Virginia is undefeated in the ACC, but its playoff aspirations just took a huge hit with quarterback Chandler Morris going down in the first half against Wake Forest.
Morris, who was guiding the Cavaliers’ offense in a tight battle for ACC supremacy, was hit and left the game in the second quarter. While the injury details are still developing, the sight of the veteran signal-caller heading to the locker room immediately placed the Cavaliers’ short- and long-term hopes in jeopardy. It’s been announced that Morris will not return for tonight’s contest against Wake Forest.
Here are the latest on Morris’ injury.
Chandler Morris injury updates
Morris left the game in the second quarter after taking a hit to the head. Though the injury details are not available, he will not return tonight against Wake Forest.
UPDATE: UVA QB Chandler Morris will not return to tonight’s game against Wake.
‘Hoos trail 10-6 at the half. https://t.co/3NHlQGMITC— Mike Barber (@StillMikeBarber) November 9, 2025
The Cavaliers were trailing when Morris went down, and without their star quarterback, will have to salvage a win.
Backup quarterback Daniel Kaelin has taken over.
What happened to Chandler Morris?
Morris was injured after taking a late hit from a Wake Forest defender. The senior quarterback left the game against the Deamon Deacons in the second quarter.
Chandler Morris able to walk off the field to a huge ovation from the UVA fans.
Student section cheers his name and the fans react at the end to a replay showing a questionable no-call for targeting. pic.twitter.com/miXYwztpHu
— Preston Willett (@PrestonWillett) November 9, 2025
The injury occurred when Morris scrambled for a six-yard gain and slid to the turf. He was hit late by two Wake Forest defenders as he was giving himself up, leading to a personal foul penalty on the Demon Deacons.
He was attended to on the field before walking gingerly to the sideline and then heading directly to the locker room for further evaluation. He was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Who is Virginia’s backup QB?
The Virginia backup quarterback, who took over for Chandler Morris after his injury against Wake Forest, is Daniel Kaelin.
Kaelin is a sophomore transfer from Nebraska. He was listed as the second-string quarterback on the depth chart heading into the season.
He immediately made a major impact upon entering the game, notably breaking off a long run (54 yards) on one of his first snaps, which led to a field goal for the Cavaliers. He will be tasked with leading the undefeated Cavaliers for the remainder of the game.
Chandler Morris stats
Morris is in the middle of a career season, where Virginia football is ranked for the first time since 2021 and undefeated in the ACC.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Comp | Att | Yds | TDs | INTs | Rush Yds | Rush TDs |
| Aug 30 | vs Coastal Carolina | W 48-7 | 19 | 27 | 264 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
| Sep 6 | @ NC State | L 31-35 | 30 | 43 | 257 | 1 | 1 | 56 | 0 |
| Sep 13 | vs William & Mary | W 55-16 | 13 | 19 | 149 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Sep 20 | vs Stanford | W 48-20 | 23 | 31 | 380 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| Sep 26 | vs #8 Florida St | W 46-38 (2OT) | 26 | 35 | 229 | 2 | 3 | 37 | 3 |
| Oct 4 | @ Louisville | W 30-27 | 19 | 31 | 149 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Oct 18 | vs Washington St | W 22-20 | 15 | 25 | 179 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Oct 25 | @ North Carolina | W 17-16 | 20 | 35 | 200 | 1 | 1 | -21 | 0 |
| Nov 1 | @ Cal | W 31-21 | 24 | 36 | 262 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| Nov 1 | vs. Wake Forest | TBD | 3 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| TOTALS | (10 games) | 192 | 288 | 2,088 | 12 | 5 | 214 | 4 |
