Tony Elliott is putting together a strong crop of commits.
As we near the end of the initial transfer portal cycle, Tony Elliott continues to rake in commitments for the Virginia Cavaliers. After a strong first wave of commits, Elliott landed another exciting crop of transfers over the weekend and to start off the final week of the window (the main portal window is open from January 2nd to 16th).
Since Friday, the ’Hoos have landed:
- Zion Wilson (DL, East Carolina)
- Connor Cox (TE, North Carolina)
- Devon Baxter (DE, Michigan)
- Rico Flores Jr. (WR, UCLA)
- Wyatt Rubinoff (LS, New Hampshire)
- Jamond Mathis (EDGE, Kent State)
- Nnanna Anyanwu (DE, UTSA)
- Beau Pribula (QB, Missouri)
- Ezekiel Larry (EDGE, Yale)
- Solomon Beebe (RB, UAB)
- Jaylen Jones (S, Georgia State)
Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula is the headliner of the second wave of commits, as Elliott was finally able to fill the quarterback hole that emerged in the aftermath of Chandler Morris’s waiver for an additional year of eligibility being denied by the NCAA. A 6-foot-2 rising senior with one year of eligibility remaining, Pribula dealt with injuries throughout his redshirt junior season for the Tigers, limiting him to just ten games played and mixed results on the field.
Still, Pribula is a big-bodied, dual-threat weapon with a strong arm that had Missouri off to a 5-0 start and inside the top 15 of the AP Poll early in the season. He should fit nicely into Elliott’s system, and the ’Hoos can breathe a sigh of relief after finally finding their QB1 for 2026.
Among this second wave of transfers, wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. is the highest-rated addition. With Trell Harris, Eli Wood, Kameron Courtney, and Suderian Harrison all hitting the portal, the ’Hoos desperately needed some incoming pass catchers, and Flores is a home run commit.
A 6-foot-2 speedster from North Highlands, CA, Flores was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and spent a year at Notre Dame before transferring to UCLA last season. With the Bruins, Flores hauled in 26 receptions for 274 yards, but he should take a big step up in production as a featured weapon for the Cavaliers.
Another former four-star recruit, Virginia earned a commitment from EDGE Devon Baxter on Saturday. Baxter, who stands at a towering 6-foot-6, is a high-upside get for Elliott and still has three seasons of eligibility remaining. Though he never saw action for the talented Wolverines’ defense, Baxter was the nation’s No. 26 edge rusher (via 247Sports) coming out of high school.
Adding to their defensive line, the Cavaliers secured commitments from a pair of dominant Group of Five edge rushers. Nnanna Anyanwu joins the Cavaliers after leading UTSA with 5 sacks, and Kent State’s Jamond Mathis heads to Charlottesville after posting six sacks and eight tackles for loss.
On the interior, Virginia also secured a big-time commitment from All-AAC defensive tackle Zion Wilson. The 315-pound senior racked up 42 tackles and seven sacks for East Carolina this season and will be a foundational run-stopper for the ’Hoos if his waiver for an additional season of eligibility is granted by the NCAA.
Virginia’s transfer haul is currently the 14th-most impactful class in the nation as of Tuesday morning, according to On3’s transfer portal index. But Elliott likely isn’t finished just yet. Stay tuned to Streaking the Lawn for portal updates over the final three days of the initial transfer window.
Category: General Sports
