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UVA Football Adds Tennessee Defensive Back Christian Charles 

Aidan Baller

Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
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The spring transfer commits continue to roll in for Tony Elliott, with former Tennessee defensive back Christian Charles set to commit to Virginia. Wahoos247 first reported the news. 

Charles has played in 30 games over the last four seasons for the Volunteers, both at cornerback and at safety, bringing a multitude of experience that will help a Virginia defensive back room in desperate need of depth. 

A 6'1, 200-pound defensive back from Gainesville, Georgia, Charles was a dynamic dual-threat quarterback in high school and was ranked one of the top 35 prospects from the recruiting hotbed that is the state of Georgia and one of the top 35 athletes in the entire country. As a true freshman at Tennessee in 2021, Charles appeared in eight games and made one start, finishing the year with eight total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass defended.

The 2022 season saw Charles break into the starting lineup at the cornerback spot, playing in 10 games and logging six starts at cornerback. In a big-time matchup against then-No. 3 Alabama, Charles matched a season-high with eight tackles, allowed just one catch for six yards on 49 snaps at corner, and recovered a fumble on special teams that led to a Tennessee touchdown, helping the Volunteers defeat the Crimson Tide in an epic 52-49 victory. In the previous week on the road at LSU, Charles registered seven tackles, six of them solo stops, to help the Vols dominate the Tigers 40-13 in Death Valley. Charles finished the season with 35 total tackles, 19 solo stops, and a fumble recovery.

In 2023, Charles, who played in Tennessee's season-opening win over Virginia in Nashville as a reserve, went down with an Achilles injury the following week against Austin Peay and missed the rest of the season.

After rehabbing for a year, Charles returned to the field in 2024 and played in 10 games for the Volunteers but did not log any starts. He finished with 28 total tackles, 19 of them solo stops, and also had two tackles for loss. It was at this point that Charles began to play more at the safety position than cornerback when he saw the field. In a win over Florida, Charles played 26 snaps at safety and recorded a season-high seven tackles.

Like so many other college football players, Charles remained with his team through spring practice to get a read on where he'd be on Tennessee's depth chart for the 2025 season, only to decide last week that it was time for him to enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining. 

UVA has already picked up one defensive back in the spring transfer window, Cincinnati cornerback Jordan Robinson.

The pickups of Robinson and Charles will reinforce a cornerback room that featured Ja'son Prevard, Dre Walker, and CJ Spence this spring. As for the two safety spots, Virginia already has Antonio Clary and Devin Neal anchoring the starting spots, so the cornerback position fits more in line with Charles.

Charles is the eighth spring transfer for Virginia following this past Saturday, where the Hoos added three players. Below is the list of current spring acquisitions by Tony Elliott and his staff:

  • Cincinnati cornerback Jordan Robinson
  • Colorado running back Isaiah Augustave
  • New Mexico/Kentucky offensive lineman Wallace Unamba
  • Tennessee Tech defensive end Daniel Rickert
  • Arkansas State offensive tackle Makilan Thomas
  • Syracuse offensive tackle David Wohlabaugh Jr.
  • Wyoming running back Harrison Waylee
  • Tennessee defensive back Christian Charles 

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Aidan Baller
AIDAN BALLER

Aidan has been writing for Virginia Cavaliers On SI since January of 2023 and covers UVA football, basketball, men's soccer, and men's lacrosse. He is from New York and is currently in his fourth year at the University of Virginia, enrolled in the M.S. in Accounting program.