Urgency, Depth, and a New Identity: Greg Madia Breaks Down UVA Football’s 2025 Outlook

For Full interview with Greg Madia click below.

A Team Ready to Turn the Corner

For Madia, the most noticeable change is the hunger inside the locker room.
“There are players tired of being part of a losing season,” Madia said. “And there’s a coaching staff that knows they’ve got to start producing positive results.”

That urgency has been matched by action. Virginia brought in 32 transfers — many experienced, older players — and Elliott wasted no time naming Chandler Morris the starting quarterback before camp even began. “Why pretend there’s a quarterback battle?” Madia said. “The team needed an identity and a leader to trust heading into summer.”

Climbing the ACC Ladder

The media isn’t as bullish — UVA was picked 14th out of 17 ACC teams in the preseason poll — but Madia ranked them eighth. Injuries have already taken a toll, most notably to offensive lineman Makilan Thomas, yet he believes the national perception underrates just how aggressively the Cavaliers attacked the transfer portal this offseason.

“This is the best roster Tony’s had since arriving,” Madia noted. “Especially along the offensive line — they’ve finally caught up after the exodus when Bronco Mendenhall stepped down.”

Offense: Building Around Experience

Morris, a transfer with Air Raid roots, now steps into a pro-style offense. His track record suggests a willingness to spread the ball to multiple receivers, a shift from UVA’s recent one-target tendencies. “He’s more of a point guard,” Madia said. “He’ll hit the open guy.”

At running back, J'Mari Taylor’s strong spring has him positioned as RB1, with Xavier Brown as a dynamic complement. Receiver Cam Ross, another transfer, brings speed and versatility, giving the offense more options to attack defenses horizontally and vertically.

Defense: Front Seven Up, Secondary in Question

Defensively, Madia points to an improved defensive line as a strength, with additions like Mitchell Melton (Ohio State) and Jacob Holmes (Fresno State) expected to boost the pass rush. But the secondary remains a mystery.

“There are nine new defensive backs,” Madia said, “and seven came in after spring ball. They’ve got to figure out who starts where.” Safety Devin Neal appears locked into a starting role, but multiple position battles remain unsettled.

The Path to Progress

With no Clemson, Notre Dame, or SMU on the schedule, the Cavaliers have a more favorable path than in recent years. Madia’s baseline for progress is simple: “Make a bowl game. That’s the starting point. Seven wins is realistic. If everything clicks, maybe eight or nine.”

The margin for improvement isn’t as large as some might think — Virginia led in the fourth quarter in nine of its 12 games last season, but too often penalties, special teams blunders, and missed opportunities turned potential wins into close losses.

Final Prediction

Madia sees a 7–5 finish. “With Morris at quarterback, more depth along the offensive line, and an older team that makes fewer mistakes, they can get there,” he said. “Eight wins would be outstanding. Nine? That’s a party.”

One thing’s certain — for the first time in years, Virginia football enters a season with legitimate depth, a defined leader under center, and a sense that the climb back into ACC relevance is within reach.