Coming into Saturday’s season-opening matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers, junior wide receiver Malachi Fields had just 16 career receptions for 230 yards in his two collegiate seasons with the Virginia Cavaliers. Yet even as the Wahoos’ offense struggled to get off the starting blocks in the Cavaliers’ 49-13 loss in Nashville, Fields stood out as quarterback Tony Muskett’s go-to weapon and someone who could be poised for a breakout campaign.
Fields, a Virginia native who starred at Monticello High School, hauled in four passes for 63 yards against the Volunteers. He flashed abilities as a deep threat and, at 6’4” 220lbs, as a big-bodied receiver who can go up and make contested catches.