Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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be UVA's associate head coach and defen‑ sive line coach. Mendenhall, who has said he will call the Cavalier defense, brings his base 3‑4 scheme to the ACC, but if his time at BYU is any indication look for the Wahoos to be multiple on that side of the ball. On offense, Anae, well steeped in the Air Raid attack that made Mike Leach famous, will bring a multiple spread look to Virginia. On both sides of the ball, the staff has shown in the past that it will adapt its schemes and play calls to fit the talent it has on hand. That's important because, while the Wahoos have not won consistently on the field, the program is not devoid of talent by any means. Much has already changed for UVA foot‑ ball, but the true measure of success will start when the Cavaliers take the field this fall. Here's a breakdown of what to look for from the Wahoos this season: TOP PLAYERS 1. Fourth-Year Running Back Taquan Mizzell — After a stellar 2015 season where he earned third‑team All‑ACC honors, the Cavaliers will once again lean on the Virginia Beach native in both the running and pass‑ ing games. The 5‑10 195‑pounder broke the ACC's record for receiving yards in a season by a running back (721) last year. He also caught 75 passes, which is No. 2 all‑time by a running back and just one off the conference record. At UVA, those 75 catches are good enough to put him second behind only Billy McMul‑ len's 83 receptions in 2001. Mizzell also finished in the top five in the ACC last season in all‑purpose yards (second with 1,488), receptions (third), and receiving yards (fifth). In an offense that will be based around a spread system that aims to get key playmak‑ ers in space, Mizzell is primed for an even bigger 2016. He's already been named to watch lists for the Doak Walker Award (the nation's best running back), the Maxwell Award (the nation's top player) and the Bi‑ letnikoff Award (the nation's top receiver). 2. Third-Year Safety Quin Blanding — A year after being named first‑team All‑ACC and finishing second in the league (and 20th nationally) in tackles, Blanding is looking Third-year safety Quin Blanding made 115 tackles last season, which ranked second in the ACC and 20th nationally. PHOTO BY KELSEY GRANT/COURTESY UVA