RJ Young
FOX Sports National College Football Analyst
This isn’t your average college football ranking.
My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it’s my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:
- Who do I think is good?
- Why do I think they’re good?
- What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?
Here is a look at where Virginia lands in my Ultimate 136.
Team ranking: 84
Last year’s ranking: 89
Top player: QB Chandler Morris: One of nine FBS quarterbacks to throw for 3,000+ yards and 30+ TDs last season.
[Virginia’s 2025 schedule]
RJ’s take: Yes, Tony Elliot’s team won two more games last than it did in Year 1 and Year 2. But a 5-7 finish in 2024 felt as bad as his 11-23 record in Charlottesville.
The Cavaliers need help, and it might have arrived in Tennessee Tech transfer defensive lineman Daniel Rickert who posted an eyebrow-raising 38.5 tackles for loss, including 20.5 sacks in 2024. Find a couple more of those kinds of hellraisers, and the Virginia defense just might beat the 12th movie in the franchise for every team it plays.
Offensively, let Morris rip it. Trust wideouts Trell Harris and Jahmal Edrine to beat coverage. Trust your older offensive line to keep Morris clean.
Go for broke, Tony. You might not get another chance to do it.
Virginia Win Total Odds: Over 6.5 (+118) Under (-144)
Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school’s rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young, and I’ll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.
[Check out RJ Young’s Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here]
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