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8 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier sports getting to know Second-Year Linebacker Stevie Bracey Through four games this season, Bracey was tied for sixth on the team with 16 tackles. (Photo courtesy UVA) G oing into the 2023 season, the Virginia defense had a large void to fill left by linebacker Nick Jackson, who finished his five-year Cavalier career tied for 11th in program history with 354 tackles. Fortunately, the Cavaliers did not have to look too far from Jack- son's hometown of Atlanta or even his high school to find a worthy replacement. Among a talented group of UVA linebackers is second- year Stevie Bracey who has climbed the depth chart and is ready to make an immediate impact. To jump-start his development as football player, Bracey enrolled at UVA in January of his senior year of high school, a move he cred- its with helping wear off the initial culture shock of the transition from high school to college football. Along with Terrell Jones and Trey McDonald, Bracey received the Defensive Impact Player of the Year Award at the program's annual awards banquet. After appearing in seven games as a true first-year in 2022, Bracey was ready to make the next step as a regular contributor on the UVA defense. "Early mornings and late nights," the 6-foot, 227-pound Bracey said. "I spent a lot of time just by myself trying to perfect my craft. I really tried to change my body around. "That was one of the key things going into the summer was to change my body composition to be able to move around with those guys and not feel sluggish, be able to keep up. I just spent a lot of time trying to focus on how to make this team better." It didn't take long for the fruits of Bracey's offseason labor to surface. Against then-No. 12 Tennessee in the 2023 season opener, Bracey put forth an effort that Cavalier fans have learned to enjoy from the linebacker position in recent memory. The second-year led the team with a career-high 10 tackles, including 7 solo stops. "That was something I always dreamed about," Bracey said of the performance. "Honestly that is something we are prepared for. Coach [Clint] Sintim gets us ready every week. Coach Elliott talks about be- longing and I definitely felt that I belonged after something like that." A sought-after recruit after playing linebacker, tight end and serv- ing as the Lovett School's long snapper, Bracey came to UVA as one of the top-100 linebackers in the country according to various recruiting services. He was recruited by former head coach Bronco Mendenhall's staff and chose to honor his commitment to UVA. "I wasn't committed to them [Mendenhall staff]," Bracey said. "I was committed to the culture that UVA had, and I knew I wanted to be around these guys. It just felt like a place I wanted to be at. I was loyal to the program and what the V-Sabre stands for." Bracey is set to declare sociology as his major with a criminol- ogy focus. He plans on minoring in entrepreneurship with a possible double minor in journalism. He has a wide variety of options in mind for his life after football includ- ing something in law, sports broadcasting or creating something that people need. "For now, my focus is on school and what happens in between the lines," Bracey said. — Scott Fitzgerald