Make that 10. The Virginia football team continued its offseason work in the transfer portal with another commitment on Monday. Clemson tight end Sage Ennis became the latest to choose the Hoos, pushing the count into double digits since the season ended.
The Hoos added three players via the transfer portal this weekend to reach 10 for the cycle. Ennis joined cornerback Jermarian Jackson (Robert Morris), quarterback Gavin Frakes (New Mexico State) 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.
Ennis announced his choice on social media. He had previously announced the intention to transfer to Florida A&M, but reconsidered when coach Willie Simmons left the program.
I’m proud to announce that I will be furthering my education and athletic career at the University of Virginia 🔷🔶 #GoHoos @Coach_TElliott @coachdeskitch pic.twitter.com/8W2t8UwNRM
— Sage Ennis (@Sage_Ennis) January 8, 2024
The Cavaliers added a tight end earlier from the transfer portal as well when Harvard’s Tyler Neville made his decision on UVA. Both Neville and Ennis have one year of eligibility remaining, but the Hoos appear to be trying to bridge the gap to younger players on the roster. Last season, Virginia played two senior tight ends in Grant Misch and Sackett Wood Jr. for most of the snaps and Joshua Rawlings decided to transfer out of the program. The only other upperclassman at tight end this past season was Henry Duke, who converted over from the offensive line, while sophomore Karson Gary and freshmen TeKai Kirby and Hayden Rollison have limited or no experience yet.
UVA completed 14 passes to tight ends this past season for 164 yards and 1 touchdown and Neville could provide more of a boost in that part of the offense (he had 62 catches for 698 yards and 8 touchdowns at Harvard). Ennis, meanwhile, caught 6 passes for 77 yards in his Clemson career while appearing in 41 games so he could be bringing a blocking boost to the equation. To do that, Ennis will need to make a strong recovery from a season-ending knee injury in November. He tore his ACL against Georgia Tech on Nov. 11. The start of preseason camp will be around 7 months and the start of the season will be near 8 months removed from that injury.
Ennis earned a 3-star rating out of high school from 247 Sports and Rivals. Both also ranked him as a top 30 tight end recruit in his class (No. 18 by 247 and No. 28 by Rivals). He chose Clemson over offers from Florida State, Penn State, NC State, UCF, and Louisville out of high school. With his initial decision to transfer to Florida A&M, he was making a move closer to home (Graceville, Fla.) but ultimately decided to rejoin Virginia coach Tony Elliott, who was his offensive coordinator with the Tigers.
With the 6’4″, 240-pound Ennis now in the fold, Virginia has added three former Clemson players during the last two offseasons. A year ago, cornerback Malcolm Greene and running back Kobe Pace made the switch from the Tigers to the Hoos. Both contributed this past season as Greene played in 10 games with 15 tackles, while Pace played in 12 games with 558 yards of total offense (382 rushing, 176 receiving). Pace scored 4 touchdowns.
High school highlights for Ennis can be found on his Hudl profile here.
