Countdown to UVa Football #82: David Eldridge|UV Hot Topics|Team BattleGround|College BattleGround

Position: WR
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 170
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Bealton, VA
Twitter: @DavidEldridge4

As a true freshman in 2015, David Eldridge was known more for his natural instincts, namely his speed and ability to stretch the field than he was for his production. The good news: Eldridge provided glimpses of how those natural gifts could be uesd, hauling in a 43 yard pass against William & Mary and a 45 yard pass against Duke. The bad news: those were Eldridge’s only two receptions from the seven games in which he appeared. The opportunity: with the loss of Canaan Severin and TJ Thorpe, Eldridge’s 88 yards last season make him the second leading returning wideout on the UVa roster.

In 2016 Eldridge will have the opportunity to be the home-run hitting playmaker that Virginia’s offense has lacked for the past few seasons. At his best Eldridge is a deep threat the defense has to account for, which opens up room for UVa’s other offensive weapons such as Keeon Johnson, Doni Dowling, and Taquan Mizzell to operate with a little more freedom underneath. Before that can happen, however, Eldridge has to improve his hands and the consistency with which he runs his routes. If that occurs, look for the Hoos to have more explosive plays this season than at any point of the Fairchild era.