Editor’s note: This article was first published Dec. 12 and will be updated throughout the football offseason.
Virginia football has gone from mediocrity to the ACC’s highest echelon. After tallying just 11 wins from 2022 to 2024, the Cavaliers recorded 10 this regular season en route to becoming the ACC regular season champions. Coach Tony Elliott led Virginia to a bowl game — and ACC Championship game appearance — for the first time since 2019.
Meanwhile, the ever-chaotic transfer portal is already up and running, with players all around the country declaring that they will enter the transfer portal. The portal officially opens Jan. 2 and will close Jan. 16. It is expected that Elliott and company will be busy, as the 2025 roster featured several players in their final year of eligibility.
This tracker will follow Virginia’s arrivals and departures.
Jan. 6: Maddox Marcellus
Virginia regains a notable contributor at linebacker, as junior linebacker Maddox Marcellus has withdrawn from the transfer portal after he entered it Friday. He started the past two games in place of his injured teammate, junior linebacker Kam Robinson, who tore his ACL Nov. 15 at Duke. With Robinson recovering and graduate linebacker James Jackson out of eligibility, Marcellus will likely be a starter in 2026.
Marcellus starred in the Cavaliers’ win over Virginia Tech, notching an interception, tackle for loss, half sack and leading the team with nine tackles. Previously, he was First Team All-UAC at Eastern Kentucky in 2025. Marcellus was one of the most talented linebacker options available in the transfer portal but has signed a new deal to stay in Charlottesville another season. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Jan. 5: Emmanuel Karnley
Emmanuel Karnley, a starting cornerback, has entered the transfer portal. The junior was one of Virginia’s better defensive backs this season, starting in all 14 games and recording eight pass breakups with one interception. The Cavaliers have oodles of talented depth at cornerback, which could have affected Karnley’s valuation within the program.
Karnley has had an unorthodox college career. He played one game in his freshman season at Arizona, then played in 10 games with six starts for the Wildcats as a sophomore before transferring to Miami. He was with the Hurricanes for the spring 2025 semester before heading to Virginia during the now-defunct spring transfer window. Now, he looks to join his fourth school in four years. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Jan. 5: Trell Harris
Virginia’s leading receiver committed to Oklahoma Monday. Harris is the second Cavalier to find a new team in the portal. The Sooners went 10-3 this year, earning the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff before ultimately losing at home in the first round to No. 9 Alabama. Oklahoma was one of five SEC teams to earn a spot in the CFP, but only one team — No. 6 Ole Miss — reached the semifinals. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Jan. 4: Jacobie Henderson
Virginia nabs its third portal addition of the day. Senior cornerback Jacobie Henderson, who previously played at Rutgers and Marshall, is headed to Charlottesville. As a starter with the Scarlet Knights, he forced the third most incompletions among all Big Ten corners in 2025.
Henderson has 43 career starts, making him an experienced addition to the Cavalier defense. Physically, he is an ultra-athletic defender with a background in basketball as well as track and field. He also played both cornerback and receiver in high school. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Jan. 4: Mekhi Buchanan
Buchanan was one of Virginia’s first portal departures this window. Now, he’s the first to find a new home, as the former Cavalier committed to Texas State Sunday. The junior defensive end joins a program that entered FBS competition as an independent program in 2011 but has been a member of the Sun Belt Conference since 2013. Beginning in 2026, however, Texas State and Buchanan will compete in the new-look Pac 12. — Ben McNiff, Senior Writer
Jan. 4: Jekail Middlebrook
Coach Tony Elliott has secured his second addition of this transfer window, as well as his first offensive acquisition — junior running back Jekail Middlebrook will join the 2026-26 roster. The former Middle Tennessee star entered the portal exactly one month ago and committed to Virginia after a visit this weekend.
Middlebrook brings versatility the Virginia running back room sorely needs with last season’s dynamic duo, J’Mari Taylor and Harrison Waylee, out of eligibility. In 2025, Middlebrook recorded 752 rushing yards for four touchdowns on 5.4 yards-per-carry. He was nearly as effective through the air, stacking 412 yards on 40 receptions and three touchdowns. Middlebrook was named an All-Conference USA Honorable Mention for his efforts. — Ben McNiff, Senior Writer
Jan. 4: Davis Lane Jr.
Virginia loses a piece from the running back room, as senior Davis Lane Jr. entered the transfer portal Sunday. Most of Lane Jr.’s action with the Cavaliers came on special teams, though he logged nine carries for just under 40 yards this year.
Lane departs a Virginia running back corps that caught the injury bug in 2025 — and with J’Mari Taylor declaring for the NFL Draft, it’s one that may look to add a few new faces for the coming season. — Theo Moll, Staff Writer
Jan. 4: Christian Ellis
The Cavaliers pick up their first commitment of the portal season with the addition of graduate safety Christian Ellis. The newcomer’s trip to Charlottesville is a short one, as he joins the Virginia secondary after a season at Virginia Tech.
