Round Robin: How Are UVA Football & Basketball Faring in the Transfer Portal?

Matt Newton, Aidan Baller, William Smythe | Apr 22, 2025

Virginia Athletics

Overlap season is typically reserved for the months of November and December when the culmination of college football season coincides with the start of college basketball season. But now there is a second overlap season for these two sports in the spring even though no games are played thanks to the transfer portal.

With both the UVA football and men's basketball teams being very active in the transfer portal, three members of the Virginia Cavaliers On SI writing staff - Aidan Baller, William Smythe, and Matt Newton - are going to answer some questions to help analyze the short-term and big picture effects of the transfer portal on both the Virginia football and men's basketball programs.

Is the spring transfer portal more positive or negative for Virginia football? 

Aidan: So far, the transfer portal has been a massive boost for Virginia and Tony Elliott with three new additions, addressing crucial needs on this roster while also only losing two players, Blake Steen and Gavin Frakes, to the portal. The ability to retain talent speaks volumes about the work Elliott and his staff are doing in building a winning culture headed into the fall compared to other teams that have lost critical roster pieces. This portal cycle is causing these teams to scramble. 

William: I’m shocked to say this, but it could be more positive. While I’ve adjusted my position slightly based upon the injury to transfer offensive tackle Monroe Mills, Coach Tony Elliott is not playing around in the spring portal, landing Colorado’s lead running back Isaiah Augustave and evoking the rage of Coach Deion Sanders in the process. Former Kentucky commit Wallace Unamba — a 6’5, 335-pound offensive tackle — started ten games for New Mexico and contributed to the Lobos’ dynamic rushing attack. As a player under Coach Bronco Mendenhall in Albuquerque, Unamba is tangentially connected to the ‘Hoos. He will help to fill Mills’ and junior Blake Steen’s absences on the offensive line. I believe the ‘Hoos’ spring additions, including Cincinnati defensive back Jordan Robinson, already outweigh their losses.

Matt: At least in this cycle, it's hard to argue that the spring transfer window hasn't been a huge benefit for Virginia. The Cavaliers significantly upgraded their roster in the winter transfer window, but still had serious a serious need at cornerback and then another big-time need popped up at right tackle with the departure of Blake Steen and the injury to Monroe Mills. UVA has already picked up one starting-caliber right tackle and could be tracking towards another and should be able to come away with at least two or three playable cornerbacks. Without the spring window, those would be significant holes on Virginia's roster this fall.

Is this UVA football roster the best in the Tony Elliott Era? 

Aidan: You never know how a team performs until they take the field, but when looking at this roster, I’d say this team is the best Elliott has had, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. Signal caller Chandler Morris will bring a veteran presence to fairly deep wide receiver and running back rooms that, on paper, give Elliott the best offense he’s had in his four seasons in Charlottesville. Defensively, the Cavs have struggled on the defensive line, but these concerns were appropriately addressed in the transfer portal, giving reason for an optimistic approach to this fall. If this coaching staff can gel these players together, this team has the potential to win its first bowl game since the 2018 season, especially when you factor in Virginia’s favorable ACC schedule. 

William: No. Virginia’s 2022 roster still takes the cake. Albeit imploding (3-7, 1-6 ACC) after the departure of  Mendenhall and his coaching staff, the ‘Hoos’ personnel featured a future Packer in wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks and Saint in defensive back Anthony Johnson, the school’s total offense leader in quarterback Brennan Armstrong, and would-be transfers to the likes of Florida State, Iowa, Nebraska, and Notre Dame. That 2021 team went 6-6 and retained a significant chunk of production in the wake of a surprise departure from Mendenhall. A coaching changeover hurt the ‘Hoos more than expected, and the portal wasn’t nearly as chaotic as it stands today. Lest I forget unicorn Keytaon Thompson, who was a 990-yard receiver the year prior. Virginia had serious talent on both sides of the ball.

