The Roanoke Times | File April

Mike London's team received the fewest votes in the preseason poll at the ACC Football Kickoff.

The Roanoke Times | File April

Tailback Keith Payne sat out the 2009 season but is on the 2010-11 preseason roster. He has struggled academically, said UVa coach Mike London.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- By the time new Virginia football coach Mike London met with the media Monday, the media already had spoken.

London was sitting down with reporters when he was told the Cavaliers had been picked sixth in the Coastal Division in a poll conducted Sunday at the ACC Football Kickoff.

"Dead last ?" London asked. "Got 'em exactly where I want them."

Maryland, the preseason choice for sixth in the Atlantic Division, received more votes than Virginia.

"It is what it is," said London, a former UVa defensive coordinator who was the head coach at Richmond for the past two seasons. "I don't think I need to use that as a motivating factor for our team.

"All I worry about is what we think about ourselves and then how we do on the field. So far, my thoughts are positive thoughts about who we are and what we're doing."

At Monday's session, the media also was asked to pick a preseason all-conference team. Only one Virginia player made the All-ACC first team last year, then-senior defensive lineman Nate Collins.

A reporter tardy in filling out his ballot Monday asked London for a recommendation at tight end. The Cavaliers' Joe Torchia was on the ballot.

"Absolutely, we're going to use the tight end -- Joe Torchia, Paul Freedman, Connor Phillips [and] a couple that we brought in," London said. "We're going to bring the tight end position back."

UVa de-emphasized the tight end when spread advocate Gregg Brandon was hired as offensive coordinator following the 2008 season. That cost Virginia the services of once-touted tight end Andrew Devlin, who transferred to Pittsburgh.

The spread didn't improve UVa's fortunes and six straight season-ending losses led to the dismissal of former coach Al Groh.

The Cavaliers failed to crack the nation's top 100 in total offense for a fourth straight season and were ineffective both running and throwing the football.

While much of the preseason talk has centered on fifth-year quarterback Marc Verica and the likelihood that he will return to mid-2008 form, the UVa running game has come off relatively unscathed.

However, the Cavaliers have not produced a 1,000-yard rusher since Alvin Pearman in 2004 and have not had a 500-yard rusher in three of the past five seasons.

"One of the reasons for closing the [line] splits down, bringing the fullback back [and] bringing the tight end back into the game is being able to run the ball," London said. "I believe you have to have the ability to run in order to win."

Erstwhile linebacker Terrence Fells-Danzer has embraced a move to fullback but the identity of UVa's starting tailback is a mystery.

The Cavaliers lost their Nos. 1 and 2 rushers, seniors Rashawn Jackson and Mikell Simpson. Tops among the returnees is sophomore Torrey Mack, who had a total of 23 carries for 73 yards.

Another candidate, Dominique Wallace, played briefly as a true freshman but met the criteria for a hardship appeal after undergoing season-ending foot surgery.

"He didn't go through spring practice; he's still on the mend," London said. "It's one thing to run with the trainers and run with the team, but it's another thing when you've got organized practices and people are trying to tackle you."

Other candidates include would-be fifth-year senior and former Group AAA player of the year Keith Payne, Mack and sophomore Perry Jones.

"Keith Payne has been in academic doghouse, so I don't talk much about him," London said. "Torrey Mack is a young man who's still learning some life lessons. He's very talented but he's still got some things he's got to learn and do.

"You've got [5-foot-8, 185 pounds] Perry Jones, a small guy who's very shifty and very strong. Pound for pound, he's probably one of the strongest guys on our team.

"Nobody has really established himself as the guy but there's a long list of names."

London has been pleased with his team's academics overall. The players' cumulative grade-point average for the spring semester was the highest in 10 years and London singled out prep-school product Morgan Moses, a massive Parade All-America offensive lineman, for making a "B" in the first session of summer school.

Payne, who sat out the 2009 season and talked about transferring after a disagreement with former coach Groh, is listed on the preseason roster made available to the media.

A decision on Payne (6-3, 255) could await grades at the end of UVa's third summer session.

"Here's a guy who's very, very talented," London said, "and he just needs to separate himself from all those issues -- academics, being a good teammate. I think he's on the road back. I think he's there. But when the final grades come out, it remains to be seen whether I'm jumping up and down."

Note

London confirmed that sophomore defensive back Corey Lillard has left the program. Lillard was among a host of true freshmen who played sparingly last season at the cost of a year's eligibility.