Two Cavaliers to enter portal; two defensive starters staying

By Jerry Ratcliffe

While two Virginia football players announced on Friday night that they intend to enter the transfer portal, two more players said they will return to the team for their final year of eligibility. All the announcements were made via their Twitter accounts.

Devin Clark, a 6-foot-2, 197-pound freshman safety from Marietta, Ga., and Jestus Johnson, a 6-3, 326 junior lineman from Laurel, Md., said they will enter the portal.

Clark did not play in a game in 2023. Johnson appeared in six games this past season and played in eight games as a sophomore, including one start.

Meanwhile, Virginia’s defensive line received a boost when Chico Bennett, a 6-4 defensive end/outside linebacker said he will return, along with Jahmeer Carter, a 6-2, 312 senior tackle from Baltimore.

Bennett, who has played in 36 games, including 21 starts, had 34 tackles this past season for the Cavaliers, including 15 solo tackles (4.5 for loss). Bennett originally played at Georgia Tech before transferring to UVA.

Carter has 43 games and 32 starts under his belt for Virginia. In 2023, he posted 35 tackles (13 solo) and two tackles for loss, along with one sack.