Virginia: Depth chart, injury report, and lots of transfer starters

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Virginia’s football team will go into Saturday’s season-opening game against visiting Coastal Carolina with a healthy roster (6 p.m., ACC Network).

Releasing his team’s depth chart at his game-week press conference on Tuesday, Tony Elliott reported there are three players who will miss the opener, and one is questionable, but everyone else should be good to go (see complete UVA Depth Chart attached at end of article).

Wide receiver Suderian Harrison (hamstring) is listed as questionable by the coach, but linebacker Kam Robinson (collarbone), defensive end Mekhi Buchanan (ankle) and safety Antonio Clary, who has missed camp, will not play against Coastal Carolina.

“Sudi (Harrison) is close with the hamstring, but we don’t want to push it too fast, too hard,” Elliott said.

Team doctors are monitoring Buchanan’s high-ankle sprain, which potentially could have ligament issues, so they’re being careful with his case.

Robinson was cleared to return to the team on Monday, and Elliott said “the stitches and everything are all healed up,” but that it will hopefully be a couple of weeks before he’s back in the fold.

Clary is still a week to two weeks away from returning to practice.

Meanwhile, wide receiver Trell Harris has returned to practice, recovering from hamstring issues, while backup right guard Ethan Sipe (foot) has also returned, as well as defensive tackle Hunter Osborne, a transfer from Alabama, who has recovered from an ankle issue.

At least half of Virginia’s starting lineup will be players who arrived from the transfer portal:

Wide receivers Jahmal Edrine (Purdue) and Cam Ross (JMU), quarterback Chandler Morris (North Texas), center Brady Wilson (UAB), right guard Drake Metcalf (Central Florida/Stanford), right tackle Wallace Unamba (New Mexico), and potential starting tailback J’Mari Taylor (NC Central). Taylor and Xavier Brown are listed as possible starters at that spot.

Defensively, ends Fisher Camac (UNLV) and Cazeem Moore (Elon), along with bandit Mitchell Melton (Ohio State) or Daniel Rickert (Tennessee Tech), left cornerback Jordan Robinson (Kentucky), right cornerback Emmanuel Karnley (Arizona), Spur Ja’Son Prevard (Morgan State), strong safety Devin Neal (Louisville) and possible starting defensive tackle Osborne (Alabama), who is listed as a possible starter along with Jason Hammond and Jacob Holmes.