Chris Slade was a key ingredient to some of Virginia’s best defenses during the George Welsh era and still holds the ACC career record for quarterback sacks.

This week’s “Jerry Ratcliffe Show” begins with updates from UVA football training camp, with focus on the battle for snaps in the backfield, the offensive line and the kicking game. Jerry also goes in-depth with updates on UVA basketball recruiting.

Quarterback Brennan Armstrong will once again have a plethora of difference makers back on offense, with leading receiver Dontayvion Wicks returning with a pair of divisive wide-receiving prospects in Keytaon Thompson and Billy Kemp IV.

Virginia linebacker Hunter Stewart saw and felt an immediate focus of the approach and the idea that Tony Elliott and his staff would have to take the Virginia defense inside of the game.

With the bulk of August training camp ahead, the starting job at running back is there for the taking and veteran Mike Hollins is throwing everything he has at winning the spot for Virginia’s opener.

Rebuilding Virginia’s offensive line has been a slow process, most recently bogged down with players missing practice due to illness.

Virginia football will host its 2022 Meet the Team Day presented by UVA Orthopedics on Sunday, Aug. 14 at Scott Stadium. Activities begin at 4 p.m. followed by a Family Movie Day that starts at 5:30 p.m. on Hoo Vision.

Perhaps the biggest question of Virginia’s training camp, less than a month from the Cavaliers’ season-opener against Richmond, concerns the offensive line.

Jerry Ratcliffe attended Virginia’s first August football practice on Wednesday. Jerry reports on the big questions about the offensive line, the emphasis on the run game, the defense. 

Tony Elliott and his staff put Virginia’s football team through its paces with a two-hour practice in blazing temperatures on Wednesday evening, the Cavaliers’ first practice of August training camp.

This year’s group has Dontayvion Wicks, Keytaon Thompson and underrated Billy Kemp, all back from last season, along with 6-7 Lavel Davis, Jr., whom the national media that ranks units apparently forgot about.

Virginia linebacker Nick Jackson was one of 90 defensive players across the country that comprised the Bednarik Award Watch List on Monday.

Virginia added its 12th commitment to its 2023 football recruiting class on Saturday when TyLyric Coleman, a 3-star from Dan River High School, announced his decision on social media.

Tony Elliott likes to share a story about when reality delivered him a cold smack right in the face after he graduated from college and joined the real world.

Tony Elliott and his coaching staff met with media on Thursday and the first-year Virginia head coach said his team is fairly healthy heading into next Wednesday’s first practice.

If Virginia’s football team needed any added motivation for this season, it came wrapped in a bow on Wednesday when the 2022 Preseason All-ACC Football Team was released by the conference office. 

Junior Chayce Chalmers is one of 115 players highlighted on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service.

Virginia wide receiver Keytaon Thompson was listed on the 27-member 2022 Preseason All-ACC team as an all-purpose player.

Clemson is favored to claim the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference football title for the seventh time in the last eight years, according to a preseason poll of 164 media voters.

Jerry Ratcliffe and Chris Graham report on last week’s ACC Football Kickoff, highlighting the latest on the ACC’s efforts to build on its revenue base to try to keep pace with the SEC and Big Ten, insights into UVA football news, and then Jerry provides updates on Virginia basketball recruiting.