As if Virginia didn't have enough issues with its defensive line, the Cavaliers went through spring practice without a leading candidate for one of the end spots vacated by Chris Long and Jeffrey Fitzgerald.

Sophomore Sean Gottschalk may have missed some valuable scrimmage time in the spring but it wasn't a wasted offseason.

Gottschalk, who previously may have appeared a little undersized, was in the 285- to 290-pound range when he reported for camp earlier this week.

Gottschalk played in nine games in 2007 but required shoulder surgery after the season.

"He's full go," UVa coach Al Groh said Thursday. "Not unexpectedly, he's a little rusty. With players who did miss time, where it shows up most noticeably is in reaction time and footwork. Those are two areas that Sean is working at getting refined.

"He has really been very diligent. Whatever he can do, he's been doing, before the surgery and after the surgery. He's shown tremendous work effort during the summer. If he continues with that, that's all we can ask of him."

To the suggestion that Gottschalk lacks the frame of fellow defensive end Alex Field, Groh responded, "He does now."

Gottschalk and Field, who last year was listed at 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds, are among those who have benefitted from the addition of Virginia's first full-time sports nutritionist, Rob Skinner.

"He got here during the latter part of last season," Groh said. "We were really determined during the summer that we were going to take full advantage of his presence. He conducted quite a few classes on food selection, how to shop and how to cook. A lot of players have testified to the way it has changed their perspective."

Internal matters

Starting offensive tackle Will Barker is scheduled to be in Charlottesville General District Court on Aug. 26, five days before UVa's season opener against Southern California. Barker and fellow O-lineman Dave Roberts, a walk-on, were charged July 26 with petty larceny.

Barker and Roberts also were charged with underage possession of alcohol and using a fake ID, the same charge levied against Cavaliers quarterback Peter Lalich less than two weeks before that.

"There's certain things that we weren't pleased with and we've dealt with them internally," Groh said in a teleconference earlier this week, "but, frankly, there are plenty of people out there who want to stir it up. I don't necessarily need to contribute to that."

Groh would not disclose if either of the incidents would result in a loss of playing time.

"We'll just handle all that internally," he reiterated.

Reyering a natural

Although many football place-kickers have a soccer background, Yannick Reyering is bidding to become the first UVa soccer player to kick for the Cavaliers' football team since Jeff Gaffney in 1986.

Normally, the two seasons coincide, but Reyering's soccer eligibility has expired and a torn anterior cruciate ligament prevented him from going to camp with FC Dallas, which selected him in the second round of the Major League Soccer Draft.

"I put it out there as an alternative because of his injury," UVa men's soccer coach George Gelnovatch said, "but also because he's well-suited. He strikes the ball as good or better than anybody I've ever seen.

"He's got a lot of leverage. He's big [6 foot 5]. He took all of our penalty kicks, which takes a lot of mental concentration.

"Given his injury and the fact he needed another semester of school, this wasn't a bad thing at least to explore."

Actually, there was another UVa soccer player who turned to football, ex-starting goalie Ryan Best, but Best gave up soccer to concentrate on football.

Help on way

Gelnovatch, whose program is less than two years removed from an appearance in the NCAA semifinals, said he has his youngest team in almost 10 years and is hoping for a boost from three Division I transfers.

Included in that group is Matt Weiler, a transfer from the University of Kentucky, whose men's soccer team competes in Conference USA (the Southeastern Conference doesn't have enough teams). Weiler also played football at Lake Braddock and his father, Chris, had 44 receptions for Navy in 1984.

The Cavaliers also picked up 6-4 defender Jordon Evans, who started 28 games in two seasons at Richmond and was named to the 2006 All-Atlantic 10 tournament team.

All of the transfers will have instant eligibility.

Cavalier exodus

After making its fifth NCAA appearance in five seasons under Brian O'Connor, Virginia's baseball team finds itself in a rebuilding mode after the loss of three prominent juniors and at least one signee.

Former All-ACC pitcher Jacob Thompson signed last week with the Atlanta Braves, who had selected him in the fifth round of baseball's free-agent draft. He joined second baseman David Adams and All-ACC shortstop Greg Miclat in passing up their final season of college eligibility.

Adams was selected in the third round by the New York Yankees and Miclat in the fifth round by Baltimore.

The Cavaliers also lost first baseman Tyler Massey, a signee from Chattanooga, Tenn., a 14th-round Colorado Rockies pick whose $525,000 bonus was well above the norm for that round.

The Cavaliers also are in jeopardy of losing Unionville, Pa., slugger Peter Hissey, who was Boston's fourth-round pick. The Red Sox have until next Thursday to sign Hissey.