Virginia is in the mix for yet another defensive back target in the transfer portal. According to a report from On3’s Pete Nakos on Tuesday (April 22), Tennessee defensive back transfer Christian Charles has scheduled visits to UVA and Miami, with his visit to Virginia expected to happen sometime this week. Charles has played in 30 games over the last four seasons for the Volunteers both at cornerback and at safety.
Tennessee defensive back Christian Charles (@CD___Charles3) is scheduled to visit Miami and Virginia, his agent @monnier_oscar tells @On3sports.
Portal Intel: https://t.co/CenT2N3mFl pic.twitter.com/BPOyS4M5En
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) April 22, 2025
A 6’1″, 200-pound defensive back from Gainesville, Georgia, Charles was a dynamic dual-threat quarterback in high school and was ranked one of the top 35 prospects from the recruiting hotbed that is the state of Georgia and one of the top 35 athletes in the entire country. As a true freshman at Tennessee in 2021, Charles appeared in eight games and made one start, finishing the year with eight total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass defended.
The 2022 season saw Charles break into the starting lineup at the cornerback spot, playing in 10 games and logging six starts at cornerback. In a big-time matchup against then-No. 3 Alabama, Charles matched a season-high with eight tackles, allowed just one catch for six yards on 49 snaps at corner, and recovered a fumble on special teams that led to a Tennessee touchdown, helping the Volunteers defeat the Crimson Tide in an epic 52-49 victory. In the previous week on the road at LSU, Charles registered seven tackles, six of them solo stops, to help the Vols dominate the Tigers 40-13 in Death Valley. Charles finished the season with 35 total tackles, 19 solo stops, and a fumble recovery.
The 2023 season brought a significant setback for Charles, who played in Tennessee’s season-opening win over Virginia in Nashville as a reserve and then went down with an Achilles injury the following week against Austin Peay and missed the rest of the season.
After rehabbing for a year, Charles returned to the field in 2024 and played in 10 games for the Volunteers, but did not log any starts. He finished with 28 total tackles, 19 of them solo stops, and also had two tackles for loss. It was at this point that Charles began to play more at the safety position than cornerback when he saw the field. In a win over Florida, Charles played 26 snaps at safety and recorded a season-high seven tackles.
Like so many other college football players, Charles remained with his team through spring practice to get a read on where he’d be on Tennessee’s depth chart for the 2025 season, only to decide last week that it was time for him to enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining.
Given his versatility and experience as both a safety and a cornerback, Virginia could slot Charles in a few different spots in the secondary should the Cavaliers land his commitment. UVA has already picked up one defensive back in the spring transfer window, Cincinnati cornerback Jordan Robinson, but the Hoos are definitely in the market for a few more defensive back transfers. In addition to Christian Charles, Virginia has scheduled visits with or has already hosted Fresno State cornerback Julian Neal, Wyoming defensive back Wrook Brown, and Army cornerback Donavon Platt. Virginia seems determined to reinforce its secondary with multiple transfers this spring.
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