Ellis saw limited action in Blacksburg — logging just seven tackles and three pass breakups — but spent three productive years with New Mexico beforehand. In his last season with the Lobos, Ellis led the team in tackles and earned an All-Mountain West Honorable Mention. The safety joins a secondary that built around nine transfers last offseason and grew into one of the Cavaliers’ most reliable positional units by season’s end. — Theo Moll, Staff Writer
Jan. 4: Daniel Kaelin
Virginia loses its 2025 backup quarterback, as sophomore Daniel Kaelin has entered the transfer portal. Kaelin saw action in multiple games this year — the only one where he threw more than one pass was the Cavaliers’ 16-9 loss to Wake Forest, when a second quarter injury to graduate quarterback Chandler Morris placed Kaelin at the helm for Virginia.
The sophomore transferred to Charlottesville last offseason following a year at Nebraska. Though Morris won the 2025 starting job, a Kaelin-led Cavalier team once seemed like a real possibility for the ensuing year. But after Morris’s request for an additional season of eligibility, the Kaelin exit was equally foreseeable. — Theo Moll, Staff Writer
Jan. 3: Eli Wood
A fifth wide receiver has entered the portal. Joining those other wideouts, senior Eli Wood could be headed elsewhere. Wood, who was a special teams ace, broke out as a key part of Virginia’s offense over the past few weeks. He became one of the most trusted targets for graduate quarterback Chandler Morris.
Whether it be through his flurry of third down conversions against Missouri, or a game-extending touchdown in the ACC Championship game, Wood displayed reliable hands and route running. He will have one more year of eligibility as a graduate player. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Jan. 2: Trell Harris
Virginia’s leading receiver is going portaling. Senior wideout Trell Harris, who earned Third Team All-ACC honors this year, could be gone. Harris led the Cavaliers in catches, yards and tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns in 2025.
Harris arrived at Virginia after spending 2022 and 2023 with Kent State. He was one of the Cavaliers’ most productive receivers in 2024 before suffering an injury in the Maryland game that knocked him out for the next eight contests. That injury is the reason he has one more year of eligibility remaining. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Jan. 2: Kameron Courtney
Sophomore wide receiver Kameron Courtney entered the transfer portal Friday. The heir apparent to graduate Cam Ross as the starting slot receiver, Courtney could be headed elsewhere. Courtney played in 23 games across his two years in Charlottesville, including four starts. He was named the team’s offensive rookie of the year in 2024.
Courtney either caught a pass or ran the ball in 12 of Virginia’s 14 games this season, highlighted by a career-best 59 all-purpose yards on seven touches against Virginia Tech. The Manassas, Va., native was part of a limited group of underclassmen who earned consistent playing time for Elliott in 2025. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Jan. 2: Hunter Osborne
Another significant defender has entered the transfer portal Friday. Junior defensive lineman Hunter Osborne, who transferred in from Alabama last offseason, is going portaling. He was a reliable member of Virginia’s five-man interior defensive line rotation this year.
Osborne played in all 14 games for the Cavaliers this season, recording 18 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack. He was heavily recruited out of high school — choosing Alabama over Tennessee, Texas and Auburn — and could find a similarly robust recruiting market this year as he looks for his second collegiate program. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Jan. 2: Maddox Marcellus
Virginia potentially loses a notable contributor at linebacker, as junior linebacker Maddox Marcellus entered the transfer portal Friday. He started the past two games in place of his injured teammate, junior linebacker Kam Robinson — who tore his ACL Nov. 15 at Duke. With Robinson recovering and graduate linebacker James Jackson out of eligibility, Marcellus could have been a starter in 2026.
Marcellus starred in the Cavaliers’ win over Virginia Tech, with an interception, tackle for loss, half sack and team-leading nine tackles. Previously, he was First Team All-UAC at Eastern Kentucky in 2025. Marcellus is one of the most talented linebacker options available in the transfer portal. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Jan. 2: Grady Brosterhous
Senior Grady Brosterhous, one of Virginia’s backup quarterbacks, entered the transfer portal Friday. Known for a quarterback rushing play dubbed the ‘Grady Bunch,’ Brosterhous was primarily used for short-yardage situations as a runner. In these situations, he rushed for four touchdowns in 2024.
Brosterhous appeared in 13 games in his two seasons of action. He redshirted in 2022 and missed 2025 due to injury, giving him extra years of eligibility. Without Brosterhous for short-yardage plays, Virginia turned to a direct snap play to graduate running back J’Mari Taylor, which yielded several touchdowns. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Dec. 31: Stevie Bracey
Another depth piece has entered the transfer portal. Stevie Bracey, a senior linebacker and long snapper, announced his intention to enter the portal Wednesday. He will have at least two years of eligibility remaining, as he missed the 2024 season due to injury and only saw action twice in the 2025 campaign.
Bracey has played in 20 games since 2022, seeing time at linebacker and long snapper — an uncommon blend that he has handled since high school. As a high school recruit, Bracey was courted by several schools, including Power Four programs Virginia, Indiana, Minnesota, Syracuse and Central Florida. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Dec. 30: Andre Greene Jr.
The Cavaliers lose another pass-catcher, as junior wide receiver Andre Greene Jr. announced his portal entry Tuesday. The Richmond native spent two years at North Carolina before making a Virginia homecoming for the 2024 season.
Greene Jr. started eight games for the Cavaliers during his inaugural campaign in Charlottesville — but saw much less action behind a deep 2025 Virginia receiving corps. The junior’s lone reception this year came while the Cavaliers held a 45-7 fourth-quarter lead over Coastal Carolina. — Theo Moll, Staff Writer
Dec. 30: Terrell Jones
There is a new opening in the defensive line, as senior Terrell Jones entered the portal Tuesday. Because he played fewer than four games in two of his four years at Virginia, he will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Jones recorded 11 tackles for loss across his 19 career games with the Cavaliers. After playing in 11 games in 2024, Jones saw action in just three games this season. He forced a fumble in the season opener against Coastal Carolina, recorded a pair of tackles against William & Mary and appeared in Virginia’s victory over Virginia Tech. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Dec. 29: Robbie Engelberg
Virginia’s safety room as a new opening. Senior Robbie Engelberg has elected to enter the transfer portal as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining. He was primarily a special teams player for the Cavaliers, recording his first defensive snaps in the 2025 season. He recorded four tackles on defense this year.
Engelberg, an Alexandria native, collected multiple local honors during his four years at the Maret School as a football player and as a baseball player. He received interest from programs such as Army and Yale before joining Virginia. This year, Engelberg made an impact off the field by donating stem cells which saved the life of an elderly man. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Dec. 29: Trey McDonald
Virginia loses another piece of defensive depth, as senior linebacker Trey McDonald entered the portal Monday. McDonald becomes the first Cavalier to do so since the program’s season-concluding victory in the Gator Bowl.
The linebacker saw a notable drop in production for Virginia in 2025, recording just four tackles through 14 games. The season prior, McDonald started five contests, logging almost 60 tackles along with a sack and an interception for the Cavaliers. The senior departs a Virginia linebacking corps that relied sparsely on portal additions last offseason — though its actions in the upcoming portal may hinge on the decisions of McDonald’s peers. — Theo Moll, Staff Writer
Dec. 16: Suderian Harrison
Virginia has lost its first skill position player to this transfer window, as junior wide receiver Suderian Harrison announced his decision to depart Charlottesville. Since he elected to redshirt early in this season, he has two years of eligibility remaining.
Harrison has appeared in 24 games for the Cavaliers, compiling 22 receptions for 255 yards and zero touchdowns over his career at Virginia. — Ben McNiff, Senior Writer
Dec. 11: Dre Walker
Another defender is entering the transfer portal. Walker, a junior cornerback, was an impact player for Virginia back in 2023 but has battled injuries throughout his Cavalier career. After playing in nine games in his freshman campaign, he only suited up for four in 2024 and did not appear in the regular season in 2025.
Virginia added several defensive backs in the transfer portal last year — some of which are still with the program — and will likely add more this offseason, affecting Walker’s playing time. He is the second Cavalier defensive back to enter the portal this year. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Dec. 11: Mekhi Buchanan
This Thursday brought another loss on defense for the Cavaliers, as Buchanan entered the portal. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
The junior defensive end has struggled with injuries over his three seasons with the Cavaliers, missing the entirety of 2024 with a hip injury. A former three-star recruit, Buchanan never started a game for Virginia, but contributed 20 tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss in 2023 and a pass breakup this season in a rotational role. — Ben McNiff, Senior Writer
Dec. 9: Ja’Son Prevard
One of Virginia’s starting defensive backs has entered the transfer portal, according to On3. A junior transfer from Morgan State, Prevard led the team with three interceptions — including two against then-No. 8 Florida State. In his lone season with the Cavaliers, Prevard was named an All-ACC Honorable Mention.
Also of note, Prevard was benched for the first quarter against Virginia Tech Nov. 29. Elliott did not comment on the situation. In place of Prevard, freshman defensive back Corey Costner earned snaps and secured an interception in the first quarter of the ACC Championship game. — Xander Tilock, Sports Editor
Dec. 8: Tyshawn Wyatt
Virginia football loses its first player this transfer window in Wyatt, who entered the portal Monday.
The graduate tackle did not see significant action for the Cavaliers this season due to injury, which continues a trend from his James Madison days. Wyatt was a stalwart at the left end of the line for the Dukes for three years before missing all of 2024 with injury. — Ben McNiff, Senior Writer
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