Nailing This Transfer Portal Class Could Mean UVA Levels Up Next Season

Last year was Ryan Odom's first year enduring transfer portal mayhem as the Virginia Cavaliers head coach. He was given the tall task of rebuilding nearly an entire roster after facing significant turnover. When considering how successful this season was for the Hoos, it's safe to say that Odom's efforts in the portal paid off quite well.

Some of the notable additions he welcomed aboard included Malik Thomas, Jacari White, Dallin Hall, and Ugonna Onyenso. Looking ahead toward their upcoming campaign, several Cavaliers are now out of eligibility—White, Hall, Thomas, Onyenso, and Devin Tillis are all seniors, and they will not be returning to Virginia for the 2026-27 season. This, of course, leaves massive gaps in Odom's roster, and the number one way to plug those holes is through effective use of the transfer portal. All eyes are on Odom at this point to see which moves he will make to boost UVA.

Can Odom Repeat His Portal Success?

Virginia Cavaliers Ryan Odom yelling during a game — Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Despite being thrown into chaos last year, Odom did a fine job at assessing his needs and replenishing his roster accordingly. If he can tackle the portal similarly this time around, UVA could easily find itself gearing up for yet another striking season.

Now, much of this will depend on who stays and who goes; pulling players out of the portal is one thing, but retaining current players is a whole separate undertaking. With leading layers like Thijs De Ridder and Johann Grünloh eligible for another year of college basketball, keeping this duo in Virginia might end up being a challenge. If UVA were to lose one or both of them, the program could have an entirely new look to it next year—one that might not be for the better.

However, if Odom experiences similar success and can retain his top players, the Cavaliers would certainly be a dominant team in the ACC once again, but they would also stand a stronger chance at making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament one year from now.

The transfer portal is the key to unlocking a run to the tourney, and Odom knows how to navigate this time of year. He's looking for depth, and after having an impressive amount of depth this year, there's already a high bar set for Virginia. Was Odom's 2025-26 success just a fluke, or does the winning coach truly have a method to the madness when it comes to the transfer portal? Repeating this triumph would inevitably level up the Hoos.