ACC Football Kickoff: Canaan Severin talks about Virginia starting quarterback Matt Johns

For the first time in a long time, Virginia Cavalier fans can rest somewhat easy going into Fall training camp that there will be a single quarterback going into the month of August, and, assuming no injuries, that the same quarterback will ready to take the first snap in September. That's because Matt Johns, who was typically the second man on the depth chart behind Greyson Lambert last year, has been named this year's starting quarterback already, and there's little known competition to the position now that Lambert has transferred to Georgia.

Wait. Did someone tell the reporters this? Here was the first question asked to wide receiver Canaan Severin regarding the quarterbacks at Virginia during Monday's player interviews at the ACC Kickoff:

Q. Canaan, Matt Johns, Greyson Lambert had experience out there. What can you say about the quarterbacks at Virginia, your relationships with those guys at this point?

Severin, of course, nailed the response.

"Greyson transferred to Georgia."

Well played, Severin. But, being the good sport, he elaborated. "He's a graduate of the University of Virginia, so he's my brother no matter what."

On to actual current quarterbacks for Virginia, "I'm really excited for the opportunity Matt Johns has in front of him," Severin said on Monday. "He showed us last year he can come in and play. Not many times you have your number one transfer and your number two guy play and you don't skip a beat."

Severin went on to discuss just what the team has been doing this summer to work with Johns and to figure out a way to light up the team's offense.

"This summer we've been working on getting our timing right," he said. "Getting everything down with the defense, seven-on-seven, film work, cadence, whatever it may be. Really just focus on finishing every drill, every rep, every workout, whatever it is."

"I tell him all the time, he's not the captain of the team, he's not labeled the captain, but as a quarterback playing football, the ball is in his hands every single play no matter what. The ball starts with him."

Johns might not be a team captain this year, but as quarterback, his leadership and work ethic is something that Severin has noticed.

"I see it in the way he carries himself. That's just the way he is, though. He's a competitor, as well. You should see us in the mornings working out. Our racks are right next to each other. I workout with Johns, we run into David Dean, so we just compete even against each other. That's going to translate over in the season."

"We're all about competing, competing day in and day out on a consistent basis. Matt Johns has done a great job of bringing people under his wings. The quarterbacks, the transfer quarterbacks, the younger guys, whatever it may be, he's done a really good job of doing that."

And to hammer home his main theme of the day, Severin reminded the media just what he, Johns, and the rest of the offense will be focusing on this year.

"Finishing down the stretch, we have to finish in every aspect."