Virginia CB Fentrell Cypress II to Enter Transfer Portal
The Virginia defense made significant strides in its first season under defensive coordinator John Rudzinski. A big part of that improvement was the development of Anthony Johnson and Fentrell Cypress II into two of the best lockdown cornerbacks in the country this season.
In 2023, Rudzinski and the Cavaliers will have to try to replace both Anthony Johnson, who has exhausted his eligibility and has declared for the NFL Draft and Fentrell Cypress II, who is reportedly planning to enter the transfer portal.
Over the course of his first three seasons at UVA, Cypress appeared only sporadically, playing in nine total games, including six starts. The combination of tremendous personal growth and hard work from Cypress and effective coaching from John Rudzinski and Curome Cox resulted in a 2022 campaign which was the definition of a breakout season for Cypress, who started nine games, recording 39 tackles and 14 passes defended. He broke up an average of 1.44 passes per game, which led the entire Atlantic Coast Conference. Cypress ranked 11th in all of college football in Pro Football Focus' coverage grade, allowing only 18 receptions all season.
Cypress earned a selection to the All-ACC Second Team and Pro Football Focus placed him on its All-ACC First Team. Cypress and Anthony Johnson, who earned First-Team All-ACC honors, became the first UVA cornerback duo to earn All-ACC honors in the same season in the history of the Virginia football program.
READ MORE: Who Will Be Virginia's Starting Quarterback in 2023?
It's not difficult to see the rationale of this decision for Cypress, whose impressive play at the cornerback position this season will likely result in offers from more than a few notable football programs. The difficult season Virginia had on and off the field in year one of the Tony Elliott era certainly had a hand in this decision, but it also makes sense for a player of Cypress' caliber to parlay the breakout season in order to explore a move to a bigger, more prominent football program where his play on the field will draw more attention and draft buzz, similar to Olu Oluwatimi's move to Michigan last year.
For Virginia, though, this is a big blow, especially when paired with the loss of Anthony Johnson, as UVA will have to replace two of the top cornerbacks in the country heading into 2023. Fortunately for the Cavaliers, their secondary was a position of strength and depth this season, and there should be a number of worthy candidates competing for the starting cornerback spots next fall, assuming of course that the UVA coaching staff can keep outward-bound transfers to a minimum over the next few weeks. Only time will tell on that front.
Cypress will be the third UVA football player to enter the transfer portal this offseason, joining quarterback Brennan Armstrong and long snapper Lee Dudley.
See more Virginia football news and content: Virginia Football on Sports Illustrated
See more Virginia sports news and content: Virginia Cavaliers on Sports Illustrated
To stay up to date on all Virginia Cavaliers sports news, follow CavaliersNow on social media:
Facebook: @CavaliersNow
Twitter: @CavaliersNowFN
