The most glaring omission, though, was the lack of NFL body types on the roster. So since landing in Charlottesville with Mendenhall in 2016, director of player personnel Justin Anderson’s mission has been finding players that fit the physical traits NFL scouts are looking for and getting them on Grounds. “We’ve done some research over the last couple years about the average body types at each position, and then we break it down even further for what we need in a 3-4 defense,” Anderson said. “When we look at a kid, we’re looking for those metrics. If they don’t meet them, then it’s ‘What skills do they possess that may outweigh the fact that they’re not a certain height or weight?’”

“We have a much clearer idea of what characteristics a player would need to thrive at UVa, and we have a much clearer picture of what the ACC is and what physical measurements are necessary to have success at this level,” Mendenhall said.

Mendenhall credits some of that recruiting success to the addition last year of several new analysts and regional scouts, which he said was made possible by support from athletics director Carla Williams.“I didn’t think those positions were as needed as they were when I arrived, but over time I realized in this setting and this environment, they were essential,” Mendenhall said.