected the New Jersey native to progress to the point where he could post a 71-tackle season, which he did in 2007.

Finding his counterpart, the heir apparent to the spot manned by former Cavalier safety Nate Lyles, remains an open debate. An early frontrunner, however, has emerged.

“Right now, Brandon Woods is on the top of the list as the players are listed today at the other safety position,” Groh revealed.

Woods, a converted wide receiver, played in every game last season and made six tackles, but his biggest impact was made on special teams.

“He’s got good physical skills. He’s really tough. He’s got a high want-to,” Groh said of Woods. “The thing I’m about to say is a vital characteristic of that position, [it] has been his decision-making back there, whether it is pre-snap decision-making, making the checks, getting the defense properly called, or his choices on when and where to go for the ball.”

That is not a trait that younger players often possess, the coach said.

“From a percentage basis, there are probably more guys that get trained into that than just come with it as being something that they are just naturally comfortable with and get it right away,” Groh said. “Certainly that would be the majority of the players back there at that spot right now.”

The other players currently competing at the spot include sophomores Matt Leemhuis and Rico Bell and redshirt freshman Corey Mosley.

Moving on

After being peppered with questions at the ACC Kickoff last month about the daunting task of replacing first-round draft picks Chris Long and Branden Albert, the issue emerged again during the coach’s first session with the media since training camp opened.

Virginia also lost a host of would-be starters for various reasons stemming from graduation to school-imposed suspensions.

“When players leave, it is unrealistic to replace the player and unfair to the next player,” Groh said. “What we just try to do, we try to replace the aggregate performance there by the unit. Obviously, that is more easily schemed up on defense where you can account for the production more so than it is when you just count for blocks.

“But those guys are gone. They were great for us. Time moves on. We have moved on to the future without him and this is a new team with a different personality.”

Groh was also quick to turn the page on the off-field problems that plagued the program over the past few months. Three Cavaliers were arrested in July for misdemeanors.

“There were certain things that we weren’t pleased with and we have dealt with internally, but frankly there are plenty of people out there who want to stir it up, so I don’t necessarily need to contribute to that,” Groh said. “We just handle all that internally.”

Multiple sources said that the penalties handed down to the players, at least at this point, do not include a loss of playing time.

Virginia nose tackle Nate Collins said the issues served as a wake-up call for the Cavaliers.

“I feel like the team right now, everyone knows what’s going on and we’ve just got to forget about it. Everyone has to get ready and get ready to work right now. Everyone is coming out of the summer phase ... I mean we are college students, things happen, and everything like that, but I feel like everyone right now, that was like a knock in the head and everyone is trying to get focused right now.

“Everyone so far in camp has been doing that. We’re just ready to just worry about football and only football.”

The hush policy

With a new injury-disclosing policy in place in the ACC, questions about the system and the procedures that will be used remain a hot topic.

Groh, a proclaimed supporter of the plan that mirrors the NFL system, did disclose a part of the plan that should make training camps unique around the 12-team league.

“Actually, I think as the policy is, we have no responsibility to report injuries until the week before the first game,” Groh said, “so we will just leave it at that.”

Sounding off

“I’d say that the health issue with Kevin [Ogletree] is a dead issue. He has for some time been at his top physical capability. He has just got to continue to get turns to get his game in shape.” — Groh on wideout Kevin Ogletree, who missed the 2007 season with an ACL tear.

Extra points

Virginia held its third practice Wednesday. It was the first that included shoulder pads. Friday’s session, Groh said, will be the first that will include full pads, and holding a pair of practice in a day is not permitable until after the sixth day of training camp. … While it appears unlikely that a true freshman will play on the offensive line this season, former Fork Union standout Austin Pasztor received rave reviews from one teammate and is working at left guard behind Zak Stair and Patrick Slebonick.