UVA Expecting Big Things This Year From “The Juan And Only”

Juan Thornhill appropriately named his Twitter account, “The_Juan_and_Only.”

The senior free safety from Altavista, and admitted country boy, does not lack for confidence. Or athletic ability.

That’s what Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall is banking on, moving Thornhill over from cornerback to free safety, where job demands are more physical.

You want physical? Don’t mess with Thornhill.

“Juan is a freak,” said Shawn Griswold, UVa’s strength and conditioning guru.

There’s reason for Griz’s awe.

In the final week of summer conditioning, when all the measurables are compiled, Thornhill delivered some eye-popping performances inside and outside the weight room.

He excelled in every department from the powerclean, which he did 20 reps (“That’s a lot for a DB,” Griz said), to 40-½ inches on the vertical jump to 11-feet, and half-inch in the standing broad jump.

Griswold is not much for tweeting, but couldn’t contain his excitement about Thornhill’s leap.

“40 and a half?,” Griz said. “I’ve only seen two other 40-inch vertical jumps. To jump that high is incredible.”

While the coach may have been excited, Thornhill was actually hoping for 42 (which would have put him in the top five in the NBA Combine for vertical leaps).

“I was pushing myself as I could,” Thornhill said about his summer. “They put up new standards, white, gray, orange, blue, and black levels. Black was the top level. When [Griswold] gave us the list, I noticed I wasn’t at the highest level, so I was wondering what I had to do to get there.”

Griswold gave Thornhill the numbers he needed to put up and the senior went back to work.

“I’m not the type of guy that wants to be average at anything,” Thornhill said. “I just set my mind to it. The vertical? I wasn’t surprised at all. I felt I was gifted with hops. I still think I might get 42.”

All that speed and strength helped add up to 63 tackles (top six on the Cavaliers defense last season) and four interceptions, giving him seven for his career.

Now, he’s shifted to free safety, previously occupied by All-ACC standout Quin Blanding, one of the league’s top tacklers the past three seasons. The position, which will require Thornhill to play in “the box” more often and become a more active tackler, was another reason that prompted harder summer work.

He put on 10 pounds of muscle in preparation for the more physical demands.

“I need to put on a little [weight] to fit them holes against them big backs, because they’re 230 pounds,” Thornhill said. “I was maybe 195 last year. I couldn’t play safety at 195.”

He’s 210 now, which will help him fill those running lanes he mentioned. Now, he’ll bring speed with power.

There was one negative adjustment to the new physique though. He had to buy an entire new wardrobe, having grown out of his old garb. His pant size changed, his quads got bigger.

Thornhill has found that he needs every advantage he can get because he’s locked into what Mendenhall described last week as a “heated battle” with sophomores Joey Blount and Brenton Nelson (ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year last season), along with Chris Moore and Myles Robinson for the starting spots at a position that is the deepest on the team.

Though it’s hard to grasp that Thornhill won’t win the job, competition will sharpen all five contenders. Mendenhall has the option of moving players around.

“Where most plays are made is the position that can move left and right from the center of the field,” the coach said. “Juan gives us the chance to make more plays.

“He’s a very good athlete,” Mendenhall continued. “Now whether he’s a tackler, that remains to be seen. But his range and playmaking ability is at least equal to Quin’s, if not exceeds that. Whether the production will be the same, we don’t know.”

Nelson said all of the safeties are feeding off each other, both on the field and credits Thornhill for helping him in all scenarios.

“Juan helped me in the training room, and how to eat right and sleeping habits,” Nelson said. “I see a lot of leadership from him and all kinds of potential. He has produced every year he’s been here.

“I mean, four picks last year … for a corner?” Nelson said. “Now that he’s in the box with us at safety, his physical gains will help him. His numbers have jumped so much. Juan’s going to be different this year.”

Different in a good way.

Thornhill is ready for the challenge. He said he welcomes more contact, more physicality and is braced for the new role. While Blanding and fellow All-ACC defensive standout Micah Kiser are gone, Thornhill is confident there is enough talent on hand to record similar tackle counts.

“If we have to step up and make those tackles we will,” he said.

As a senior member of the defense, there are expectations, not only physical but in the leadership department. Coaches have prepped him for that, too.

He used to be a quiet guy, lead by example kind of player. However, in meeting rooms over the spring, if Thornhill answered a question in a normal tone of voice, he was challenged.

“Coach would say, ‘speak up,’ so that I’ll have to say it with more confidence and louder so I can be that vocal guy on the field,” Thornhill said.

He can get a little loud in practice, trash talking to quarterbacks. In fact, he had a friendly exchange with Bryce Perkins last week.

“I tell him he’s scared to throw it to me,” Thornhill smiled. “He’s a little scared that I’m going to pick him off. Today, he threw it to my area and I almost picked it. He came back and threw it my way again, and I got it.”

He’s not much of a talker in games unless provoked, but if someone brings it, he’s happy to oblige the opportunity to “get into their heads.”

He’s a country boy at heart, hailing from Altavista where he led his team to back-to-back Group 1A state championships as a quarterback and defensive back. He was also a 1,000-point career scorer in basketball.

The country boy part of it is something Nelson can’t relate to.

“Him and Joe Reed would go hand-in-hand,” Nelson said. “They fish, hunt, ride ATVs, go muddin’ sometimes. They’re both country.”

Griswold is fine with that. He’s just pleased that Thornhill’s athletic ability is shining through.

“Juan is good in everything we do: lift, run and jump,” Griz said. “It’s hard to get guys that are good at everything across the board.”

After all, he is “The Juan And Only.”