Deeper WR group should offer parity for UVa this season

Virginia’s roster experienced significant turnover from 2024 to 2025, and despite the fact that a number of key contributors are back at the position, the Cavaliers went out and added transfer talent to the receiver room. WR coach Adam Mims, now in his third year in Charlottesville, added three transfers in the winter portal window to a relatively deep group that is looking for a breakout season this fall.

As he has done in previous years, Mims leaned on both film and chemistry to determine if the fit is right for the player and for UVa. 

“You have to get to know the kid. At the end of the day it’s going to boil down to relationships. And it’s a two-way road,” Mims explained at last month’s media luncheon. “While it might be a little bit of speed dating, but you have to figure out ‘what’s the mental makeup of this kid, does he check the boxes that you need them to check.’ Those are the things you have to figure out as a coach.

“Kudos to the kids in this program,” he continued. “When a kid does come to visit and they see how our kids interact and how they are, and the culture and how we operate, they know if they can fit in here. Our staff has done a good job bringing in the right kind of kids.”

Ross and Edrine figure to be a boon for the Hoos

One of those new receivers is JMU transfer Cam Ross, who has drawn some praise during camp and will be an option for the Hoos in the slot. Ross caught 37 passes for 443 yards and three touchdowns with the Dukes last year, and spent a few years at UConn before that. UVa’s staff seems pleased with what they’ve seen from Ross thus far. 

“I think he’s going to have an extended role,” Mims said. “He’s shown a lot of production over the years. He’s played a lot of ball and done it at various spots. He’s an extremely smart kid and because of that, he’s picked up a lot and I think we’re going to be able to do a lot with him.

“In the spring we had him inside in the slot and outside, he can return kicks and return punts,” Mims added. He can do a lot. I think he’s going to have a very healthy role for us. He has the potential to have a productive and solid year. I know he has big goals and aspirations and we’re going to help him out with that.”

Virginia is also expecting big things from Purdue transfer Jahmal Edrine, who turned heads during the spring. The physical outside receiver was banged up during his time at Purdue but still flashed potential; before his time in West Lafayette, Edrine was productive at Florida Atlantic, catching 39 passes for 570 yards and six TDs in 2022. 

“You want a bigger body boundary receiver that can win those one-on-one matchups, has the physicality to do those things,” Mims explained. “Obviously looking at his film prior to being here, that’s what we saw. But then also when he came to visit you found out very quickly how great a fit this young man was to our program and what we have going on.

“Since he’s gotten here, you talk about somebody that has gone above and beyond in everything we’ve asked him to do, he is the epitome of that” Mims added. I have been extremely pleased with him and his growth.”

More options more often for UVa’s passing game

Ross and Edrine will be two of several new options at receiver to go along with a deep group of returnees. In the previous two seasons, a lot of UVa’s targets have gone to a small group of receivers.

In 2023, Malik Washington was UVa’s breakout star, and one of the country’s top receivers. He caught 110 passes and nine touchdowns. Malachi Fields was a distant second-leading receiver with 58 catches and 811 yards, still a very solid season. The next-leading receiver in UVa’s receiver room was JR Wilson, with 10 catches for 98 yards. 

Last year Fields had very-similar numbers, with 55 catches and five touchdowns. Chris Tyree finished second among the receiver group with 24 catches, but for just 136 yards. No other receivers had more than 15 catches, as UVa got the tight ends and running backs more involved.

The lack of parity wasn’t by design according to Mims, and the trend could certainly be broken this year with a deeper group. 

“I think we probably have a deeper room than we have in the past,” he said last month. “We were a little more top heavy over the past couple years, but now we have more parity in the room where I think you’re going to see a lot of guys produce. Going into every year that’s what you hope, but how it’s going to work out, you never now. Every year is different. You hope to identify your top six, seven maybe eight guys, and continuously roll with them.”

Harris and Courtney are back and ready for more

UVa gets Trell Harris back to lead its group of returnees. He had a strong start to the 2024 season, catching touchdowns in the first two games of the season, before missing most of the rest of the season with an injury. The loss was significant, as UVa struggled to replace his production and big plays in his absence. Harris is ready to go in fall camp and UVa is counting on him to pick up where he left off last September.

“Injury is always frustrating,” Mims explained. “But it’s also part of the game. I had a conversation with Trell the other day that if you play long enough, eventually you’re going to get hurt. Now it’s learning how to navigate through the physical thing but also the mental strain that it causes as well.”  

Another returning receiver that has the potential for a breakout campaign is sophomore Kam Courtney. Thrust into playing time with injuries to other receivers last year, Courtney caught 12 passes for 114 yards last year, and appeared in nine games. This year, he is set to take on a larger role. 

“Kam has shown so much growth,” said Mims. “Just seeing what he did year one, to the spring to now, he’s playing so much faster, with so much more confidence. But where I’ve seen the most growth is off the field. He’s asking more questions, more in-depth questions.

Last year he was probably just excited to be playing as a freshman,” Mims added. “But now he knows physically he’s good enough and now its coupling the mental aspect of it all and putting it all together and becoming the best all around player he can be. I’m expecting a lot from him. He’s going to push a lot of guys and has potential to have a big year.”

Two rookies could be in the mix, too

Virginia will lean not only on returnees and transfers, but also a talented group of freshman wideouts. Two early enrollees at receiver, Josiah Abdullah and Dillon Newton-Short, have shown flashes of their ability in the spring and in fall camp. While it may be a tough rotation to crack, Abdullah and Newton-Short will be names to watch going forward.

“I think both of those kids came in with a workmanlike attitude,” Mims said of the two rookies. “They love football, they’re extremely hungry. They want to be really, really good and they work at it. I have complimented them on gravitating toward our older guys and learning how to be a young collegiate football player. The maturity that both of them have shown from getting here in January until now is absolutely great.”

With confindence comes higher expectations

It’s safe to say that Mims is high on his receiver group this year, and expects the collective group to be productive. And despite having so many new faces, he’s been happy with the chemistry of the group, which should pay off as the team gets ready to open the season at the end of this month. 

“I have a lot of confidence in these guys,” Mims said. “A lot of that is because of how they prepare, and how they work. We have some guys that are, in some people’s eyes, less proven than others. But I’ve seen it and I think we have a lot of talent in our room. Obviously we have to work to a level where we can showcase our talents to the best of our abilities every Saturday, but I feel confident with our guys.

“This is, in my opinion, the closest room that I’ve had in the three-and-a-half years that I’ve been here,” he added. “You would think that with the transfer portal and bringing in new guys that it wouldn’t be the case, but these guys have done a tremendous job gravitating towards each other and loving on one another. It’s only grown them closer and I think that’s going to help in more ways than we can even think of right now.”