This position group doesn't have the talent (at least according to recruiting services) that the secondary has, but these guys are good. You won't see many missed tackles, and Coley and Romero can both lay some ferocious hits. There won't be many big plays from these guys, but linebackers in a 4-3 defense are meant to stuff the run first and blitz/cover second. These guys have their priorities straight, thanks in large part to having their defense coordinator also serve as their position coach.
London and Tenuta (and also Jim Reid) deserve credit for developing 2014's contributors.
Middle Linebacker likely starter - Henry Coley (Sr.)
At least in my opinion, Coley is just now starting to get the respect he deserves. I too was one of his doubters. His natural position is at MLB, which he plays now. But he also played admirably in 2012 as the SAM 'backer. I remember watching the Penn State game in 2012 (thank you Sam Ficken!) and thinking how good of a run defender Coley was. He notched 11 tackles and 1 sack in that game. After that, he didn't have another big game the rest of the season, and was arguably outplayed by his backup Daquan Romero in the final four games of the season in which Coley was suspended.
After Romero's emergence, many were unsure about Coley's future. I expected Kwontie Moore (the No. 3 inside-linebacker in the country for the 2012 recruiting class, according to Rivals) to beat out Coley for the spot in the middle in 2013. And with Romero moving to the weak side, I thought Coley could potentially stay as the SAM linebacker if he could avoid off the field trouble.
But this just goes to show that I can't be right about everything, and neither can the scouts at Rivals, because Coley had a hell of a season n 2013. He led the team in tackles (91) and also added 10 tackles for loss. Kwontie Moore never gave Coley any real competition and has since been moved to defensive end, where he might never start a game. Coley was a consensus three-star recruit from Bayside High School, but he has outperformed expectations, like his predecessors at MLB - Steve Greer and Jon Copper.
This season, Coley was elected as a captain and named to Phil Steele's third-team All-ACC defense. Although Anthony Harris is the clear defensive leader, it will again be Coley's responsibility to call the plays and get the defense lined-up. He no doubt has the smarts to do so, as he was on the All-ACC academic team for the past two seasons.
My favorite part about Coley is that he plays like a badass. It was never revealed why he was suspended for 2012's last four games, but it definitely gave him the edge he needed. He will never shy away from contact, and more times than not, you can hear the collision of pads when he meets the ballcarrier. In the spring game, he shot straight through the A-gap and put a vicious (but clean) hit on the running-back (I forget who it was) that forced the running back out of the game for the series. Coley just plays mean. That's what you want from everybody on your defense.
Expect him to lead the team in tackles again and maybe add a few more sacks and tackles for loss in 2014.
Depth
A common theme with our linebackers is a lack of experienced depth. At MLB, this is definitely the case. Only two MLBs are listed on the post-spring depth chart, so Coley's back-up is redshirt freshman Micah Kiser. As you will almost always here me say, I am very glad that he was redshirted. Coley was on the field for almost every snap last season, so there was no need for Kiser to play. Kiser was a three or four star recruit depending on which scouting service you prefer. He attended Gilman High School in Baltimore, Md (the same school as WR Darius Jennings).
When it comes down to it, I think he'll probably start in 2015 unless Kwontie Moore fails at DE and moves back to linebacker (although that would be a tough transition). Two years of learning behind Coley should pay dividends for Kiser. But Kiser is still very much an unknown. I haven't heard any reports about him, so all of my thoughts are pure speculation.
If Coley goes down this season, we would be in trouble. Kiser I'm sure would have his moments, but at least in my opinion, Coley is the heart and soul of this defense. There is definitely a drop off from Coley to Kiser. But going into 2015, I think Kiser will be just fine.
Weak-Side Linebacker likely starter - Daquan Romero (Sr.)
As mentioned above, Romero saw his first real action as the strong-side linebacker in the final four games of 2012 after Coley's suspension. He came in and didn't miss a beat, maybe even outplaying Coley. I was in Blacksburg in 2012 for the Virginia Tech game and had really good seats about 15 rows up from the field. I just remember thinking how solid of a tackler Romero was and being rather impressed by his pass coverage and blitzing.
