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AUGUST 2023 7 cavalier sports W ith the departure of Brennan Armstrong, the starting quarterback spot will be up for grabs for the Hoos heading into the 2023 football season. Recent transfer and Monmouth standout Tony Muskett is determined to claim the position and lead the UVA offense. Coming out of West Springfield (Va.) High School, Muskett was not recruited by FBS programs de- spite throwing for 7,000 yards and 69 touchdowns. So when Muskett headed off to play for Monmouth, which played in the Big South Conference and then the Colonial Athletic Association starting in 2022, he played with a chip on his shoulder. "I've always had the utmost confidence in my- self," he said. "Coming out of high school, I felt like I was under-recruited, so I went out and proved myself at the FCS level." Muskett claimed the starting spot as soon as he got to West Long Branch, N.J., in the fall of 2020, where he was named the Big South Conference's Offensive Player of the Year as a first-year and first-team All- Big South in each of his first two seasons. In three years at Monmouth, Muskett recorded 5,687 passing yards and 51 touchdown passes. When Muskett decided to enter the transfer portal, he attracted the attention of numerous FBS programs. But when UVA popped up on his radar, it quickly shot up to the top of his list. "It's my home school, it's my home state, so it means a lot to come back and play for them," he said. A transfer to Virginia also meant a reunion with his former high school teammate and third-year wide receiver Ethan Davies, who earned a start- ing job in 2022. This spring, he quickly became Muskett's favorite target. "That's when we started finding the groove and started clicking." Muskett said. Muskett hit the ground running in the spring, impressing both the coaches and his fellow team- mates. In Virginia's Blue-White spring game, Mus- kett completed 11 of 14 passes for 149 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions. Muskett and wide receiver JR Wilson connected on a 68- yard touchdown pass. "[Muskett] has been very, very accurate with the football in spring practice," offensive coordinator Des Kitchings said. "He's had really good command of the offense. You saw today here, he made some plays for us, like the nice throw to JR Wilson down the field on the post. "Intermediate, short, deep, he's been really, really good at throwing the ball for us, so that's really exciting. And the guys are making plays for him." "I feel very comfortable … I feel good," Muskett said. "I feel like I have been here for a long time. It has been real fun to play here." Muskett and the Hoos will open the 2023 season against the University of Tennessee in Nashville Sept. 2. — William Jarrett getting to know Fourth-Year Quarterback Tony Muskett M O R E T H A N T H E S C O R E F A L L L I N E - U P 2 0 2 3 U V A F A C U L T Y L E C T U R E S E R I E S U V A L I F E T I M E L E A R N I N G Sep 9 Hoos NIL: The Facts About Name, Image, Likeness at UVA Lo Davis, Kimberly Whitler, Edward Scott, Gerald Starsia Sep 22 Behind the Scenes of UVA Women's Basketball Facility Amaka Agugua-Hamilton (Coach Mox) In-person only, Fri at 11 am Oct 7 Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball: 2024 Preview Larry Sabato Nov 4 Artificial Intelligence: Teaching & Learning in an AI World Andrew Pennock Nov 18 Alzheimer's Disease: Research, Caregivi ng, & Community Ishan C. Williams, Carol Manning, George Bloom UVA Lifetime Learning in the Office of Engagement partners with the Alumni Association in offering faculty lectures held at 10 AM EDT on the mornings of home football games. Talks are free, open to all, in-person and virtual. REGISTER engagement.virginia.edu/learn Muskett threw for 5,687 yards and 51 touchdowns during his three years at Monmouth, before transferring to Virginia. (Photo by Matt Riley/courtesy UVA)