Matt: I hope the 2025 Cavaliers prove me wrong because they really are shaping up to be a well-balanced roster, but without seeing how they come together on the field, I think I'm going to have to go with the 2022 Wahoos. William mentioned Armstrong, Wicks, Johnson, and Thompson, but that team also had Nick Jackson, Jonas Sanker, and Fentrell Cypress II, who were each All-ACC selections, as well as pass-catchers Billy Kemp IV and the late Lavel Davis Jr. Malachi Fields and Xavier Brown were also on that team. Again, Virginia should win more games in 2025 than in 2022, but this question is not as much about team success as it is roster talent, and the 2022 Cavaliers had a ton of talent.

Are the current transfers brought in by Ryan Odom satisfactory? 

Aidan: I lean to the negative side when looking at Ryan Odom’s portal managing to this point, as he’s yet to grab a big man, which the Hoos are in desperate need of if they want to be competitive in the ACC. The additions to building a strong backcourt are exciting. Still, it means nothing if Odom can’t get a reliable big man who will allow for second-chance offensive possessions and a strong defensive presence at the hoop, a defining factor of Odom’s squad at VCU this past season as the Rams ranked 13th in the NCAA in offensive rebounding.

William: Unfortunately, not yet. It’s been all quiet on the transfer front since UC Irvine forward Devin Tillis committed April 11th. While Virginia’s backcourt looks complete, a frontcourt featuring Tillis, sophomore Carter Lang, and freshman Silas Barksdale requires two or three more additions. Buzz surrounding VCU sophomore center Luke Bamgboye has subsided, and the ‘Hoos have missed on players to Clemson and UCF, among others. However, I have faith in this coaching staff. Landing Houston wing Terrance Arceneaux — second nationally in Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR) according to the data-based site EvanMiya — would be a massive get, even if he doesn’t fill an immediate need.

The ‘Hoos desperately need a rim protector such as Bamgboye and a scoring big to round out an impressive offseason haul. As of now, a predicted starting lineup would look as such: senior guard Dallin Hall (BYU), fifth-year guard Jacari White (NDSU), junior guard Sam Lewis (Toledo), fifth-year forward Devin Tillis (UC Irvine), and freshman center Silas Barksdale.

Matt: Aidan and William have demonstrated clearly that Virginia's transfer haul is quite blatantly incomplete without two or three capable big men, so I won't beat that dead horse. Instead, I'll remind everyone that Virginia had zero transfers committed until the month of May last year and, while it's been almost disturbingly quiet over the last week and a half, Ryan Odom has proven to be a silent killer so far in the portal and I have no doubt that he will find those two or three front court transfers suddenly and without warning. Furthermore, don't rule out the possibility that the NCAA grants a massive waiver with an additional year of eligibility to the graduating seniors, resulting in a refreshed batch of quality available transfers, an outcome that would certainly make Odom and company look smart for saving roster spots and NIL budget space.

Will Ryan Odom be able to consistently retain talent or will the transfer portal result in constant and complete roster turnover?

Aidan: Based on this season’s current transfer portal cycle, I, unfortunately, feel playing four years at one school will be less common than not. That said, at least until some of this wild west transfer portal activity dies down unless there’s an immediate success, there will be a ton of turnover next year, making it extremely difficult to break through. 

William: The former. This past season at VCU, Odom retained his talented three-headed backcourt and fought off Villanova to retain star point guard Max Shulga. A couple of freshmen, including Bamgboye, also earned time on the floor despite the Rams’ veteran-laden roster. While VCU is a fierce competitor in the NIL landscape, it’s no small feat to keep high-major caliber players satisfied. The results speak for themselves: Odom has logged two NCAA Tournament appearances in his second season at his last two stops.

At Utah State, Odom held onto Shulga and two other starters (including future All-Big East guard Steven Ashworth), resulting in a 26-7 season and a Big Dance berth in Logan. He has proven that he can both develop talent and fill holes in his rotation when necessary. This offseason, however, is a different beast, as Virginia’s new coach has the difficult task of replacing all but two of the ‘Hoos’ personnel from last season. Odom’s track record does suggest that he can stem a transfer portal exodus.

Matt: This first offseason has necessitated a total rebuild via the transfer portal for Ryan Odom and his staff. I think future offseasons will be different with an emphasis placed on developing players already in the program, while only using the portal to fill in the holes. But only time will tell if Odom, who has had success developing and retaining talent at his previous stops, will be able to replicate that process at Virginia and in the ACC.