After closing 2023 with some recruiting momentum in December, the Virginia football team added another transfer portal commitment on Friday to get 2024 going. New Mexico State quarterback Gavin Frakes chose the Cavaliers after a visit to Charlottesville.
The Hoos now have added eight players via the transfer portal this cycle. Frakes joined receiver Trell Harris (Kent State), receiver Andre Greene Jr. (North Carolina), cornerback Kendren Smith (Pennsylvania), offensive lineman Drake Metcalf (Central Florida/Stanford), tight end Tyler Neville (Harvard), linebacker/defensive back Corey Thomas (Akron), and receiver Chris Tyree (Notre Dame) as incoming transfers. Frakes confirmed his decision on social media.
#TYJ Blessed to announce I’m committing to the University of Virginia 🔷⚔️🔶 #GoHoos @taylor_lamb11 pic.twitter.com/qxnYMO0q6s
— Gavin Frakes (@gavinfrakes) January 6, 2024
Frakes brings some depth back to the quarterback room for Virginia. Last season, Tony Muskett and Anthony Colandrea ended up as the only scholarship players at he position after Jay Woolfolk elected to focus on baseball and Delaney Crawford moved to receiver. Grady Brosterhous, who had some lower level offers out of high school but walked on at UVA, served as the third string option and played in some short yardage running packages.
The added depth is an important roster management move given that Muskett only has one year of eligibility remaining and missed 6 games last season due to injuries. While the Hoos have a commitment from 2025 recruit Cole Geer at the position, they did not bring in anyone with the 2024 class. Virginia coach Tony Elliott said during the December signing period that the program would continue to pursue a transfer quarterback. The Hoos reached out to Frakes as soon as he entered the portal.
It also brings more competition to the QB spot. Frakes played in 11 games as a true freshman for New Mexico State with 5 starts. He completed 55 of 110 passes for 736 yards and 4 touchdowns with 7 interceptions. He also rushed 33 times for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns. At Norman North High School in Oklahoma, Frakes started as a senior and posted 2,992 all-purpose yards with 32 touchdowns. That included 2,207 passing yards and 24 TDs.
The 6’4″, 220-pound Frakes did not receive star ratings from 247 Sports out of high school. He had offers from Penn, Princeton, and Yale among others. He chose Princeton initially, but then flipped to New Mexico State before deciding to transfer after coach Jerry Kill resigned. He will enroll at UVA this month and practice with the team this spring. He has 3 years of eligibility remaining.
Highlights for Frakes can be seen below:
Apparently can help the team gpa.