In 2013, Tenuta moved him over to the weak-side, where he again had a positive impact. He was second on the team with 89 tackles, including 7.5 for loss. He was not spectacular by any means, but there was never any doubt who should be playing his position.
With an added year of experience next to Coley, it's only natural that he improves in 2014. I think an All-ACC season is in reach. His chances might suffer due to the success (or lack thereof) of the team, but I think he has a shot at a very good 2014 season. He could possibly even make an NFL practice squad in 2015.
Depth
Romero is backed up by a senior (D.J. Hill) and a sophomore (Zach Bradshaw). As for D.J. Hill, he is a linebacker that really never panned out. He was only a three-star recruit, but he had a number of opportunities to secure a starting spot. He never seemed to be able to do so.
In his sophomore year, he started two games for the injured La'Roy Reynolds. Against TCU, he actually led the team with eight tackles. It was thought this might give him some helpful experience as he hoped to compete for a starting job as the SAM 'backer last season, but he never pulled through. He appeared in all 12 games but only on special teams.
For next season, don't expect much more from him. He will be a dependable back-up if called upon, but make no mistake in thinking he can hold down the starting spot. Romero is definitely a notch above him in playing ability.
Hill is the first half of an "or" as the back up to Romero. The other half is Bradshaw.
Bradshaw is an interesting prospect in that he was a three-star recruit out of high school, but he has more upside than most three-stars. He originally committed to Penn State after debating between the Nittany Lions and South Carolina. However, the NCAA sanctions prompted Bradshaw to reconsider, and after a visit to Charlottesville, he decided he liked us better than South Carolina.
Bradshaw is considered freakishly athletic for a linebacker. At 6-3, he should be a hard-hitting force. But he also brings great speed. Many schools recruited him as a wide receiver. (Shout out to Brendan at From Old Virginia for a a great recruiting piece.)
Not surprisingly, London seems to think the world of him. In fact, after not playing a snap since he injured his wrist against Oregon, London thought it was a good idea to start him against Georgia Tech. But we know how that game played out. Georgia Tech ran in for a long touchdown on just the third play of the game. If that doesn't crush the hopes of the already sparse home crowd, I don't know what will.
Romero was immediately called back into the game and led the team with 10 tackles. I remember scrambling on my phone to the UVa roster, trying to find out who the hell #51 was. I couldn't find his name in the Scott Stadium reception wasteland before he was yanked after the touchdown.
However, in order to start - unless our coach is crazier than we thought - London and Tenuta (remember, he's the linebacker's coach) must have seen something they liked from him in practice. He didn't show it against Georgia Tech, but he must have something we just haven't witnessed.
If Romero were to go down mid-game, I would expect Hill to fill that role to finish the game. But if it turned into a multi-week injury, I think it would be Bradshaw that would fill in as the starter for the next few weeks. Hill provides immediate in-game experience, but with a week to prepare, I would expect Bradshaw to out-perform Hill.
With the graduation of Romero and Hill next spring, expect Bradshaw to start as the weak-side linebacker in 2015. Hopefully then, he can show Wahoo Nation what the coaches have already seen.
Strong-Side Linebacker likely starter - Max Valles (So.)
Now if you thought Bradshaw was an interesting case, just wait until you hear that of Max Valles (but my guess is that if you're reading this post, you already have). Here are two pieces from the Daily Progress and the Cavalier Daily basically introducing him to the Cavalier faithful.
In a sparknotes version, Valles was considered almost position-less coming out of high school. He was only a two-star recruit that was pretty mediocre at everything on the football field. In fact, he only played football for two years in high school (he happened to be a baseball stud). At UVa, he was originally slated at tight-end during summer workouts. When training camp began, he was moved to defensive end. It wasn't until the days leading up to Oregon that he played linebacker.
