With the fast and furious nature of the college football transfer portal rolling along, the Virginia football team continues to add players to the 2026 roster. The latest moves saw two of the most critical positions on offense gain more depth, while the defense secured additional options in the secondary.

First on offense, the Cavaliers landed their second quarterback commitment of the week with Pittsburgh transfer Eli Holstein. He joined Missouri transfer Beau Pribula, who picked the Hoos on Monday night. Pribula is the presumed starter before practices begin, but Holstein provides experienced competition and depth at QB. He will come to UVA as a redshirt junior with two years of eligibility remaining.

With these two moves, Virginia has added two quarterbacks with Power 4 starting experience.

Holstein began his career at Alabama where he redshirted in 2023. After making the move to Pitt, he started 10 games with the Panthers in 2024. While he missed three games due to an injury, Holstein completed 180 of 291 passes (62.0%) for 2,228 yards and 17 touchdowns with 7 interceptions. Those 17 TD passes tied the program’s freshman record. He also had 328 yards and 3 touchdowns rushing. The team started 7-0 for the first time since 1982 that season, though the Panthers did lose to UVA that season when the Cavalier defense held Holstein to 121 yards passing with 0 TDs.

The 6’4”, 225-pound Louisiana native opened the 2025 season as the starter, but Pitt moved to Mason Heintschel in October. For the season, Holstein played in eight games and completed 77 of 125 passes for 1,081 and 12 touchdowns with 6 interceptions. He rushed for 88 yards and a score as well.

In addition to the quarterback pickup, Virginia also brought in an offensive lineman this week. Alex Payne redshirted last season at Southern California after enrolling in the spring of 2025. The 6’5”, 305-pound Georgia native should get a look at both guard and tackle with the Hoos. A four-star recruit across the board, the major recruiting services also ranked him as a top 30 prospect in the state of Georgia in 2024.

Payne’s commitment layers depth to an offensive line that brought back multiple starters from this past fall’s 11-win campaign. McKale Boley (left tackle), Noah Josey (left guard), and Drake Metcalf (right guard) all plan to be back in 2026. The Hoos also retained Monroe Mills and Makilan Thomas, a pair of potential starters entering 2025 before injuries sidelined both for the season. Others that saw playing time and expected to return are Noah Hartsoe, Ben York, Jon Adair, and more.

On the other side of the ball, the Cavaliers boosted the secondary with two more commitments. Michigan safety Brandyn Hillman and Navy cornerback Justin Ross both started the majority of last season for their teams. They join Rutgers corner Jacobie Henderson, Virginia Tech safety Christian Ellis, and Georgia State safety as incoming transfers.

Hillman earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition in 2025 when he had 49 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 forced fumble for the Wolverines. That included 7 tackles in games against eventual playoff teams Oklahoma and Ohio State. He played as a reserve in 2023 and 2024 with 21 total tackles. The 6’0”, 200-pound defensive back will be returning to his home state. He went to Michigan out of Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Virginia. Hillman was a four-star recruit and ranked in the top 10 of the state by the recruiting services.

Ross started nine games for Navy this past fall. He finished with 32 tackles, 1 interception, 4 pass breakups, and 3 quarterback hurries in 2025. He also played in 10 games in 2024 on the way to 4 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 1 INT. The North Carolina native is 6’2” and 185 pounds.

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