ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ starting cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew entered the transfer portal on Thursday.
Groves-Killebrew is the latest UA starter to enter the transfer portal, along with cornerback Tacario Davis, safety Gunner Maldonado (Kansas State), linebacker Jacob Manu (Washington) and defensive lineman Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei (Washington).
Groves-Killebrew started six games for the Wildcats this past season and was in line to start in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s secondary this season. He split starts with second-year cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, who transferred to Miami on Thursday. Karnley was suspended for the season finale against ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State after he was ejected in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s previous game for spitting on a TCU player.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ defensive back Marquis Groves-Killebrew mugs for the crowd after getting a sack and pushing back Houston in the third quarter on Nov. 15, 2024.
In 2022, the 6-0, 185-pound Groves-Killebrew signed with Texas A&M as a four-star recruit after starring at Atlanta-area North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia. Groves-Killebrew played in the 2022 All-American Bowl, which also featured former UA star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and former running back Rayshon “Speedy†Luke, who was the game’s MVP after scoring two touchdowns.
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Groves-Killebrew appeared in three games at Texas A&M before transferring to Louisville, where he spent the first roughly dozen years of his life before moving to Atlanta. Groves-Killebrew “was homesick and wanted to go home,†he said in August, so he transferred to Louisville for one season, before trekking to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ for his redshirt sophomore season at the UA.
Groves-Killebrew had 26 tackles, four pass deflections and one stop for loss for the Wildcats in 2024.
Despite Groves-Killebrew in the transfer portal, the Wildcats return nickel back Treydan Stukes, strong safety Dalton Johnson, safety and nickel back Genesis Smith and safety Jack Luttrell, among others. The Wildcats signed former San Jose State cornerback Michael Dansby and Texas cornerback Jay’Vion Cole.
Dansby ended his three-year career at SJSU with 68 career tackles, 14 pass deflections, five interceptions and a touchdown. Cole has 54 tackles, 14 pass deflections and eight interceptions in three seasons at Cal Poly, San Jose State and Texas. Stukes also played cornerback for his first three seasons at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ before moving to nickel back.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has 28 scholarship players currently in the transfer portal.
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Contact Justin Spears, the Star’s ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
Justin Spears
Sports Reporter
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