UVA hits portal again, adds Miami/Arizona corner

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Emmanuel Karnley’s short stay at Miami is Virginia’s gain as the former Hurricane, former Arizona Wildcat cornerback committed to UVA on Tuesday, the Cavaliers’ 28th new player via the transfer portal.

The former 3-star from Walnut Creek, Ca., is a redshirt sophomore with three years of eligibility remaining.

Karnley is 6-foot-3, 185-pound corner who was ranked the No. 81 corner in the nation coming out of high school. He committed to Arizona, picking the Wildcats and Coach Jedd Fisch over USC and Washington. He redshirted his freshman year in 2023, but played 10 games in 2024 for new Arizona coach Brent Brennan (by then, Fisch had moved on to Washington).

During last season, Karnley posted 16 tackles (11 solo) and broke up five passes for the Wildcats before deciding to transfer to Miami after the season ended. He moved on to Miami in December, but entered the transfer portal again this spring.

Karnley chose Virginia over Auburn and gives Tony Elliott’s defense yet more depth in its secondary.

Karnley is ranked the No. 94 overall player in the current portal and the No. 13 corner.

UVA’s transfer class, which now has added nine players since the end of spring practice and is now up to 28 new faces, was ranked the No. 25 transfer class in the country as of Tuesday morning by 247Sports.