Every preseason, injuries hit locker rooms nationwide, and Virginia is no exception this year. During Monday’s press conference, Tony Elliott revealed that star linebacke has fractured his collarbone, though the recovery timeline “could be a couple games.”
In the bigger picture, Virginia dodged a major setback, but it’s still far from ideal to lose what’s likely their top defensive player right at the start of the season. Robinson played through an injury-plagued 2024, finishing with 64 tackles, five sacks, a forced fumble, an interception, and a pass breakup. The hope now is that after surgery and some time off from full-contact practices, he’ll be able to return to action and stay relatively healthy for the rest of the 2025 season.
Virginia’s first four games come against Coastal Carolina, NC State in Raleigh, William & Mary, and Stanford. (Keep in mind that NC State is technically a non-conference contest.) As far as preseason projections are concerned, this is the lightest portion of a schedule that is already considered one of the easiest in the Power Four.
In the meantime, the rest of the main pieces in the linebacker room — James Jackson, Trey McDonald, and Maddox Mercellus — will be tasked with picking up Robinson’s slack. Nobody quite replicates his playmaking ability, but this group should still be considered one of the roster’s strengths. More on that in our linebackers preview coming later this week.
Other key injuries from fall camp include S Antonio Clary, WR Trell Harris, and DT Hunter Osborne. As of now, all three are expected to suit up for the season opene
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