The quarterback position has been a question mark for Virginia ever since the departure of Brennan Armstrong back in 2022. While both Anthony Colandrea and Tony Muskett showed signs of promise in their two seasons, neither shined bright enough to win more games than they lost. The Cavaliers’ passing offense ranked No. 12 in the ACC in 2024, helping them generate just 22.7 points per game.
However, the departure of both quarterbacks signifies a changing of the guard. With the pair out, Coach Tony Elliott turned to a new duo of gunslingers — graduate Chandler Morris, the veteran starter, and sophomore Daniel Kaelin, his apprentice in the waiting room. With those two in Charlottesville, Virginia can reach greater heights.
Morris, a six-foot tall dual-threat quarterback, is looking for one final shining moment as he nears the end of his college career. Morris is a journeyman, with the Cavaliers being his fourth team. He has improved at each place — Oklahoma, TCU and North Texas — and last year he was on the midseason watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award which is given to the nation’s most outstanding quarterback.
With Morris, one can expect dynamic plays. His ability to throw for over 3,500 yards in a season is certainly impressive, but the fact that he can also add hundreds of yards on the ground is even more impressive. Morris will extend plays when pressured, find receivers in coverage and deliver accurate passes. Fans should expect to see moving parts when Morris is playing — just ask Justin Na, a North Texas football beat writer.
“I have no doubt that Chandler Morris, from what I have seen on paper, can replicate what Colandrea did in the running game and throwing on the run in that play style,” Na said in an interview with The Cavalier Daily. “But, I imagine it to have a little more upside.”
Na’s description may invoke Colandrea’s gunslinging style, but what separates Morris from the past is that he is not just aggressive — he is effective. Morris finished fourth in the nation in passing touchdowns last season and broke numerous North Texas school records. It is worth noting that the level of play in the ACC is harder than it was at North Texas, but as Morris’ wealth of experience proves, he should be able to continue to dominate.
“[When he’s on the run] if he sees someone open down the field, he is going to take that risk,” Na said. “Gunslinger is a really popular term to describe quarterbacks, but it is one that I would use to describe Chandler Morris on the run.”
Morris is also a winner. Having been a part of the 2022 national runner-up TCU team, Morris knows what it takes to win, and he is looking to bring that attitude to Charlottesville. In a spring media availability after his transfer, Morris declared he did not leave his home state of Texas to do anything but win. Maybe he can be the difference-maker for the Cavaliers.
Kaelin, meanwhile, figures to be the top backup this year, and a frontrunner to start in 2026 after Morris leaves. The young Kaelin is a six-foot three-inch gunslinger who on the bench last year at Nebraska but is coming to Charlottesville with the hope of becoming the starter in 2026. While his game film is lacking given that he has yet to play in a collegiate game, the intangibles are there.
Unlike Morris, Kaelin is more of a pocket passer who prefers to let his arm do the talking. If he gets playing time, expect to see some downfield plays so that Kaelin can air out the ball over the top with his strong arm and elite accuracy.
“I definitely am a pass-first guy,” Kaelin said in spring media availability. “I pride myself on being able to make really quick and accurate decisions and moving the ball.”
Kaelin’s role with the team in 2025 will come down to development. Morris is the starter as it stands, but that being said, Kaelin is the go-to guy if Morris were to go down to injury. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe Elliott will do everything he can to develop Kaelin — and to have him game-ready.
“Everyone wants to play,” Kaelin said. “I think it is both me and everyone in the QB room. I just continue to show up every day and I am always going to prepare like I am the starter.”
Outside these two arms, the quarterback room has a couple other faces looking to make an impact. Senior Grady Brosterhous is back and ready for more of the “Grady Bunch,” his signature play. The bunch is so effective that his four rushing touchdowns last season were the most by a Cavalier quarterback since 2022.
Two other names of intrigue are a pair of freshmen, Cole Geer and Bjorn Jurgensen. Jurgensen was a rising recruit due to his ability to extend plays and throw the ball in tight windows. Geer on the other hand will be more of a developmental project for Elliott, as he is talented but must adjust to NCAA football and is buried behind Morris and Kaelin.
While there are quite a number of new faces in the quarterback room, the talent has risen for Virginia in 2025. At the core of a reloaded Virginia team, the leader under center will determine whether or not the Cavaliers can succeed. An infusion of talent on the offensive line and new receiving options will only go as far as a quarterback can take them. This time around, in 2025, perhaps Virginia has the right group of gunslingers.
Xander Tilock contributed reporting.
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