UVA Football: ‘Hoos land two DBs, RB in early transfer portal activity

The first Class of 2026 portal pickups for UVA Football are a pair of defensive backs – Rutgers corner Jacobie Henderson and Virginia Tech safety Christian Ellis – and Middle Tennessee tailback Jekail Middlebrook.

Starting with Henderson: he’ll be a grad transfer after his year at Rutgers, where he played in 2025 after three years at Marshall.

At Rutgers in 2025, Henderson was on the field for 600 snaps, with 40 tackles, 28 receptions allowed on 50 pass targets and two pass breakups.

He was dinged for six TD catches, which was the big factor in the 122.3 NFL passer rating against.

At Marshall in 2024, he was on the field for 799 snaps, with 54 tackles, 27 catches allowed on 55 targets, 11 pass breakups, two INTs, and a 75.7 NFL passer rating against.

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Next, Ellis: he played in four games at Tech in 2025, sitting out after the firing of coach Brent Pry so that he could preserve the year for redshirt purposes.

Ellis spent three seasons at New Mexico, getting a lot of run in 2023 and 2024, the latter season playing under former UVA Football coach Bronco Mendenhall.

In that 2024 season, Ellis was on the field for 900 snaps, recording 92 tackles, allowing 23 catches on 33 targets, with four pass breakups and an INT, with four QB hurries and a sack.

He was also dinged for five TDs, and a 123.5 NFL passer rating against.

And now: Middlebrook. Good numbers in 2025: 750 rushing yards, 5.4 yards per attempt, four TDs, two fumbles.

One number that stands out: 575 yards after contact, 4.11 yards after contact per attempt.

For reference, UVA’s first-team All-ACC tailback, J’Mari Taylor, averaged 3.39 yards after contact per attempt this past season.

Middlebrook was also a weapon in the pass game: 40 catches on 60 targets, 412 yards, 10.3 yards per catch, three TDs, two drops.

That tracks with Taylor’s production: 43 catches on 54 targets, 253 yards, 5.9 yards per attempt, one TD, five drops.