VIrginia Cavaliers Football: 2015 Season Preview and Prediction

Nov 30, 2013; Raleigh, NC, USA; Maryland Terrapins running back Albert Reid (5) returns a kickoff during the first half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Breakout Player to Watch: Albert Reid

Taquan “Smoke” Mizzell won’t be the only pair of legs churning up the turf this season. Most likely he’ll only be one-third of a running back triumvirate that will also include junior Daniel Hamm and Maryland transfer Albert Reid. Hamm and Mizzell’s playing style and skill set is very similar; both of them are slippery, and evasive types that slide and spin past the clutches of the opposing defense. Both will be very important driving forces behind Virginia’s offense.

But the reason Reid is the breakout, and not Mizzell or Hamm, is because Reid brings the difference that elevates Virginia’s running game into the dynamic. Reid spent 2012-2014 with the Maryland Terrapins, and during that time he totaled 122 carries for 447 yards and three touchdowns. He also had one reception for a touchdown. What’s most interesting about his statistics comes from his average yards per carry: Over the course of three seasons, he averaged 3.53 yards per carry. In comparison, Hamm averaged 5.25 and Mizzell 4.25.

These numbers show that while Hamm and Mizzell will help the Cavaliers create the big flashy running plays, Reid will become the running back that keeps the drive alive. Reid will be the go-to man in third-and-short and fourth-and-short situations. Reid may not rake in the numbers, but he will be the solid rock that the offense leans on constantly to move them forward when it counts, and to supplement the quarterback’s decisions, whether those be good or bad.

Next: Prediction