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22 CAVALIER CORNER ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Bryce Perkins as the No. 5 senior quarterback prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA FOOTBALL PREVIEW The Cavaliers Look To Continue Their Ascension BY BRAD FRANKLIN C OMING OFF OF BACK-TO-BACK postseason appearances and the program's first bowl win since 2005, UVA was chosen as the preseason favorite to win the Coastal Division heading into Bronco Men- denhall's fourth season by media members at the 2019 ACC Kickoff in mid-July. And it's with good reason that the Wa- hoos notched not only their first No. 1 pre- diction, but also weren't picked last in the division for the first time since 2014. After improving their win total from two games to six, the Wahoos added a couple more in 2018 and put a hurting on South Carolina in the Belk Bowl, dominating the Gamecocks 28-0 to snap the league's lon- gest postseason-victory drought. From that team, they'll return arguably the division's best quarterback in Bryce Per- kins, perhaps the nation's best cornerback in Bryce Hall and plenty of playable depth at a variety of positions, including along the offensive line. If ever there was a season for fans to ex- pect big things from the Cavaliers, this is it. Replacing wideout Olamide Zaccheaus, safety Juan Thornhill, linebacker Chris Peace, tailback Jordan Ellis and cornerback Tim Harris won't be easy, but getting Per- kins and Hall back helps tremendously. So too does the increased recruiting efforts of Mendenhall and company, who according to Rivals signed the No. 39 class in the nation this past cycle, an improvement of 30 slots from the year prior and the Cavs' highest- ranked group of newcomers since 2013. The success in the planning and cul- tural development of the program have also helped turn around the Hoos. The steady incline of the program is evident, and this season, with a more manageable schedule and the improved talent level, could be special. Here's a breakdown of what to look for from the Wahoos this season: TOP PLAYERS Redshirt Fourth-Year Quarterback Bryce Perkins — Last season, he joined Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray of Oklahoma as the only two players nation- ally who put up more than 2,600 passing yards and 900 rushing yards. He was the ACC's leader with 206 points responsible for (13th most in the country), while setting the school's single-season records for most yards of total offense (3,603) and for touch- downs accounted for (34). 2019