By Jerry Ratcliffe
It was a busy day in the transfer portal for Virginia’s football program as the Cavaliers gained commitments from four players: Devon Baxter, an edge pass rusher from Michigan; Connor Cox, a tight end from UNC/South Carolina; Jaylen Jones, a safety from Georgia State; and Solomon Beebe, a running back/kick return specialist from UAB.
Meanwhile, former UVA backup quarterback Danny Kaelin reportedly committed to his old school, Nebraska, where he will compete with another former Cavaliers quarterback, Anthony Colandrea, who committed to the Cornhuskers last week after spending last season with UNLV. It was a curious move by Kaelin, who signed with Nebraska out of high school, redshirted his freshman year, then played for Virginia last season.
With UVA starting quarterback Chandler Morris denied an extra year of eligibility, critics wondered why Kaelin didn’t stay in Charlottesville, where he was the only experienced quarterback on the roster. Instead, he’ll be battling Colandrea, who has three years of starting experience.
Here’s a look at UVA’s four acquisitions from the portal on Saturday:
Devon Baxter: A late-night addition from Michigan. He is the fourth edge already added to this portal class, which presently numbers 12 players. The other edges: Matthew Fobbs-White, Baylor; Nnanna Anyanwu, UTSA; Ezekiel Larry, Yale.
Baxter is a 6-6, 247, pass rusher originally from Gwen Park H.S. in Brandywine, Md., where he recorded 34 sacks in three seasons and was a 4-star recruit in the 2024 recruiting class, receiving 21 offers, including Penn State and Tennessee. He was the No. 26 edge nationally and the No. 11 prospect in the state of Maryland. Baxter didn’t play in a single game in 2024 or 2025 for the Wolverines, which likely led to his decision to transfer.
Solomon Beebe: Running back/return specialist. 5-foot-10, 205 pounds from University of Alabama-Birmingham. Native of Montgomery, Ala.
Last season as a sophomore, Beebe had a good season, playing in 12 games with four starts. He rushed for 338 yards on 56 carries and had a team-high six rushing touchdowns. Beebe is also an effective receiver, something that Virginia likes in its backs for short passes and screens. He registered 31 receptions for 284 yards for the Blazers last season.
Beebe is also a solid kickoff return specialist. His 24 returns for 600 yards was a school record in 2025, which ranked him fifth nationally. He also posted a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Akron.
As a freshman in 2024, he played in 10 games, with 22 carries for 81 yards and a score. He also had 11 kickoff returns for 316 yards, including a 90-yard return against Rice.
Jaylen Jones: Safety, 6-1, 195 from Georgia State. Originally from Mathews, NC. He was a redshirt sophomore in 2025 when he played in 12 games during a breakout season as he was second on the team in tackles with 66, while posting 4.5 TFL, a forced fumble, a safety and an interception. He had a high of 10 tackles vs. Marshall.
In 2024, he appeared in 12 games for the Panthers and played in 3 games as a freshman before redshirting.
Connor Cox: tight end, North Carolina. He will be entering his junior season at UVA after playing in 10 games for Bill Belichick at UNC in 2025. He was used primarily as an extra blocker and produced a PFF run-block grade of 78.3. Still, he managed to catch 5 passes for 21 yards.
Prior to transferring to UNC, the Jacksonville, Fla., native played two seasons at South Carolina for Shane Beamer and appeared in nine games over two years. He caught only one pass for 9 yards and a touchdown.
