CHARLOTTESVILLE — Virginia gained the services of several headline-grabbing transfers in the offseason, creating a churn of excitement for the program’s new potential difference makers.
Naturally, with so many fresh faces, some were celebrated more than others.
One of the less heralded newcomers may have been Cam Ross, one of three veteran wide receivers who joined the program as part of its 32-man transfer class.
In lieu of a publicist, the 5-foot-10, 186-pound dynamo took matters into his own hands in Saturday’s season-opening 48-7 win over Coastal Carolina at Scott Stadium. There were many contributors from the Cavaliers’ portal haul, but none impacted the game quite like Ross, who accounted for 224 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in his UVA debut.
Ross, who played at JMU in 2024 after four seasons at UConn, replied “absolutely” when asked afterward if he felt overlooked in the preseason.
“I’ve always been overlooked, so I love having that chip on my shoulder,” he added. “I never had any malice in my heart. To me, it was just about earning my stripes. Coming into a new environment, you’ve got to earn your role regardless, so for me, it was just earning the trust of my teammates and my coaches and just trying to find a role on this team.”
Judging by opening night, Ross fits the role of unquestioned playmaker quite naturally.
He sped past defensive backs, made tough catches in traffic, slipped tackles and brought an explosive dimension to UVA’s offense that harkened back to another former transfer-turned-star receiver — Malik Washington.
Washington posted solid numbers in his time at Northwestern before taking a star turn in his one season in Charlottesville in 2023. He set school single-season records with 110 catches and 1,426 yards and is now part of the receiving rotation for the Miami Dolphins.
Could Ross’s career arc take a similar path?
“He’s got a long way to go, obviously, because Malik did some exceptional things here, but he’s kind of cut from the same cloth with his ability as a football player and also as a return guy,” Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott said. “He doesn’t say much. Very quiet. He just shows up every single day and goes to work.”
Ross was named both the ACC’s Receiver and Specialist of the Week after his best day as a college player in his first contest as a Power 4 competitor. He had seven receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown, averaging 17.7 yards per catch. He also excelled in the return game, running a kickoff back 100 yards for a touchdown.
The dynamic playmaker will look to provide a similar impact when the Cavaliers travel to N.C. State on Saturday. Kickoff is set for noon.
Ross’s exceptional short-area quickness popped on film when Elliott and his staff were trying to lure him from the transfer portal. They saw it first-hand against the Chanticleers, as Ross darted around the field making catches and forcing defenders to miss.
“You felt … that he would be able to make some plays,” Elliott said. “I’m just super excited for him. He’s a guy that came in and worked, and maybe some of the other guys might have been more talked about in terms of their transition coming in the door, but he’s just a workman.”
August 30, 2025: Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Cam Ross (6) returns a kickoff for a touchdown during the NCAA football game between the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, VA. Jonathan Huff/CSM (Credit Image: © Jonathan Huff/Cal Sport Media) (Cal Sport Media via AP Images)
UVA’s offense started slowly, stalling on its first two drives. It got going toward the end of the first quarter, however, as transfer quarterback Chandler Morris completed a 12-yard strike to Ross and a 7-yard pass to tight end Dakota Twitty to get the Cavaliers to midfield.
On the drive’s penultimate play, Morris slung a pass to Ross, who caught the ball near the sideline at the Coastal Carolina 35-yard line and weaved his way through the defense before being tripped up at the 1. The Cavaliers scored on the next play on a J’Mari Taylor run.
Ross struck again toward the end of the second quarter, hauling in a Morris offering in the middle of the field near the Chanticleers’ 10-yard line and running the rest of the way for a 29-yard score to make it 21-0.
His most spectacular play came late in the third quarter when he caught a kickoff at the goal line, followed a wide lane cleared by his blockers before hitting the afterburners on a 100-yard return for a touchdown.
It was the first kickoff return touchdown for the Cavaliers since Joe Reed did it against Duke in 2019, and it also tied for the longest kick return in program history.
“Man, I was so happy,” Taylor said of his teammate’s run back. “What’s crazy was, I was sitting on the bench, and I looked up and saw Cam take off, and I was like, ‘Well, ain’t no catching him, so might as well run down the sideline with him.’”
Ross was an All-Met selection by The Washington Post while starring at St. John’s College High School in the nation’s capital. While at UConn, he logged 114 catches for 1,356 yards and six touchdowns over four seasons and graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in finance.
In his one season at JMU, he tallied 37 catches for 443 yards and three touchdowns and averaged 28.2 yards per kickoff return.
He has a chance now to show off his skills for a Power 4 team looking to have its first winning season since 2019. Ross said the challenges of playing for his third program in three years have been mitigated by the support he has received at UVA.
“It’s easy when you have great people like this,” he said. “It’s the people that make it. Since the second I stepped into the building, it was nothing but open arms and a welcoming demeanor. Everybody is great, from the top down. I can’t express it enough, honestly. I feel like that goes into your performance. They make you feel good about yourself. They make you want to go out there and fight for them, fight for this program, fight for this university.”
