The Virginia Cavaliers may have been the surprise of the year in the ACC.
In head coach Tony Elliott’s fourth year, the team finally had a breakthrough.
After winning just 11 games in his first three seasons, Elliott led the No. 19 Cavaliers to an 11-3 record this year, knocking off a ranked Florida State team back on Sept. 26 and edging out a tough Missouri team in the Gator Bowl on Saturday.
Viriginia got strong quarterback play this season from Chandler Morris, who threw for 3,000 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Morris is set to graduate, leaving Elliott and the Cavaliers in need of a new starting QB.
More News: Arch Manning, Texas Hit With Bad News Days Before Citrus Bowl
More News: Miami Predicted to Land No. 1-Ranked Transfer Portal QB
And The Athletic’s Manny Navarro believes he knows just the guy to take his place: former four-star passer Kenny Minchey, who hit the transfer portal after three seasons of riding the bench at Notre Dame.
“Minchey, who was beaten out for the starting job at Notre Dame by CJ Carr, is highly coveted by a few schools,” Navarro wrote. “I like him or Jake Merklinger, a Tennessee transfer, as a replacement for Chandler Morris. Morris led the Cavaliers to the ACC Championship Game in 2025 but would need a medical waiver from the NCAA to play in 2026.”
In his three seasons with the Fighting Irish, Minchey threw for just 212 yards while completing 79.3% of his passes.
More News: Bryce Underwood Drops Cryptic Update on Michigan Future Before Citrus Bowl
More News: Clemson Eyeing Former SEC Head Coach for Dabo Swinney’s Staff
Coming out of Pope John Paul II prep school in 2023, Minchey was the No. 2-ranked player in the state of Tennessee and the No. 14 overall QB in the class. He chose Notre Dame over offers from Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, and Pittsburgh.
The strong-armed QB threw for over 5,000 yards in high school and reportedly has more than a handful of teams vying for his services for next season.
Landing a passer of Minchey’s talents could help Elliott prove he and Virginia aren’t just another one-year wonder.
Read the full article here
