Virginia has done an excellent job over the past two seasons of going out and finding talented ball-carriers in the transfer portal, and that continued this off
and the rest of the offensive staff have to find ways to get all of these players touches in 2026, in addition to Xavier Brown, who decided to return to UVA this year.
With that being said, here are three important questions surrounding the Cavaliers' current running back room:Tennessee running back Peyton Lewis during a game between Tennessee and Kent State at Neyland Stadium, in Knoxville, Tenn. , Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. Tennessee defeated Ken State 71-0.
| USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect It’s assumed right now that multiple ball-carriers will have a big role in 2026, but that was also the assumption last season after J’Mari Taylor transferred in. During fall camp in 2025, Taylor was splitting work with Harrison Waylee and Xavier Brown in the backfield, and everybody thought that it would stay that way throughout the 2025 season.
It’s pretty safe to say that J’Mari Taylor acting as a complete workhorse back wasn’t on UVA fans’ bingo cards in week one. Though both Lewis and Middlebrook "should" be in a 1A/1B-type time share in the backfield, don't be surprised if only one of them ends up dominating the carries in 2026.
Hopefully both players will continue to show off in fall camp like they did in the spring, but seeingHow will OC Des Kitchings use Xavier Brown in 2026? Nov 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Xavier Brown runs on his way to scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect Xavier Brown is undoubtedly one of the most explosive players in the running back room heading into fall camp, but how will Virginia’s staff use him this year? There’s a chance that he’ll be the main third-down back in 2026, which would make sense, seeing as he’s been very effective as a pass-catcher out of the backfield in the past.
Whatever the case, Brown is a very good player, and there’s a reason that he returned to UVA this season. Coach Kitchings most likely told him that he’d be involved in some capacity this season, or else he would’ve transferred elsewhere. Virginia Cavaliers running back Xay Davis dives forward during the third quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium Saturday December 27, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. Virginia won 13-7.
| USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect Davis looked pretty good as a true freshman last spring, and then he did well in the bowl game against Missouri in December. He was a higher-end 3-star recruit in last year’s class, and he showed great potential in year one. The real question is whether or not the team can continue developing him in 2026 despite having 3-4 players ahead of him on the depth chart.
However, Davis could be seen as the No.3 pure runner on the roster behind Lewis and Middlebrook. Solomon Beebe and Xavier Brown are more third-down specialists than true early-down options. The coaching staff likes Davis quite a bit, so it's probably in their best interest to keep him happy and find ways to develop him further behind Lewis and Middlebrook in 2026. Loading recommendations...
Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsMatt is a diehard 'Hoos fan who currently resides just north of Charlottesville and has been covering the NFL and collegiate sports for close to a decade for various networks like Athlon Sports, SBNation, and FanSided. He most recently covered the Texas Longhorns as the Site Expert/Managing Editor for Hook’Em Headlines through FanSided.
Matt’s also been covering the NFL Draft as a credentialed media member for five years, and his work has been referenced or featured on major platforms such as Bleacher Report and Yahoo Sports.
Please follow us on Google to support usUnited States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Three burning questions for Virginia's secondary in 2026Some of Virginia's most notable defensive players throughout the years have roamed the secondary. Hall of Famers like Ronde Barber and Anthony Poindexter come
Read more »
Elite Soccer Trip Scam Exposes Fraud in Affluent Virginia CommunityA high-profile coach in Northern Virginia allegedly defrauded families of thousands by promising an eliTe soccer training trip to Italy that not once existed, shining a light on vulnerability to scams even in wealthy suburbs.
Read more »
WVU Won't See Former Pitt QB Eli Holstein in Week 3 Clash vs. VirginiaThere may be a lot of time between West Virginia’s neutral site matchup against Virginia in Charlotte, but we now know who will be under center for the Cavalier
Read more »
How Do Virginia Tech and Virginia Compare to each other heading into the 2026 season?Virginia Tech and Virginia's clash may not carry ACC title implications, but both programs will be looking to ascend to the upper echelon of the ACC on a long-t
Read more »