With the Gator Bowl just over a week away, Virginia football is gearing up for a postseason showdown that carries more than just bragging rights. The Cavaliers are set to face off against Missouri in Jacksonville on Saturday, Dec. 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET in an ACC-SEC clash that brings plenty of storylines, roster intrigue, and a whole lot of transfer portal noise.
For some players, this game is more than just the end of a season - it’s a homecoming. Senior safety Antonio Clary, a Jacksonville native, will get the chance to suit up in front of family and friends one last time in his college career.
Tight end Sage Ennis, hailing from nearby Tallahassee, is also preparing for his final game in a Virginia uniform. For both veterans, the Gator Bowl offers a fitting stage to close out their careers - close to home, in front of familiar faces, and on a national spotlight.
But while some Cavaliers are embracing the moment, others won’t be taking the field. Virginia will be without several players due to transfer portal decisions, including safety Ja’Son Prevard - a 12-game starter this season - and wide receivers Suderian Harrison and Dre Walker, along with offensive lineman Mekhi Buchanan. It’s a reminder of how fluid rosters have become in the era of the portal, especially during bowl season.
Missouri is navigating similar waters - and arguably choppier ones. The Tigers are expected to be without eight players who’ve either entered or are planning to enter the transfer portal.
That list includes starting quarterback Beau Pribula, who threw for nearly 2,000 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games, and top receivers Marquis Johnson and Joshua Manning, who combined for 57 catches, 658 yards, and four touchdowns. That’s a significant chunk of Missouri’s offensive production now off the table.
Adding to the mix, Missouri’s offensive coordinator has accepted a head coaching job elsewhere, which only deepens the uncertainty around the Tigers’ game plan heading into the bowl. Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz addressed the situation candidly, acknowledging the challenges of roster management in a landscape where NIL deals, buyouts, and tampering have become part of everyday operations.
“Some of the players that have entered the portal were under two-year contracts,” Drinkwitz said. “Their anticipation is that another school will pay their buyout or they’ll pay it back themselves. So, you know, contracts are contracts… There are perceived rules, and then we’ll figure out what are the real rules moving forward.”
Drinkwitz also noted that some players opted to stay with the team through the bowl game before entering the portal - a decision he respects, as it allows them to finish what they started with their teammates. Still, the head coach made it clear that more departures could come after the Gator Bowl, and that Missouri is already preparing for what the 2026 roster might look like.
Virginia, too, is juggling bowl prep with long-term roster planning. The Cavaliers are still waiting on clarity at the quarterback position.
Chandler Morris has applied for a medical hardship waiver, but there’s no timeline yet for when the NCAA will rule on his eligibility. That leaves the Hoos in a bit of a holding pattern at the most important position on the field.
As fans look ahead to the Gator Bowl, they’re also keeping one eye on the future. Virginia’s coaching staff is deep in roster evaluations, and conversations are already underway about who might return, who might transfer, and where the program goes from here. On a recent episode of the Hoos On Podcast, Preston Willett and Greg Madia dug into those questions, breaking down which players could be back in 2026 and what that might mean for the Cavaliers’ trajectory.
“There are a lot of players with decisions to make,” Willett said - a sentiment that echoes across the entire college football landscape right now.
But for now, the focus shifts to Jacksonville. One more game.
One last ride for the seniors. And a chance for Virginia to notch a marquee win against an SEC opponent - even as the portal churns in the background.
The modern college football postseason may be unpredictable, but it’s never short on storylines.