When Virginia defensive tackle Hunter Osborne is taking on blocks or chasing opposing quarterbacks, a few sources of motivation always cross his mind.
Osborne said first and foremost, he wants to do well for himself and then make his parents proud.
“But also, as I’m on the field and I look at Coach [Tony] Elliott, I’m like, ‘I want to help that man win. I want to be part of his vision, his success story,’” said Osborne, who registered his first career sack in the Cavaliers’ win at Louisville on Oct. 4 and has increasingly earned more playing time as the season has transpired.
The 6-foot-4, 301-pound sophomore only arrived at UVa in January, but his bond with Elliott, UVa’s fourth-year coach, is strong.
Osborne said Elliott was the one who ultimately convinced him to join the Cavaliers after Osborne departed perennial powerhouse Alabama.
That was with UVa fresh off its third straight losing season with Elliott at the helm, and Osborne still desiring to play for a winner.
Osborne, a Trussville, Alabama native, began his career with the Crimson Tide under the watch of seven-time, national championship winning coach Nick Saban.
Elliott, according to Osborne, laid out his entire roadmap for the Hoos and their path to potential success this fall.
No. 18 UVa (5-1, 3-0 ACC) has won four straight contests and hosts Washington State (3-3, 0-0 Pac-12) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The Hoos are only one win shy of bowl eligibility and they’re in the thick of the ACC title race and in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
“So, I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a leap of faith,” Osborne said about his move from Alabama to UVa. “You’ve just got to trust who you’re around and Coach E has been a winner before.
“He won two national championships [as an offensive coordinator at Clemson] and he knows what it takes. He knows everything it takes to lead a national championship winning program, so he’s been there before. So, I wouldn’t call it a leap of faith. I’m just trusting in a man who has been there before, just like Coach Saban had.”
Said Elliott about what he told Osborne while recruiting him out of the transfer portal: “We know what it looks like, and that I came here to build something similar to what we were used to [at Clemson], and I need you. I need you to help me.”
Osborne said he also was drawn to the way defensive tackles coach Kevin Downing planned to continue developing him. That was another crucial factor in UVa landing Osborne, considering he had only appeared in four games over two seasons at Alabama and still has two more years of eligibility remaining after this season.
“He has the characteristics we look for. He’s smart, tough and loves football,” Downing said. “He’s a really good learner, and can play both spots [on the interior of the D-Line], which allows him to play. He’s super physical and super sturdy, and he’s a dependable guy. He’s a guy we find ways to get out there, because you know when he’s out there, he’s going to do his job to the best of his ability.”
Downing said one trait Osborne has that sticks out above all else is the strength of his hands. Downing said he thought Osborne’s heavy hands could be an advantage, and has taught Osborne how to use them effectively.
“Then there were things you’re always working on with D-Linemen,” Downing said. “You’re making sure they get their feet in the ground and are playing with really good pad level, hand placement and all of those things, and the area he talked to me about that he wants to improve is as a pass rusher.”
Osborne’s diligence and effort to enhance those fundamental skills showed up when he took down Cardinals quarterback Miller Moss late in the fourth quarter for that first career sack, too.
“We noticed all week in preparation that their O-Line did a lot of lateral sliding,” Osborne said, “and that when you put your hands on them, they try to clamp onto your shoulder pads, so throughout the entire game we did a lot of movement and I wasn’t really getting to use my power [move].
“I was doing a lot of hand-fighting,” Osborne continued, “but that play, it was full-on as soon as the ball was snapped. It was feet to power and I got to long arm and use a one-arm extension to walk [Louisville offensive lineman Jordan Church] back into the quarterback depth. Then, I saw the quarterback step up and as soon as I saw the quarterback step up, I ripped off [of Church] and [Moss] happened to be right there and I fell on top of him.”
Osborne said he was so excited that he ran over to Downing on the sideline and asked him if it was indeed a sack.
“He did,” Downing said with a laugh, “but that was a big sack for us.”
On the year, Osborne has 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and two quarterback hurries. He’s coming off the bench as a rotational player, sharing reps with fellow defensive tackles Jahmeer Carter, Jason Hammond, Anthony Britton and Jacob Holmes.
Downing said Osborne has fit in well with the group, and defensive end Daniel Rickert said Osborne is getting better with each week he spends in defensive coordinator John Rudzinski’s system.
“Hunter is a good player. He knows the defense really well,” Rickert said, “and he’s obviously got a good body. He’s big, tall, strong and has played at the highest level in coming from Bama, and I think he’s just starting to get more comfortable.”
Downing said UVa didn’t know to exactly what it was getting in Osborne because he had hardly played for the Tide.
“But you saw some traits,” Downing said. “Then, when you got a chance to meet him, get around him and his family, you knew he’s the right type of person you’d want in your program.”
Downing added: “And when you get someone who played for Nick Saban, you just really are fortunate. Hunter came here knowing how to work and what working hard looked like, and he talked about some of the similarities between Alabama and here, and I think that’s something that allowed him to transition smooth.”
Osborne said there are lessons he learned from Saban that’ll stay true for as long as he’s playing football.
“He talked about never being entitled and never being lazy,” Osborne said, “staying disciplined and having commitment and effort, toughness and pride. That’s always stuck with me, especially, through hard times or when I’m tired. But I’ll go back and think about the small things he talked about and apply them to the big picture.”
Elliott and Downing said the Hoos are thrilled to have Osborne on their roster. And Downing said even in today’s era of the sport — when NIL can make the game feel transactional — that relationships still matter the most in recruiting.
That’s certainly true in this case with Osborne, Elliott and Downing.
“It’s one thing when I paint the vision and I say it,” Elliott said, “but when I got guys in the locker room that have lived it, that understand it, that can reinforce it, that’s how we can do it. And [Osborne] can be a pivotal piece in helping propel this program going forward.”
Greg Madia
gmadia@dailyprogress.com
@GregMadia on X
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Greg Madia
UVa Sports Reporter
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