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AUGUST 2018 23 cessful, he has to be every bit as electric as he was last fall. Fourth-Year Safety Juan Thornhill — He's bounced around a bit from corner to safety to corner and now back to safety, but the former Altavista (Va.) High School standout is poised to be a big reason why UVA might not miss all-time leading tackler Quin Blanding quite as much in 2018. The 6-0, 210-pound Thornhill finished with 63 tackles and four interceptions after moving back to cornerback following the injury to Tim Harris last fall. His efforts resulted in him earning third-team All-ACC accolades. Now, with his return to the safety position in 2018, he'll have to show he can not only cover as well as he did last season, but he'll also need to be a sure tackler the way Blan- ding was throughout his time in Charlot- tesville. This summer, he was named to the watch list for the Nagurski Trophy, which is presented to the nation's top defensive player each year. Third-Year Linebacker Jordan Mack — A year after teaming with Blanding and linebacker Micah Kiser to make Vir- ginia the only Power Five school to boast three 100-tackle performers, the Georgia native is the only one of the trio left in Charlottesville. And there's no doubt that Mack has a lot on his shoulders as he steps into Kiser's role in the middle of the defense. His 114 tackles last year were fourth best in the league and he had five games with more than 10 tackles as well as several others with nine. All told, Mack's ability to slide into Kis- er's shoes will go a long way toward deter- mining how good UVA's defense will be. Fourth-Year Linebacker Chris Peace — The Newport News, Va., native took a huge step forward in 2017, finishing with 7.5 sacks to rank fifth in the ACC and first among all linebackers. An honorable men- tion All-ACC pick, Peace returns for his fi- nal year looking to build on that production with the benefit of 13 more starts. In order for the Hoos to be as good de- fensively as their returning talent might in- dicate, he's also got to be a better tackler and set the edge, adding to his career-high 68 tackles as a third-year. Peace is among Mendenhall's favorites when it comes to his work ethic and the tone it sets for the team. UVA needs Peace to go out and wreak as much havoc as possible, especially given the loss of Andrew Brown at defensive end. Third-Year Cornerback Bryce Hall — If there's a player that Mendenhall and company likely point to when it comes to showing how their blueprint works, it might just be the Harrisburg, Pa., native. After being lightly recruited, Hall came to UVA to play wide receiver but switched to defense before fall camp. He went on to turn heads as a first-year, picking off two passes at Duke and helping the Hoos match a team record with five picks against the Blue Devils that year. Last season, he started 13 games and tallied 47 tackles, an interception and also got his first career sack in the loss at No. 2 Miami. With Harris returning for his final year of eligibility and Thornhill moving to safety, UVA will be counting on Hall to be as solid out on the island as he was in 2017. KEY GAMES Richmond, Sept. 1 — Mendenhall opened his tenure in Charlottesville against the Spiders in a game that ended in an un- expected drubbing. That 37-20 loss set the tone for UVA's 2016 season, which ended with a 2-10 record. Virginia has come a long way since that defeat, and it'll be important to showcase that development in a game the Cavaliers should win handily. At Indiana, Sept. 8 — UVA's lone non- conference road game of the season comes the second week against the Hoosiers. The Cavaliers will obviously be looking to enact some revenge from last year's humbling 34-17 loss in Scott Stadium. IU turned that game around with a QB change, looking to dual-threat signal-caller Peyton Ramsey to carry the day. This year, Ramsey is the presumptive starter, but Arizona transfer Brandon Dawkins is also the mix. If the Hoos want to improve upon last season, finding a way to get a win in Bloom- ington is a must. At NC State, Sept. 29 — From 1960- 2003, the Wahoos played the Wolfpack every year but one. Yet, thanks to league expansion and rotating cross-divisional op- ponents, this will be the first time UVA has played in Raleigh since 2012. NC State was picked to finish third in the Atlantic Division and returns one of the league's best quarterbacks. This will be an interesting test for the Cavaliers and one that could provide a great opportunity to surprise, much as they did six years ago. North Carolina, Oct. 27 — Last season, the Tar Heels had an unprecedented run of injuries and finished 3-9, including a 20-14 loss to the Hoos in Chapel Hill. If UVA wants to make it back to the post- season, it'll take some out-of-conference wins plus taking care of business in win- nable games like this one. At Virginia Tech, Nov. 23 — After com- ing close to breaking Tech's winning steak in last year's 10-0 loss at home, UVA heads back to Blacksburg. The Clash for the Commonwealth Cup Third-year linebacker Jordan Mack, who made 114 tackles last year, and the Cavaliers will try to make it two wins in a row versus the Tar Heels Oct. 27 at Scott Stadium. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW