Last season, graduate defensive end Mitchell Melton, originally from Silver Spring, Md., transferred to Virginia from Ohio State. Melton quickly emerged as a premier weapon and leader on the defensive side of the ball for the Cavaliers. This year, Coach Tony Elliott has brought in two defenders from nearby Charlottesville who could have a similar impact.
About half a week before the Gator Bowl, Jeff White of the Wahoo Central Podcast conducted an interview with Melton before the final appearance in his college career. One of the first questions White asked concerned Melton’s overall perspective on his year with Virginia.
“You come in [from] the transfer portal, you have a lot of questions and concerns and worries about how things will transpire,” Melton said. “Everything happened for a reason, and I'm really thankful for the journey that I've been on, especially with this school.”
Just over five years ago, Melton took his first snaps as a true freshman at Ohio State, appearing in one game for the then-Big 10 champions. Unfortunately for him, that appearance would be his only snaps for two more years, as he missed 2021 and 2022 with injuries.
Melton suited up for 13 games in 2024 and eight in 2023, yet did not receive consistent starting nods across either year, reaping modest production as a member of a defensive front featuring seven now-NFL players and even more soon-to-be-NFL players. He arrived in Columbus as a four star out of high school and, due to a lack of starting opportunities, entered the transfer portal as a three star. His commitment to Virginia for his final season of eligibility was quite the gamble — it more than paid off, for all parties involved.
In his only season as a Cavalier, Melton emerged as one of the most efficient pass rushers in the country, generating 53 pressures and recording two multi-sack games. He received plenty of individual recognition for his efforts — Melton ended the year as an All-ACC Honorable Mention, with back-to-back ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors — and helped lead Virginia to its best season in program history.
“It's such a short amount of time. It feels like longer than it actually has been,” Melton said. “I don't think this could have went any better than I could have imagined.”
Melton ends his college journey with more than accolades and a historic team achievement — the former Cavalier stands a good chance of selection in the NFL Draft come April. There are multiple potential parallels to his story within Virginia’s 2026 transfer portal haul, and two of them hail from Melton’s former rival of Michigan.
Senior defensive back Brandyn Hillman and junior defensive end Devon Baxter began their careers as Wolverines after graduating from high school in Portsmouth, Va. and Clinton, Md., respectively. Both were rated as four star recruits entering college, but the two received very different levels of playing time at Michigan. Baxter did not appear in a single game across his first two seasons — he was buried, even more than Melton, in a front full of NFL talent.
Baxter’s versatility and athleticism is sure to excite defensive coordinator John Rudzinski, but his compatriot in the portal, Hillman, brings additional experience that could earn the defensive back playing time quickly. He appeared in nine games in 2023, mostly on special teams, and 12 in 2024, becoming a more prominent fixture on the defense. In 2025, he seized a starting role, only missing one game — he finished fourth on the team with 49 tackles and cemented his reputation as one of the Big 10’s hardest-hitting safeties. He was named an All-Big 10 Honorable Mention for his efforts.
Regardless of their difference in opportunity in Ann Arbor, the pair of former Wolverines will both have chances to shine in Charlottesville. They both graded out as three stars in the portal, like Melton, but will stand out as two of the most talented players on the roster.
Hillman, in particular, may star in more ways than one. His hard-hitting style comes with a large personality. When asked prior to Michigan’s season opener about how he prepared for a showdown with New Mexico, he made a comparison between the primary colors of the upcoming opponent and those of Ohio State — the name of his former school’s rival was preceded by an expletive.
Hillman finished with five tackles, an interception and assisted a tackle-for-loss in that game, which the Wolverines won 34-17. If Hillman’s feelings toward Virginia Tech are anything close to his Buckeye sentiments, then he will stand out in the locker room and with fans.
Hillman and Baxter possess the talent to make their mark in Charlottesville. The first step, however, to becoming Cavaliers, comes before they take the practice field in the spring — the pair of former Wolverines must embrace the opportunity, as Melton did.
“There's so many things I think about it that I could tell [future transfers], but just … embrace it,” Melton said, “That's the biggest thing for me, because it's a beautiful moment to even have the opportunity to go to another school and still be playing at a high level.”
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