When the Virginia football team begins spring practices next month, it will do so with reinforcements on the defensive side of the ball. The Cavaliers brought in 11 transfers during the winter portal cycle and focused much of the attention on the secondary with those players as cornerback Jermarian Jackson (Robert Morris), cornerback Kendren Smith (Pennsylvania), linebacker/defensive back Corey Thomas Jr. (Akron), and cornerback Kempton Shine (Eastern Michigan) all joined the program.

The back end of the defense clearly became a priority, something evident both from those pick-ups and from Tony Elliott’s comments early this month when the head coach said that cornerback remains the biggest need from a roster management standpoint. That makes sense given the roster turnover in the defensive backfield during the first two years of the Elliott era.

After the 2022 season, both starting corners departed as Anthony Johnson completed his eligibility and Fentrell Cypress II transferred out to Florida State. After the 2023 season, Tayvonn Kyle, Sam Westfall, and Coen King finished their college careers, while William Simpkins III, Dave Herard, and Lex Long entered the portal from UVA. While Kyle and Westfall were one-year transfer players, that’s still a lot of changes.

The secondary’s impact on the defense’s production seemed significant. In 2022, the Hoos ranked 30th nationally in passing defense by allowing 204.4 yards per game. They also allowed only 6.6 yards per pass attempt (T-33rd) and a 123.62 passer rating (T-33rd). Cypress ranked 5th nationally in passes defender per game at 1.44, while Johnson landed 7th at 1.40. It all helped the team rank 44th nationally in total defense at 357.6 yards per game allowed.

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