UVA's Malachi Fields Primed for a Monster Season
UVA's Malachi Fields Primed for a Monster Season
A member of the 100-target club, UVA's Malachi Fields could very well finish near the top of the CFF leaderboard this season (so long as UVA scores a few more TDs).
You will wear a jacket and tie. If you don't have one, buy one. Can't afford one, borrow one from your old man. Don't have an old man, find a drunk, and trade for his.
- Coach Boone, Remember The Titans (2000)
In one of the more unlikely events of last year’s college football season, the Virginia Cavaliers supported one of the most productive WRs in all of the FBS. Northwestern transfer Malik Washington was a staple on the field and a frequent target of both Anthony Colandrea and Tony “The Iron Musket” Musket. In fact, Washington finished #1 in receptions across the sport last year with 110 on 144 targets.
Washington now moves on, and with him his enormity of targets. Someone will have to step up to fill those shoes—a role that many prognosticators have focused on the slot receiver position. Another transfer, Chris Tyree, was recently singled out as a guy who’s going to make an impact this year from head coach Tony Elliot.
However, the most productive returning receiver is fourth year player Malachi Fields. Remarkably, in addition to Washington’s 144 targets last season, Fields is also a member of the vaunted 100-target club (which by the way is a distinction that comes with a free-lifetime subscription to VP, no questions asked). How many of you out there had on your bingo card for 2023 that not one but TWO 100-receivers on Virginia would hit the 100-target club?
I’m guessing not many. But it does raise an interesting question, was that normal for this staff? Given that it was a fairly new bunch, not much was known ahead of time. And keeping in mind that UVA wasn’t very good last year, they were trailing in most of their games. You know what that means right? A lot of passing to play catch up. That probably helps. Let’s take a closer look.
Coaching & System
WR1 PPG AVERAGE — HC: 14.4 — OC: 13.81 (half ppr)
Tony Elliott is most well-known for his time as the OC of the Clemson Tigers during their legendary run. That 2018 season and the beatdown they put on Nick Saban's Alabama team is still a go-to campfire story among CFF wisemen across the southeast.
The OC is a man named Des Kitchings, who boasts experience in both the NFL and CFB. Prior to joining UVA with Elliott in 2022, Kitchings was the RBs coach with the Atlanta Falcons (2021) and the South Carolina Gamecocks (2020). As a play caller, he served as the co-OC at NC State (2019) and Vanderbilt (2010). Neither of those teams produced a WR with over 600 yards receiving.
Elliott’s eight seasons spent as the OC or co-OC at Clemson produced four 1000-yard receivers, including Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross, and Mike Williams.
Looking at last year’s numbers, UVA’s WR1 commanded a gargantuan 36% target share, and even more impressive, the WR2 (Fields) commanded a 25.25% share. Normally, if the WR1 is averaging 25% or higher target share, that is a good system. In this case, the WR1 was over 35%, and the WR2’s share was beyond that of most teams’ WR1s.
But was this huge target share for the top two WRs normal for this staff? It’s hard to say due to limited sample size of play calling experience of both the OC and the HC. In the previous season, UVA’s WR1 and WR2 averaged 22, and 21%, respectively. Kitchings’ WR1s seem to stay above 20% target share. Elliott’s, dating back to his time at Clemson, oscillate a little more. However, the 36% target share that Washington received appears to be an outlier.
In terms of play calling tendencies, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Elliot, the former RBs coach, favours the ground with a 52/48 split. Kitchings is basically 50/50 balanced over his last three seasons in the role of OC. UVA moved at around an average pace in 2023, with 25.4 seconds per play, which ranked 50th in the FBS.
Malachi Fields (6’4, 220)
2023 STATS: 58 (100) - 811 - 5 (14.2 PPG)
Fields is entering his fourth year of college football with the UVA Cavaliers. Even though his true breakout came last season, he really should have been a household name after 2022. In the first game of the season, Fields was targeted seven times, catching five of those for 58 yards and a score vs. Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, in that same game he suffered a season-ending injury. That would be his first and only appearance in the 2022 season.
Fortunately for Fields and the Cavaliers, he returned with a vengeance in 2023. Fields commanded 100 targets, catching almost 60 of those for 811 yards and five scores. Similar to Will Sheppard when he played at Vanderbilt, the input volume here is extremely exciting, the concern is whether UVA can support more scores for the player.
Certainly Washington moving on should help support even more input volume for Fields. I’m a believer in that if you give a player enough opportunities, they’ll all find ways to score eventually. UVA could improve at the QB position too with both Colandrea and Muskett gaining another year of experience in the system.
Fields was originally a local three star prospect out of Charlottesville, Virginia. He chose the Cavaliers over offers from Liberty and Williams & Mary. In fact, it may surprise the reader to know that UVA was his only P4 offer. Even the other Virginia school—Tech, didn’t offer him.
From NFL Draft diamonds, here is a summary of his apparent strengths and weaknesses:
Is a decent route runner and displays the ability to create separation. Has great hands and can be relied on to make hard catches. Has a large frame and uses that strength to win in one-on-one battles
Need to use his strength more to his advantage when running. Has average speed.
Fields himself was quoted earlier this offseason on somethings he’d like to improve:
I can focus on my route running. I can be more physical down the field, knowing that I’m a bigger player.
Given that Fields is a big bodied boundary player, it’s unlikely he’ll be the one replacing Washington’s role in the offence. That will probably be reserved for Chris Tyree, or even Claiborne Richards, who led the spring game with six catches and over 100 yards via the slot. Elliot himself even mentioned Tyree with Washington’s name in the spring:
You look at Tyree, similar skill set to Malik [Washington]. He’s another guy that’s fast, like world class speed, and very versatile too.
And here’s a snippet from the same report on Tyree:
Graduate student receiver Malik Washington, of course, set the single season school record for both receptions and receiving yards. Elliott making that comparison is setting a very high standard for Tyree, but the connection does make sense. At 5’9,” Tyree is also a smaller receiver and has a natural ability to consistently generate explosive plays. He averaged 18.6 yards per reception last year for the Fighting Irish. Tyree will also be wearing Washington’s No. 4 this season.
Closing
Certainly from the above it would appear that Fields will not be the only WR featured in the offence this season. Chis Tyree could be that other player in the slot. We saw from Table 1. that this staff has featured its top two WRs with over 20% target share the last two seasons.
If I’m taking one player from this team I am choosing Fields. Even though Washington operated from the slot last year, and Tyree looks to be the guy who will replace him there, I’d rather take a shot on the most productive returning player, even if his role is different than last year’s WR1.
Elliott’s time with Clemson proved that he can run an offence where a boundary WR is the WR1 in the offence, and Fields fits the physical profile of a lot of those Tiger receivers. ◾
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Sample of 2018-2023.