The Secondary

Okay, let's just be up front and blunt about this. Not since the mid-'90s (when guys like Ronde Barber, Anthony Poindexter, and Percy Ellsworth were roaming the defensive backfield) has UVA had what figures to be such an excellent secondary.

Junior cornerback Ras-I Dowling is the headliner of the group -- he was the only Cavalier named to the ACC's preseason first team, and he's on the trajectory to be our best cornerback since Ronde Barber and our next NFL first round draft pick. Dowling is big (6-2, 200), strong, fast, quick, explosive, aggressive, and has a sixth sense for playing the ball in the air. Speaking honestly, I have a hard time keeping my eyes off of #19 when the Orange Crush is on the field. I love to watch Ras-I play.

If the cornerback conversation starts with Dowling, it surely doesn't end there. There is a helluva training camp battle brewing at the other starting corner spot. Back from suspension, senior Chris Cook is apparently ready to pick up where he left off -- as an elite starting cornerback. Like Dowling, Cook is a big (6-2, 210) corner that plays with a physical, chippy edge to his game. His path to the starting job isn't clear, however, due to the presence of sophomore Chase Minnifield, who emerged last season as a very capable starter and up-and-coming shutdown-type corner. Whichever of Cook or Minnifield loses the battle to start, will play as the nickel corner... which means we'll likely have the best nickel corner in the ACC... which means we'll be seeing UVA play a lot of nickel defense this year. (Imagine John-Kevin Dolce's great interior pass rush, Matt Conrath and Cam Johnson off the edge, and these three corners on the field making plays. Yes, I think our nickel defense could be our best defensive look this Fall.)

The cornerback depth chart is also ripe with maturing young players with great upside. Start with the defense's Spring '09 Rock Weir (most improved player) winner, sophomore Dom Joseph. Joseph is built very similarly to Dowling and Cook; he's a high-slung player who plays a physical game. Junior Mike Parker is a solid all-around corner with a good amount of experience and the ability to start when needed. Redshirt freshman Devin Wallace also figures into the mix at cornerback.

Moving over to the safety position, and there is still a ton of reasons to be excited about this secondary. Sophomore Corey Mosley is the active, aggressive thumper in the secondary. Like Nate Lyles and Anthony Poindexter before him, Mosley is at his best when he's free to roam the field and make big hits like a little heat-seeking missile. (I'm extremely excited to see Mosley headhunting on the field with Poindexter on the sideline coaching him up. I think that could be the best player/coach marriage we'll see this season, as I tend to think of Mosley as a mini-Dex.) Starting at free safety will be the best player you've never heard of, sophomore Rodney McLeod. He's fast and has a nose for the ball, and was probably the most talked-about (in a good way) player in Spring ball. The coaching staff seems to think they have a future superstar on their hands in McLeod. Jamie Oakes and Chris Wallace at Cavs Corner see McLeod as a possible All-ACC first teamer by the end of the 2009 season.

Senior Brandon Woods started at safety at the beginning of last year, but eventually found his way to the bench so that Mosley could start. Woods isn't an elite player, but he can offer some quality snaps if Mosley needs a breather or goes down with an injury. Redshirt freshman Ausar Walcott has a lot more upside, and should see plenty of action this Fall. Walcott is another young player with star potential at the safety position. Junior Trey Womack moved over from cornerback to provide more quality depth at the safety position.

From top to bottom, if cornerback is the strongest position on the team, safety isn't far behind. That's why I'm so amped up about this secondary this season. These are two A+ position groups ready to take the field, and with Anthony Poindexter's coaching providing the straw to stir the drink, this secondary should prove to be an incendiary unit.

Prediction: With so many great players in the secondary, we'll see a lot more nickel and dime looks from the defense. Adding to that, with so many question marks along the front seven (replacing three starters at linebacker, questionable depth at defensive end), we should see an extremely aggressive, blitz-happy version of our base 3-4 defense. The sum of these parts equals more forced turnovers, sacks, interceptions, and all-around big plays than we've seen from the UVA defense in a long while. Offenses will need to run against us in order to beat us, so the challenge is on the front seven to play the run effectively and force the offense into the teeth of our defense -- putting the ball in the air.

Position Grades:

Cornerback -- A+

Safety -- A

Make no mistake. The secondary is the strength of the team.

Up next: HOLY SHIT! I ALMOST FORGOT THE KICKERS!