Virginia Cavaliers Post-Transfer Portal 2026 Review: Tight Ends

Who are the tight ends playing for the Virginia Cavaliers this year?

North Carolina Tar Heels tight end Connor Cox | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers saw plenty of movement within the transfer portal this year, particularly with their offensive unit. The portal sucked away their remaining quarterbacks and several wide receivers, immediately disrupting Tony Elliott's program.

Having lost a substantial number of valuable players, Elliott knew he'd have some work to do. One by one, he started rebuilding his offensive rooms, some requiring more attention than others.

Now that we've reviewed Virginia's quarterback, wide receiver and running back rooms in the portal, it's time to assess how UVA's tight end position is shaping up ahead of the 2026 college football season.

Reviewing UVA's Tight Ends

Virginia Cavaliers tight end Sage Ennis | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

One of the more notable losses faced by the Cavaliers this offseason was tight end Sage Ennis, who declared for the NFL draft. Last year, he logged 23 receptions for 214 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 9.3 yards per catch. Losing such a veteran player is far from desirable, but Elliott welcomed two new tight ends to UVA who are expected to provide an immediate impact.

The first tight end Elliott landed in the portal was North Carolina transfer Connor Cox. During his 2025 campaign with the Tar Heels, the 6'6" sophomore recorded five receptions for 21 yards with an average of 4.2 yards per catch. He's still quite young and fresh into his collegiate career, but he undoubtedly has the potential to become one of Virginia's more reliable players if he is granted the opportunity.

The most recent tight end addition brought on by Elliott was Lukas Ungar from New Mexico State. Ungar brings more experience to the field as a senior, but he is still largely overshadowed. Throughout his latest campaign with the Aggies, he registered three receptions for 14 yards, averaging 4.7 yards per catch.

Compared to Virginia's other offensive positions, which required dire attention this offseason, there's been fairly limited movement when it comes to their tight ends. Of course, losing Ennis will be a major adjustment for the Cavaliers, but Elliott's landing of two tight ends from the portal should help plug the gaps. They need to continue developing, but Elliott isn't one to settle for just any player—he pulled this duo out of the portal for a reason.

Virginia's roster is generally looking quite solid with its new transfer class secured. Only time will tell if these acquisitions will be able to help push the Cavaliers back into ACC contention this year.