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Spring football highlights

UVa football is in full swing with spring practices. I had the opportunity to observe three practices during the first week of spring ball. Here are just a few of the highlights.

QB Matt Schaub - Coach Groh said in his spring press conference that Matt Schaub took the bull by the horns in the offseason, and is taking the approach that this is his team, and he's the QB. That attitude was clearly visible in the first few spring practices. Schaub was confident and sharp. He's more relaxed and is much quicker in terms of his decision-making after the snap. His passes are crisp and right on time, allowing his receivers to do something after the catch.

TB Alvin Pearman - Pearman appears quicker. That's amazing since he added some additional muscle mass during the off-season. Groh and his staff have put an emphasis on having Pearman make one cut and go, rather than putting on too many moves at the line of scrimmage. Pearman now explodes right out of his cuts and gets north and south quickly. Comparisons to UVa's former #21 are hard to avoid. If you didn't read the roster, you'd swear it was Tiki Barber on the field.

TE Heath Miller - Wow! That's just about what you'd hear everyone say when watching practice. This young man is a beast. The move from quarterback to tight end was a smart one. Miller has soft hands and is a huge target. He and teammate Patrick Estes could be the best tight end tandem at UVa since Billy Baber and Casey Crawford.

WR Billy McMullen - It's should be no surprise that McMullen has gotten out of the gates quickly this spring. It's apparent that he's worked on consistency - McMullen hardly drops a pass in practice, and makes some of the hardest catches I've seen a receiver make since the days of - you guessed it - Herman Moore. Comparisons to Moore might be a bit premature, but this preseason All-American candidate has the tools and the size to do some serious damage this season.

WR Michael McGrew - This is perhaps my favorite Cavalier. McGrew just seems to always do the right thing on the field. His routes are perfect, his moves are sweet, and the kid catches everything. Barring injury, McGrew will likely start opposite McMullen this season.

WR Ryan Sawyer - Mark him down as UVa's third receiver for 2002, at least for now. Unless true freshmen Wali Lundy or Ron Morton come in and become wonder-receivers, Sawyer looks to have the third receiver slot secured. Sawyer made some nice receptions the first week of practice, and looks to be completely over the injury he suffered last season.

DE Chris Canty - Remember last season? Remember how it was reported by Groh, the team and the media that Canty would be an amazing defensive lineman if he could just add weight? Well, Canty did just that in the off-season, adding another 20 pounds of muscle to his 6-7 frame. Canty is now in the 280's and could easily put on another 20 pounds and maintain his athleticism. UVa's offensive linemen are getting a serious workout this spring, and Canty is one of the primary reasons.

This isn't the entire list of top performers for the spring, just the players that I have observed who have stood out the most from those three practices. More info to come in next month's Sabre Newsletter, including a feature on Angelo Crowell by Jim Reedy and a spring football update from John Galinsky.

Click here for some photos from Saturday's spring practice.

Spring football practices open to public

Want to get a first-hand look at spring football? Here's your chance. There are still a few more days where practices will be open to fans, players' families and the media. See times and dates below for more info.

At the football practice field at the McCue Center
Friday, April 12th, 2:30 PM
Monday, April 15th, 2:30 PM

At Scott Stadium
Saturday, April 20th, 1:00 PM

Cavalier Football Festival
Formally called the Spring Football Game

Head Coach Al Groh has instilled a new energy within the Virginia football community. In the spirit of creating a new culture of Virginia football here at the University, the football program invites you to spend the day in Charlottesville on Saturday, April 20, 2002, to take in all the excitement of Cavalier Football.

Don't miss a day geared for family fun! The Cavaliers invite you to the Carl Smith Center for the Cavalier Football Festival, the highlight of this year's 2002 spring practices. Breaking from the tradition of the past, when the spring game was the only feature of the spring-the Cavalier Football Festival takes the final day of spring practices to a new level.

Mark your calendars today for next month's event at the Carl Smith Center.

The final details for the Cavalier Football Festival are still being put in place, but will be announced on www.virginiasports.com as well as archive.thesabre.com as soon as they are available. All events will precede 1:00 p.m. start of the last spring practice.

This event is free to the public!

UVa Lacrosse knocks off #5 Maryland

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The Virginia Football Camp

The 2002 Virginia Football Camp website is now live. Day camps and overnight camps are available, as well as one-day-only camps. If you or someone you know is interested in participating in this year's camp, please refer to the following link for details.

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