Jay Woolfolk, Brennan Armstrong’s primary backup in 2021, will be in Charlottesville on April 23, only he won’t be with the football team suiting up for the Spring Game. He’ll be with the baseball team, playing for Brian O’Connor and the Cavalier baseball team as the Hoos host North Carolina. Virginia will feature only one other scholarship quarterback outside of its record-breaking starter this spring, and he is true freshman Davis Lane Jr.

Lane graduated early from Liberty Christian Academy and enrolled on Grounds in January of 2022. In two years at LCA he worked under the tutelage of former UVA starting quarterback Michael Rocco, who serves as quarterbacks coach at the Lynchburg prep school.

“Right off the bat, you’re a new kid coming in midyear without a full year,” Rocco answered when asked about the benefits and challenges of enrolling early. “I came in during the summer, so I had a full room of freshmen I was with. I think that will be one of the biggest hurdles. There are benefits to that as well, but he has to overcome the homesickness and adapt to college life quickly. Right away, before football even starts, there will be an adjustment. In general, his biggest strength is adaptability. His ability to learn and adapt. Everyone will be on square one in terms of learning the offense. Everyone is taking an intensive. I think that’s to his advantage. The new staff will have fresh eyes on everyone.”

The 6'1", 185-pound freshman signal caller “is a guy that I’m excited about,” Virginia head coach Tony Elliott said. “I think he has some potential that he hasn’t tapped into.”

Because of Woolfolk’s baseball pursuits and Iraken Armstead’s offseason transfer, “Davis could be getting second-team reps (this spring),” Rocco said. “Having a veteran who has been a highly successful player to lean on will help, but it is also meaningful that he could get reps with the second or third team. Again, that will push him forward light years. It will really help him adapt.”

Rocco’s relationship with the UVA first year began when Lane was in the eighth grade. After two seasons at Jefferson Forest High School in Forest, Virginia, Lane transferred to Liberty Christian Academy. As a junior in a COVID-shortened spring season, Lane helped the Bulldogs to a 6-2 mark. LCA enjoyed an undefeated regular season in the fall of 2021, winning 13 of 14 contests. The lone loss was a 22-14 defeat to Phoebus in the Class 3 state championship.

Lane threw for over 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns his senior season. A dual threat from the quarterback spot, he added 600 yards rushing and 12 scores.

“Even as a young kid, he had the tools,” Rocco recalled. “He was always fast.”

“He wanted a future in football, so we put him on the fast track as a junior to get him to where he wanted to be,” Rocco said. “I still think getting him into a college system will exponentially grow him. Get him in the classroom, have him learn at a high level. He has the physical tools. It’s a matter of how quickly he will progress. A lot of things go into being a successful quarterback.”

As a senior, Lane “physically was way farther along with strength and development,” Rocco said. “The offseason going into his senior year, he got very strong. He benches somewhere in the 300s. He has won a state championship in the 55 meters. He’s complete in the physical tools.”

Asked how Lane’s skills, in particular his passing skills, improved over the past two seasons, Rocco answered, “I wouldn’t say he has Pat Mahomes arm strength, but I don’t think anybody does. He’s got good enough arm strength in terms of throwing the deep ball, throwing an out route. That definitely would not worry me. He has the tools and the speed. He can run away from faster guys on the team. I don’t see him as a Bryce Perkins-type who will pound it at you, but he can get out of trouble. He has a knack for doing that type of thing.”

What advice did the former Virginia and University of Richmond signal caller have for Lane as his collegiate career begins?

“He’s a very motivated kid,” Rocco said. “He’s a gym rat. He says and does all the right things, but what I’ve encouraged is for him to bring others along with him. It’s okay to work by yourself, but it’s important to bring teammates with you while you work to get better, to build that camaraderie.”

“One of the biggest challenges is the quarterback position calls for you to be a leader,” Rocco continued. “How quickly can you come in and adapt to a leadership role? That’ll be a big challenge. Maybe getting second or third-team reps this spring will help plunge him into that.”

As Rocco mentioned, Lane’s ability to learn and adapt are strengths. The former Hoo looks forward to seeing how this spring’s experience will accelerate his former pupil’s development.

“With some kids, it’s difficult to take what they learn from the meeting room and translate it on the field. That’s not the case with Davis,” Rocco said. “He sees it, he does it. He’s just that way. That’s what has helped him in his development. His senior year he progressed in that way. We were very cautious with how much we put on him. We kind of took baby steps with him through his junior and senior years. He did a great job of managing the game.”

More With Michael Rocco

Virginia signed Davis and recruited Zach Rice heavily before he chose UNC. I know UVA is also recruiting LCA running back Gideon Davidson strongly. As a freshman, Davidson was offered by Bronco Mendenhall and now has been re-offered by Coach Elliott. What makes him such a good prospect?

“We all call him a freak,” Rocco said. “He just is. All the intangibles he has. He does not look like a freshman. He runs a 4.4 40. There are a lot of guys who have those measurables and don’t put in the practice on the field. He does. He was arguably our best player as a freshman. I think they sky is the limit. He’s not an egocentric kid. If he stays focused, stays on the track he is on, he could be unbelievable.”

What are your thoughts on the new UVA staff?

“I’m excited about it,” Rocco said. “Biscuit (Marques Hagans) was there when I played there. Chris Slade is back. Clint Sintim, I’m close with him. I think it’s good to have that type of representation on the staff. In the spring I’ll get to meet them. From what I’ve heard, they are a good group of guys. Good men.”

It seems like this staff is making a strong push to improve in-state recruiting. Do you have any thoughts on that?

“In my opinion, not just the state, but regionalizing things is a good idea,” Rocco said. “Things happen. Coaches leave. If you have [prospects] from California or Utah on the roster, it’s a higher likelihood of turnover. Regionalizing recruiting I think will be beneficial to the future.”

Your father and uncle (Danny Rocco) have storied coaching backgrounds. Have you ever thought of going into coaching full time?

“I’ve been coaching seven years in an assistant role,” said Rocco, whose full-time job is with Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group. “I like the balance of having a full-time job and getting my fix of football. I’ve seen how tough the coaching industry can be. It’s volatile.”