He must have shined in practice as London gave him the starting nod over Demeitre Brim against Pittsburgh. And as you all know, he delivered. Valles registered 2.5 sacks in the game and finished with four on the year - tied with David Dean for second best on the team behind Eli Harold's 8.5.
He made four starts last season because UVa often went with three-corners instead of a third linebacker in the starting lineup. But make no mistake, he was out there when a pass rush was needed. Tenuta lined him up in both two and three-point stances. As the season progressed, he almost always had his hand in the dirt opposite Harold on third and long. After such a breakout game against Pitt, I selfishly expected more of the same throughout the season. While he did provide some solid pressure, he did not record another sack until Virginia Tech, when he recorded 1.5.
In 2014, he still remains without a true home position. Tenuta had him working with both the linebackers and defensive ends in spring practice, although he was listed as the starting SAM 'backer on the post-spring depth chart. He still struggles against the run as a 4-3 linebacker, so he might not be in on some early downs. (I think most would agree his most natural fit is as a 3-4 outside linebacker). However, when we go nickel, expect him and Harold as the bookends rushing the passer.
It looks like we landed a real steal in Valles. Hopefully he will be terrorizing opposing passers for the next three years to come.
Depth
The depth behind Valles is highly questionable, to say the least. While fairly highly touted prospects back-up the middle and weak-side linebackers, the only name listed behind Valles is sophomore Mark Hall. Hall was listed as a three-star recruit by scout and rivals and a two-star by ESPN. Reports say he is athletic and aggressive (some considered him a tight end), but at this point, really only our coaches and players would know. He redshirted in 2012 and - with the exception of a few snaps in blowouts - only played special teams last season. (As a side note, he is the older brother of UVa basketball guard Devon Hall, who redshirted this season).
If Valles was to get injured, Hall would technically be the first off the bench. However, for about half of our games last season, we played nickel essentially the entire game. So if Valles couldn't go, it would be Coley and Romero at linebacker and then DreQuan Hoskey in the slot. If Valles was hurt against a run-first team, like Georgia Tech, then Hall might see some action. But even so, I would bet on Bradshaw or Hill moving from their back-up spots on the weak-side into the starting role on the strong side. Basically, I don't think the chances of Hall getting any significant playing time this season are very good.
Things might be a little different if Demeitre Brim did not transfer. He played decently against BYU and VMI. He didn't see much time against Oregon due to their spread offense, and by the time Pitt rolled around, he had been replaced by Valles. Brim would have been a senior this season, but there was really nothing special about his play in 2013. Brim would have backed up Valles and provided quality depth, but with the strong-side position of less importance due to so many nickel packages, Brim became replaceable. With Hall now in sole possession of the back-up role, he should see more snaps in practice and hence develop quicker.
Going into the future, it seems as if Hall will be a career back-up. Assuming no new recruit steps up, in 2015 and 2016, Bradshaw will be starting on the strong-side, Kiser in the middle (assuming Kwontie Moore does not move back to MLB, since there is a logjam at defensive end, but the fact that the coaches moved him to a very different position seems to indicate his run at linebacker is over), and Valles on the weak-side. Unless Valles moves to defensive end for his senior year when Harold/Trent Corney/Mike Moore/ Kwontie Moore are gone, Hall will not see any real playing time (barring injuries), except for special teams.
Conclusion
When I started this post, I knew the starting core was solid. Coley and Romero provide consistency and leadership, while Valles provides big-play potential in sacks and forced-fumbles. What I did not expect to find though was much depth at the position. But as I continued researching some of these back-ups and their stories, I came away impressed.
It's always tough replacing seniors, but I must give London some credit in his succession plans. He had Coley and Romero ready for Steve Greer and La'Roy Reynolds, respectively, after they graduated. Now it seems that Bradshaw and Kiser will be the next guys to succeed at linebacker.
But these guys will have to wait their turn because this starting group is quite good. You have an inspiring, high motor player in Coley, an athletic run defender in Romero, and a pass-rushing specialist in Valles. If Tenuta can figure out a way to play to all of their strengths, then we might just have another piece for a potentially special defense for 2014.
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