Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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FALL 2024 19 enjoyed "seeing the people that I used to see on a daily basis — high school coaches, high school teachers, elementary school teachers, friends and family — just all coming out. It's just awesome being around this atmosphere." He's played alongside several standout receivers at UVA, including Washington, Key- taon Thompson, Ra'Shaun Henry, the late Lavel Davis Jr. and Dontayvion Wicks. From them, Fields said, he learned that "you've just got to be a pro every day, show up, take advantage of each opportunity, take care of your body and try to instill these things in the younger guys and lead the younger guys and just come out ready to work every day." In a battle with fifth-year Tony Muskett during training camp, Colandrea won the starting job at quarterback. Fields has been his favorite target, but Colandrea has plenty of other talented options, including wide- outs Trell Harris and Chris Tyree and tight end Tyler Neville. Harris, Tyree and Neville are graduate transfers from Kent State, Notre Dame and Harvard, respectively. Opponents can't afford to pay too much attention to Fields, Elliott said, "because you've got to honor and respect [other Cavaliers'] ability to make plays." On offense, Elliott said, the Hoos are look- ing to "really stretch you from sideline to sideline, goal line to goal line … I'm hopeful what that's also going to do is create some lighter boxes for us to be able to run the football, because we didn't run the football as effectively [against Wake] as we did in the first game, and I challenged the guys this week to come out and run the ball." As a true first-year, Fields wore jersey No. 86, but he was No. 8 at Monticello, and he switched to that number in 2022. A will- ing blocker, Fields is a key piece in Virginia's running game too, which is no surprise. He's happy to do whatever is required to help the Hoos win. "He's just a humble kid, an incredible young man," Mims said. "He's the type that you just want to be around. He's got an infectious smile, infectious personality. He's a 'yes or no sir' kid. He's everything that you want in a player. He does everything that you ask him to do, and as a coach, that's literally all you want. "Typically, you want to coach your better players the hardest, and he's one that I can coach hard, that I can critique hard, and he'll respond the right way. He doesn't get in his emotions or his feelings or anything like that. When he gets challenged, he responds." In UVA's season-opening win over Richmond at Scott Stadium, Fields made 5 catches for 100 yards, including a 41-yarder in which he laid out for the ball along the left sideline. (Photo by Jackson Hull/courtesy UVA)