Report: Virginia CB Emmanuel Karnley Is Expected To Enter The Transfer Portal

Virginia is expected to lose a key cornerback to the transfer portal. Emmanuel Karnley is expected to enter after a stellar junior season with the Cavaliers. He finished with 26 tackles, eight passes defensed, and an interception. He had one of his best stretches of games during a critical part of the season when Virginia played then-ranked No.8 Florida State and Louisville. Virginia picked up wins in both of those games in overtime. Against Florida State, Karnley finished with five tackles. He posted five tackles and a pass defensed against Louisville. He played his best football when Virginia needed it the most.

Virginia cornerback Emmanuel Karnley is expected to enter the Transfer Portal. Signed with Arizona in 2023, had a brief stop at Miami before recording 26 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception for the Cavaliers this past season https://t.co/FjIuQl4A4A pic.twitter.com/ka203IA7iU
— Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) January 6, 2026

Karnley joined the Hoos after spending time with Arizona and Miami.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Karnley finished with a 70.6 defensive grade, a 70.8 coverage grade, and a 63.8 run defense grade. One of his best coverage games came against Duke, where he finished with three passes defensed in the first matchup. He allowed a 50.9% catch rate on passes he defended. He also improved as a run defender, only missing tackles 22.9% of the time. He recorded the best numbers of his career on PFF through his three seasons of college football.

Here is more via his Virginia Bio:

2025 – “Recorded a career-best three pass breakups in UVA’s 34-17 win at Duke (11/17) … Assisted on a crucial goal-line tackle that stopped North Carolina’s two-point conversion attempt and preserved the win in overtime … Matched his career high of five tackles – with five solo stops – and had one pass breakup in UVA’s 30-27 overtime win at Louisville (10/4) … Tallied a career-high five tackles, including one for loss, in UVA’s 46-38 double-overtime win over No. 8 Florida State (9/26) … Had four tackles and a pass breakup against William & Mary (9/13) … Started at cornerback in his UVA debut, a 48-7 rout of Coastal Carolina (8/30) … Enrolled at Virginia in May after spending spring semester at University of Miami. Started at cornerback in his UVA debut, a 48-7 rout of Coastal Carolina (8/30) … Enrolled at Virginia in May.”

Virginia has added Jacobie Henderson from the transfer portal to bolster their cornerback room. They also added Christian Ellis, who played safety at rival Virginia Tech. Jekail Middlebrook was a nice addition to the running back from Middle Tennessee State. While Karnley is a loss, the Hoos have been active in the portal and picking up some good prospects.

More Virginia News:

•Virginia Cavaliers Lose Another Wide Receiver to Transfer Portal

•Virginia Cavaliers Get More Good News Regarding Their Offensive Line For 2026

•Virginia Wide Receiver Announces Entrance Into Transfer Portal

•Virginia Football Reportedly in the Mix for Top Transfer Portal Quarterback