CHARLOTTESVILLE — Whenever Trey McDonald prepares for the opposing offense to snap the football, the Virginia linebacker knows he could be needed by any of his new teammates in an instant.

“It’s the role of a good linebacker,” McDonald said.

And that responsibility, according to UVa linebackers coach Mike Adams, is heightened for McDonald and fellow veteran linebackers James Jackson and Kam Robinson as the Cavaliers gear up for this coming fall.

“We have a lot of experience,” said Jackson, a North Cross graduate. “We know we’ve taken a lot of snaps in this group.”

But the rest of the defense hasn’t.

When UVa opens its 2025 campaign on Aug. 30 against Coastal Carolina, the Hoos will likely break in two new starters at defensive end and five in the secondary. The bulk of those defenders

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