Five Sleepers for Virginia Against Duke

Virginia is caught between a rock and a hard place.

The Cavaliers have fallen to 4-3 and have been decimated by injuries all over the roster. They are in must-win territory once again this week, with the rival Duke Blue Devils coming to town for a Friday night clash.

Here are five key sleepers as Virginia aims to get its season back on track:

DT Sichan John

If Virginia is to have any chance of winning, it must hinder Duke's running game. It has one of the nation's top running backs in Nate Sheppard — he would be the nation's leading rusher right now if the Blue Devils did not have an early bye week. Containing Sheppard (at least a little bit) starts up front with players like John.

John is the Cavaliers' largest defensive lineman at 312 pounds, and Coach Tony Elliott often sings his praises. The sophomore lineman produced a sack against Delaware, and recently had five tackles against SMU. John could be a big part of the run defense Friday.

TE John Rogers

Virginia's tight ends have seen very little involvement in the passing game. Rogers leads that group with nine catches for 75 yards and a touchdown this year. He continues to get more involved, as he has now recorded two starts and could be due for a third against the Blue Devils.

Rogers has been a reliable target out of the flat for quarterback Beau Pribula. If offensive coordinator Des Kitchings can design some plays for Rogers to run mesh or seam, maybe his athleticism can be maximized.

S Keke Adams

Adams is quietly one of the interception leaders on this team, coming from a two-pick evening against Delaware. With Ethan Minter out and Brandyn Hillman questionable to play (at best), Adams will certainly play heavy snaps against Duke. Perhaps Adams even ends up starting.

He is a big hitter who plays a core role on Virginia's special teams unit. That skillset could be valuable in the effort to stop Sheppard.

LB Landon Danley

Another key member of the "stop Nate Sheppard" effort is Danley, one of the Cavaliers' most reliable tacklers. The biggest flaw on this defense is that missed tackles occur far too often. As a result, it would behoove the coaching staff to find ways to get Danley on the field as much as possible, particularly as Kam Robinson continues to work on his return to superstar form.

Danley was actually the top defender against SMU, according to PFF. Danley led Virginia with a 76.0 grade in 16 snaps.

WR Isaiah Robinson

No position has been hit with injuries more than this receiver room. Against Duke, Virginia is down No. 1 receiver Rico Flores Jr, No. 2 receiver Kam Courtney (questionable), rising underclassman Dillon Newton-Short and depth piece Triston Ward.

That leaves just Da'Shawn Martin and Jacquon Gibson as healthy players who can start. Behind them, the Cavaliers are left with just Isaiah Robinson and Josiah Abdullah.

Robinson could be an under-the-radar contributor Friday night. He flashed potential with two catches for 41 yards at Florida State, and he would have had a touchdown in ACC play but he dropped it. Overall, Robinson has the size and speed to make an impact against some smaller defensive backs.