Tall pass-catchers Tony Poljan and Lavel Davis offer physical edges for U.Va. that few defenses can answer
Getting guys open in the passing game is an inexact science. It’s not a one-size-fits-all formula. Bronco Mendenhall figured that out back in Utah.
If recruiting players with blinding speed who can get a step or two on defensive backs is one method of developing pass-catchers, finding guys who simply tower over cornerbacks is another. Mendenhall has a mix of both as Virginia’s coach, but transfer tight end Tony Poljan and true freshman wide receiver Lavel Davis take the height advantage approach to the extreme.
Finding ways to defend two 6-foot-7 guys, which describes both Poljan and Davis, is a chore, especially when they’re on the field together. That’s where the edge comes into play – maybe even Saturday when U.Va. (1-0, 1-0 ACC) travels for a rematch at No. 1 Clemson, which beat Virginia. in last season’s ACC championship game.
“We’ve had big receivers in the past at Brigham Young,” said Mendenhall, who was BYU’s coach for 11 seasons before arriving in 2016 at U.Va. “I like the matchups right from the beginning, as most corners are rarely taller than 6-foot, sometimes 6-foot-1, but usually 5-foot-10 or 5-foot-11. When you’re 6-foot-7, even if you’re not behind a defender, you’re still open.”
Clemson (2-0, 1-0) is a lot of things. Immensely talented at its skill positions? Check. Physically imposing on both the offensive and defensive lines? Check. Chock full o' NFL talent all over the roster? Check.
One area where Clemson lacks is size in the secondary.
No cornerback or safety on Clemson’s two-deep depth chart measures over 6-foot-1, including Maury High graduate Sheridan Jones, a 6-foot sophomore cornerback who started wins this season at Wake Forest and against The Citadel.
Poljan and Davis have already showed flashes of what they can do with quarterback Brennan Armstrong passing to them Saturday in U.Va.'s 38-20 win against Duke. Poljan, a 265-pound graduate senior who transferred in the offseason from Central Michigan, had four catches for 44 yards, but Davis made an even bigger splash with four catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns in his first college game.
Davis, a Dorchester, South Carolina, product who didn’t get scholarship offers from Clemson or South Carolina, earned both receiver and rookie of the week honors in the ACC. With Davis providing another massive target on the field for Armstrong along with speedy receivers like Terrell Jana, Billy Kemp and Demick Starling, another true freshman, and 6-3 receivers Ra’Shaun Henry and Jalen Harrison, Poljan realizes there’s potential to cause defenses' heads to spin.
“Everything is complementary,” said Poljan, awho moved to tight end after opening the 2018 season as Central Michigan’s starting quarterback. “They’re going to have to choose to guard Lavel, guard Jana, guard Billy or guard me, so the more success Lavel, Jana and Billy have, it’s just going to put more pressure on everyone else (on defense).”
Those tough coverage decisions are just the sort of things Mendenhall is seeking to create. At the very least, he has the pieces to implement the plan.
“Football is a game of one-on-ones,” said Mendenhall, who doesn’t make true freshmen available for interviews. “When you have length and size, unless the opponent has someone that’s similar length and size, they have to compensate it by vertical jump or physical presence or strength or something that then mitigates the matchup. So, those two players, most matchups will be in our favor. Lots of work still to do on execution and precision and mastery of their craft, but I certainly like the start that we have with both of them.”
Norm Wood, 757-247-4644, nwood@dailypress.com
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