CHARLOTTESVILLE — Often lauded for his impeccable vision, Noah Vaughn has a knack for seeing an opening and turning upfield for a big gain.
That anticipation carries over in a grander sense these days in the University of Virginia’s running back room, where he joins a cadre of young backs champing at the bit to fill the holes left by last year’s leading rusher, Perris Jones, and goal-line maestro Mike Hollins.
“I rely a lot on my vision,” said the 5-foot-8 Vaughn, who is purportedly playing at close to 200 pounds these days. “I use my eyes to see the hole and then I use my speed to hit it. I feel that kind of works out nicely for me.”
Perhaps that could be a skillset that earns him valuable reps in the backfield this season. Vaughn, a sophomore from Maryville, Tennessee, is among a group of six running backs vying for bigger roles this year now that two of the biggest ground contributors from last year have moved on.
The Cavaliers want to see fifth-year playmaker Kobe Pace take the reins as a three-down lead back this preseason, but the likes of Vaughn, juniors Xavier Brown, Jack Griese and Davis Lane as well as sophomore Donté Hawthorne are pushing for a bigger share of the workload.
Hollins and Jones “were very consistent for us in third-down situations as pass protectors or as a third-down back, so the hope is that Kobe can transition to being that guy,” Cavaliers offensive coordinator Des Kitchings said.
Building up depth behind him is imperative at such a physically demanding position, Kitchings added.
“We have to have the next guy ready to go,” he said.
Enter Vaughn, a fleet runner who is back to full health after missing last season with an ankle injury. He was a bright spot for the Cavaliers during spring practice and appears ready to take another step this preseason.
“I feel like I matured a lot on the field,” Vaughn said. “I just feel like coming through those doors every day, you know, it’s a business mindset. It was a little different from last year. There was a lot of depth in the room, and I was coming off an injury, so you weren’t expecting to get much playing time, but now I turned it up a level in the spring, and I feel like I’ve been taking my game a lot more seriously.”
Vaughn, a consensus three-star recruit, rushed for 1,279 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior in high school before suffering a broken ankle that shelved him for the final game of the regular season and the playoffs.
He had surgery to repair the injury, but experienced lingering pain during camp last year and required a follow-up procedure.
Vaughn said the lost season helped him with perspective, and he showed up for spring practice ready to work. As he gained maturity through his adversity, Vaughn said he stopped feeling sorry for himself and focused on getting faster and stronger and “controlling the controllables.”
His coaches saw a different player in the spring and summer.
“I think he’s done a great job this offseason with (football strength and conditioning coach Adam Smotherman’s) staff. He reshaped his body. He’s as big as he has been. I think he’s 199, rock solid. He’s got great vision. He’s got great feet,” said UVA running backs coach Keith Gaither.
“It’s just the consistency” we’re looking for, Gaither added. “Will he show up every day with the same intent and demeanor and passion? We don’t know. I hope. So far, so good, but I think the competition between him, Jack and Xavier is going to push him to do it because he can’t take a day off. None of them can.”
The Cavaliers hope to turn a corner in the run game this year after struggling on the ground in head coach Tony Elliott’s first two seasons. In 2023, UVA finished 107th out of 133 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in rushing yards per game (117.92), and only 11 FBS squads had fewer than the Cavaliers’ 12 rushing touchdowns.
Jones led UVA with 393 yards. Hollins had the team-lead in touchdowns with seven.
The production needs to improve if Virginia hopes to be the balanced and explosive offensive team it aspires to be.
The Cavaliers return ample experience up front, including three linemen who started every game last year — center Brian Stevens, guard Noah Josey and tackle McKale Boley; and three others who started at least five contests in guards Ty Furnish and Ugonna Nnanna and tackle Blake Steen.
At tight end, they return starter Sackett Wood and added transfers Sage Ennis (Clemson) and Tyler Neville, who played three seasons at Harvard after starring at Lafayette High in Williamsburg.
And the tailback room appears stocked with talent, with the game-breaking potential of Pace and the promise of Vaughn, Brown, Griese, Hawthorne and Lane.
“In order for us to really put stress on defenses, we’ve got to make them respect every aspect of our offense,” Elliott said. “Hopefully … with some more continuity on the offensive line, some more experience, it will help the run game all the way around. That’s also going to improve the passing game. Now you’re putting more pressure on the defense as opposed to kind of reacting.”
Vaughn says the running backs approach every practice as an opportunity to get closer to where they need to be.
“I feel like every day when we practice, it’s going to be a hard, physical practice,” Vaughn said. “That’s the mindset of our running back room … the first guy is not going to take us down. We’re going to always get some more yards out of it.”
