Wahoos add Tennessee DB via the portal

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Tony Elliott told media immediately after Virginia’s spring game that he wanted to add depth in his defensive backfield, offensive line and at running back, and that’s exactly what he has done over the past week via the transfer portal.

UVA gained a commitment Monday from former Tennessee defensive back Christian Charles, who played 30 games for the Vols over four seasons. Charles is a 6-foot-1, 200-pound native of Gainesville, Ga., who played cornerback early in his UT career but then switched to safety.

Last week, Elliott brought in another DB, Jordan Robinson, from Cincinnati, and over the weekend made a big haul, adding three more players of need: a running back and two offensive linemen, giving UVA eight transfers since the spring game and 27 overall.

After missing most of the 2023 season due to an Achilles injury in the second game, Charles posted a strong junior season for the Vols in 2024. While he didn’t start, he appeared in 10 games for a defensive-rich Tennessee team.

Included over that 10-game span were season-high 29 snaps vs. Alabama and Kentucky, 27 snaps and three tackles vs. Georgia, 26 snaps against Florida, 24 vs. Arkansas and 21 vs. 15th-ranked Oklahoma.

In 2022, Charles started six of 10 games, including a mind-boggling 81 snaps vs. No. 20 Florida. Against Vanderbilt, he posted 49 snaps and allowed only one reception.

As a freshman in ‘21, he played in eight games, all at corner, with one start.

In all, he made 69 career tackles in 7 starts (30 games), had 2 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery that led to a TD against Alabama and a PBU.

At Cestatee High School in Gainesville, Ga., he was rated a 3-star, and while he was a dual-threat quarterback, the recruiting services rated him as an “athlete,” not sure where he would play in college. He was the No. 31-ranked athlete in his recruiting class by Rivals and had some impressive numbers as a quarterback.

He passed for 4,521 yards and 25 touchdowns, while rushing for 2,711 yards and 33 more scores during his career.

Charles was offered by 23 colleges his final year at Chestatee.