Five Defensive Backs for Virginia to Target in Second Transfer Portal Window

Five potential transfer portal targets for the Cavaliers at the defensive back position

Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

With the second window of the NCAA transfer portal open from April 15th through April 30th, players around the country are reevaluating their situations based on spring football and many of them are making the decision to enter their names into the portal in this second window, looking for a new opportunity. 

The Virginia coaching staff made it clear that the Cavaliers were interested in bringing in more reinforcements at offensive line and defensive back. UVA offensive line coach Terry Heffernan got a huge win on that front with the commitment of Penn State offensive tackle Jimmy Christ on Thursday. 

With defensive back Cam'Ron Kelly deciding to re-enter the transfer portal this week just a few months after transferring to Virginia from North Carolina, the Cavaliers will undoubtedly be on the prowl for a defensive back addition from the portal. With that in mind, here's five names to keep an eye on in the transfer portal for Virginia at the defensive back position:

Antonio Carter II - Rhode Island

Rhode Island Athletics

The Cavaliers have offered Rhode Island transfer defensive back Antonio Carter II, but they're not alone. Carter is currently one of the hottest draws in the transfer portal, reeling in offers from more than 20 programs, including Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Texas A&M, Baylor, Minnesota, Louisville, Kentucky, West Virginia, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Washington, Ole Miss, and others. 

A 6'1", 200-pound defensive back from Orlando, Florida, Carter played in 21 games, including 20 starts, over the last two seasons and totaled 105 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, 17 passes defended, and three forced fumbles. Carter is a redshirt junior with two years of eligibility remaining. 

Jahquez Robinson - Alabama

Alabama Athletics

Virginia is reportedly interested in former Alabama defensive back Jahquez Robinson, who entered the transfer portal on April 18th after spending the last three years in Tuscaloosa. A former highly-touted four-star recruit from Jacksonville, Florida, Robinson couldn't carve out a role for himself in an Alabama DB room filled with elite players. Robinson didn't play as a true freshman in 2020, redshirted in 2021 after playing in only one game, and appeared in six games this season, mostly on special teams. 

The 6'2", 200-pound defensive back has drawn interest from a number of programs including Wisconsin and Virginia, but Colorado seems to be the heavy favorite at this point. Robinson visited Colorado this week and has connections with multiple coaches who served on the Alabama coaching staff before joining Deion Sanders in Boulder. 

Malcolm Greene - Clemson

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Tony Elliott leaned on his Clemson connections to bring in Clemson running back Kobe Pace as a transfer back in December. Could he do it again with Clemson defensive back transfer Malcolm Greene? The 5'10", 195-pound cornerback appeared in 29 total games over the last three seasons, including five starts, and recorded 40 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, and a forced fumble during his career as a Tiger. 

A prior connection to Tony Elliott isn't the only factor that could work in Virginia's favor, as Malcolm Greene was a highly-rated recruit out of Highland Springs High School in Richmond, Virginia. Greene was offered by UVA and visited once during his recruiting process, but ended up committing to LSU before flipping his commitment to Clemson on signing day. Additionally, Greene's younger brother Miles Greene, a standout defensive end out of Highland Springs, is set to join the UVA football program this fall. 

With the Cavaliers in need of reinforcements at cornerback, could this be the perfect storm for Malcolm Greene to return to his home state for a fresh start, reunite with a former coach, and play on the same team as his younger brother? 

Keontae Jenkins - TCU

TCU Athletics

There's another Virginia native defensive back from a Power Five program in the transfer portal. Keontae Jenkins entered the portal last week after spending the last three years at TCU. Originally a four-star recruit out of Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach, the 5'10", 180-pound cornerback was a top ten prospect out of the state of Virginia in the 2020 recruiting class, committing to the Horned Frogs over offers from Michigan, LSU, Penn State, Auburn, Baylor, Florida, Tennessee, Indiana, Florida State, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and others. 

Jenkins didn't play as a true freshman in 2020, appeared in two games in 2021, and then played in three of the first five games of the 2022 campaign before suffering a season-ending injury, forcing him to watch from the sidelines as TCU went on its run to the National Championship Game. Now, Jenkins is back on the market with three years of eligibility remaining and UVA could serve as a potential landing spot for him to get a fresh start and return to his home state of Virginia. 

Ivan Yates - Furman

Furman Athletics

Another available defensive back with three years of eligibility remaining is Furman transfer Ivan Yates. A 6'0", 180-pound cornerback from Roswell, Georgia, Yates played in 13 games last season for the Paladins and registered 35 tackles, one sack, seven passes defended, one forced fumble, and an interception. He played in seven games as a true freshman back in 2020 as a reserve cornerback and then appeared in four games in 2021 before missing the rest of the season with an injury. It's been 13 years since Tony Elliott served on the coaching staff at Furman, but he likely still has a soft spot in his heart for the Paladins. 

Keep track of all of UVA's movements in the NCAA transfer portal here: Virginia Football Transfer Portal Updates

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