Editor’s Note: This article was first published April 16 and will be updated throughout the spring transfer window.
Football’s transfer portal has reopened as of April 16 and will remain open until April 25. In that window, Coach Tony Elliott will have his pick of copious starters from other programs to lure over to Charlottesville.
Virginia could certainly stand to acquire additional talent. The Cavaliers recently completed their public scrimmage April 12, in which neither intrasquad team scored more than two touchdowns. On that front, perhaps the offensive line will be an area to address after graduate offensive tackle Monroe Mills suffered a season-ending injury.
In the previous transfer window, Elliott was largely successful. Virginia added a bevy of high-impact starters, including graduate quarterback Chander Morris and the talented sophomore defensive lineman Hunter Osborne from Alabama. Promising depth was added at the premium positions of wide receiver and cornerback, as well.
While many starting spots are already filled, Elliott can always stand to add more depth to the roster. This tracker will follow the spring window’s updates.
April 26: Harrison Waylee
The graduate transfer running back announced April 26 he would be spending his last season of eligibility in Charlottesville, making the long trip from Wyoming to join the Cavaliers. The former Cowboy is on the smaller side, at 5-foot-10 and 212 pounds, but he makes up for it by being one of the faster players in the country.
Waylee has never fumbled in his career and has amassed 3,456 total yards and 17 total touchdowns, averaging around 5.3 yards per carry, across five years with Northern Illinois and Wyoming. At the former he was Third-Team All-MAC in 2022, and improved in 2023 with Second-Team All-Mountain West at the latter.
He bolsters a running back room loaded with both returning and new talent, including fellow grad transfer J’Mari Taylor. Waylee is the third addition of the day and the seventh this spring for Elliot. — Ben McNiff
April 26: Makilan Thomas
The junior offensive lineman is heading to Virginia, he announced April 26. He departs Arkansas State after serving as their starting right tackle.
Thomas checks in at a nimble 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds. He will bring consistent pass blocking to the Cavalier offensive line room —- as he accrued a pass blocking grade north of 75.0 by Pro Football Focus as a starting tackle.
Thomas is the fifth spring transfer addition for the Cavaliers, and the second offensive tackle. He joins a group of tackles that includes senior Wallace Unamba, graduate Kevin Wigenton II, graduate Tyshawn Wyatt and junior McKale Boley. Virginia should have significantly improved depth on the bookends of the offensive line. — Xander Tilock
April 25: Daniel Rickert
April 25, senior defensive lineman Daniel Rickert announced he would be transferring from Tennessee Tech to Virginia for his sixth and final season of eligibility. Although he comes from an FCS school, he dominated the lesser competition, making First-Team all-conference twice and once winning FCS National Defensive Player of the Week last year.
Over 43 games, Rickert has racked up 19 sacks plus 33 tackles-for-loss, and forced four fumbles. He adds 6-foot-two inches and 232 pounds of muscle to a front that managed the second-least sacks in the ACC last season.
Rickert is the fourth player added this spring and the fourth defensive line transfer across both windows for Elliott. Since he officially committed on April 25, just before the close of this transfer window, he will not need to sit out a season and will be eligible to play in 2025. — Ben McNiff
April 20: Wallace Unamba
On3 reported that Virginia landed its second transfer commitment of the day with the addition of Unamba, a 6-foot-6, 335 pound senior offensive lineman. Unamba had previously transferred to Kentucky after spending last season at New Mexico.
Unamba brings incredible size to the Virginia offensive line, and will look to replace graduate offensive lineman Monroe Mills who went down with a long-term injury in spring camp.
This pickup will surely boost the Cavalier front, as Unamba did not allow a sack in 2024 and helped the Lobos achieve a top-five rushing attack in college football. With his addition alongside junior running back Isaiah Augustave, it is clear Elliott is looking to improve Virginia’s rushing game. — Ryan Weiner
April 20: Isaiah Augustave
The junior running back from Colorado has committed to Virginia, On3 reported April 20. Augustave has a big frame at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, and led the Buffaloes rushing attack with 384 yards and four touchdowns last season.
Augustave’s size positions him as a short-yardage bruiser in the run game to complement senior Xavier Brown and graduate transfer J’Mari Taylor, who are much smaller players at 5-foot-10 and 5-foot-9 respectively.
The former Arkansas and Colorado running back is Elliott’s second commit in the spring transfer portal and should be part of improving a rush offense that ranked in the bottom half of the ACC last season. — Ben McNiff
April 18: Jordan Robinson
The junior cornerback from Cincinnati has committed to Virginia, 247Sports reported April 18. Robinson, at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, is versatile on the defensive front and will be able to play both cornerback and linebacker for the Cavaliers in 2025.
In Robinson’s most recent season with the Bearcats, he recorded 11 solo tackles and one forced fumble. The Columbia, S.C. native will look to bolster a Virginia secondary that was 14th in the ACC in passing yards allowed per game in 2024.
Robinson is the first Cavalier commit in the spring transfer portal window, and Elliott will very likely bring in more talent in the coming days. — Ryan Weiner
April 16: Blake Steen
The senior offensive lineman is expected to enter the portal, On3 reported April 16. Steen, a 6-foot-5 offensive tackle, was Virginia’s primary starting right tackle. Steen, the brother of Philadelphia Eagles lineman Tyler Steen, is a powerful blocker that checks in at 331 pounds.
While the Cavalier line largely struggled last year, Steen was one of its best contributors. According to Pro Football Focus, Steen allowed just one sack in 2024.
A return to Virginia is still possible, but for now, he becomes the first Cavalier to test the waters in the spring transfer window. — Xander Tilock
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