Nick Grant had to wait until his redshirt junior season to get a starting job. He is taking advantage. Here, he returns the first interception of his career 85 yards for a TD vs. William & Mary. ~ Photo by Kris Wright

With San Francisco 49ers sixth-round draft pick Tim Harris gone and junior Darrius Bratton out for the season as a result of a non-contact knee injury suffered in fall camp last month, we knew Virginia football would feature a new starting cornerback opposite All-American Bryce Hall in the season opener at Pittsburgh. Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall wound up giving the job to junior Nick Grant, who had seen little action on defense in his first three years in the program (a redshirt year plus two seasons primarily playing special teams) but had a terrific offseason and fall camp.