Virginia Cavaliers Post-Transfer Portal 2026 Review: Linebackers

The transfer portal is closed, which means the Virginia Cavaliers have a fairly squared away roster at this point in the offseason. UVA's offense claimed most of the attention in the portal this year, after head coach Tony Elliott lost a considerable amount of his offensive unit. However, that's not to say that his defensive squad didn't change.

Earlier this week, we released post-portal reviews of Virginia's defensive line, so let's continue looking into Elliott's defense and now focus on his linebackers. He was able to hold onto a key player in this position, but he also landed some new faces who are expected to provide great depth.

How Does UVA’s Linebacker Room Look?

Virginia Cavaliers Maddox Marcellus running while carrying a footbal — Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Maddox Marcellus | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers had quite the scare when linebacker Maddox Marcellus entered the portal. The 6'2", 228-pound junior took the spotlight during his 2025 campaign when he stepped up in place of Kam Robinson, who had suffered an ACL tear later in the season. Upon being sidelined, Marcellus quickly plugged the gaps, and during his last two games against Virginia Tech (Nov. 29) and Duke (Dec. 6), he recorded a combined 16 total tackles and half a sack. By the end of the season, he had logged 49 total tackles, one interception and 1.5 sacks.

Fortunately for Virginia, Marcellus withdrew from the portal soon after entering, allowing fans and his program to let out a sigh of relief. With that, he will be returning for UVA's 2026 campaign, which is a major win for the Cavaliers.

Although Elliott was able to retain Marcellus, he was forced to wave goodbye to Stevie Bracey, who also entered the portal and has since committed to Buffalo. Once again, Elliott had work to do in the portal, but he wasn't willing to settle for just anybody.

Elliott pulled a few linebackers out of the portal, including Matthew Fobbs-White from Baylor and Nnanna Anyanwu from UTSA. Last year, Fobbs-White posted 19 tackles, while Anyanwu registered 22 tackles, five sacks and one pass breakup.

Knowing he'd have to put some effort into bolstering this position, he landed some powerful players who could end up thriving at Scott Stadium. Ultimately, the Cavaliers are looking to head to the ACC Championship Game once again, and having fresh faces on the roster could be exactly what Virginia needs in order to finally clinch a conference title and cement themselves as returning threats in the ACC this year.

More Virginia Football News:

•Winners and Losers From the Virginia Cavaliers Transfer Portal Haul

•Virginia Cavaliers Post-Transfer Portal Review: Wide Receivers

•Virginia Cavaliers Post-Transfer Portal 2026 Depth Chart Review: Running Backs

•Virginia Gets Commitment From Highly-Ranked In-State 2027 Prospect