Virginia football made a splash over the weekend, landing four new additions from the transfer portal while also securing the return of a key offensive weapon. With these moves, the Cavaliers continue to reshape their roster for 2026, bringing their total number of portal pickups to 25 - a clear sign that Tony Elliott and his staff are aggressively retooling for the upcoming season.
Let’s start with the headline grabber: cornerback Omillio Agard. The former Wisconsin defensive back is a name that should excite UVA fans.
At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, Agard arrives in Charlottesville with three years of eligibility and a résumé that suggests he’s just getting started. A former four-star recruit out of Philadelphia, Agard was one of the top 25 corners in the 2024 class and held offers from just about every national powerhouse you can name - Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Clemson, and more.
UVA was in the mix back then, and now they’ve finally landed their guy.
After redshirting in 2024, Agard saw the field in 11 games for Wisconsin last season and earned starts against heavyweights like Oregon, Ohio State, and Iowa. While his role tapered off late in the year - especially after the Badgers brought in four more corners through the portal - Agard still managed to log 21 tackles, a sack, a pick, a tackle for loss, and two pass breakups. That’s solid production in limited snaps, and it’s clear he’s got the tools to be a difference-maker in the ACC.
But Agard wasn’t the only win for the Cavaliers on Saturday. The staff also received a boost when slot receiver Kam Courtney decided to withdraw from the portal and return to the program. Courtney, a rising junior, adds continuity and depth to a receiving corps that’s getting a serious facelift this offseason.
One of the new faces joining that group is Jacquon Gibson, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound wideout from UMass. Gibson is the third receiver UVA has added from the portal this cycle, and he brings a proven track record of production.
In 2025, he hauled in 63 catches for 616 yards - including a standout 12-catch, 132-yard game against Temple. Over his career, Gibson has appeared in 40 games and has steadily developed into a reliable, possession-style receiver who can move the chains and make contested catches.
On the defensive front, UVA added some veteran muscle in Darrion Henry-Young, a 6-foot-4, 294-pound lineman whose college journey has taken him from Ohio State to Kentucky to Coastal Carolina. Once ranked as the No. 2 player in Ohio and a top-20 defensive tackle nationally, Henry-Young has battled through injuries and transfers but finally put together a full season in 2025.
He played in 13 games for Coastal, showing flashes of the disruptive presence he was projected to be out of high school. With his size and experience, he brings valuable depth to the Cavaliers’ defensive line rotation.
Rounding out the group is safety Jalen McNair from Buffalo - and this one might be a sneaky-good pickup. At 5-foot-8 and 198 pounds, McNair plays bigger than his frame suggests.
He’s a downhill, physical safety who racked up 60 tackles, two interceptions, and four pass breakups in 2025. He also recovered two fumbles and added a couple of tackles for loss, showcasing his ability to impact the game in multiple ways.
McNair has one year of eligibility remaining and figures to be a strong fit in John Rudzinski’s defense, which values aggressive, sure-tackling safeties who can fly around the field.
Taken together, Saturday’s haul reflects a clear theme: experience, versatility, and upside. Whether it’s Agard’s high ceiling at corner, Gibson’s steady hands at receiver, Henry-Young’s size in the trenches, or McNair’s physicality on the back end, UVA is stacking its roster with guys who can contribute right away - and in some cases, blossom into long-term starters.
With 25 portal additions now on board and key returners like Courtney recommitting to the program, the Cavaliers are building a roster that looks deeper, tougher, and more competitive than it did a year ago. The pieces are coming together - now it’s about turning that talent into wins on Saturdays.