Cavaliers Add Four to Signing Class

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia football program has added four additional transfer student-athletes to its 2024 signing class, Fralin Family Head Coach Tony Elliott announced. Tight end Sage Ennis, quarterback Gavin Frakes, defensive back Jermarian Jackson and defensive back Kempton Shine are the newest members of Virginia’s 24-player class.

Frakes (New Mexico State) and Jackson (Robert Morris) will each have three years of eligibility remaining. Ennis (Clemson) and Shine (Eastern Michigan) have one year of eligibility left.

All four student-athletes will enroll at Virginia in January.

Bio information:

Sage Ennis, TE
6-4 … 240 … Graceville, Fla. (Lincoln)

PRIOR TO VIRGINIA (CLEMSON)

CLEMSON CAREER
• Physical tight end caught six career passes for 77 yards in 449 offensive snaps over 41 games (two starts) at Clemson from 2020-23.
• Three-time ACC Honor Roll selection (2020-22).

2023
• Caught three passes for 52 yards and was a trusted blocker in the running game for 171 snaps over 10 games (one start).
• Clemson had 16 rushing touchdowns prior to his season-ending injury, including 10 for which he was on the field as a blocker.
• Recorded his first reception of the season on a six-yard grab vs. Wake Forest.
• caught a career-long 28-yard pass at NC State.
• Added an 18-yard reception, Clemson’s longest of the game, vs. No. 12 Notre Dame.
• Suffered a season-ending knee injury vs. Georgia Tech.

2022
• Contributed in all 14 games, playing 54 offensive snaps and playing on special teams.
• All-ACC Academic Team selection.
• Caught two passes for 17 yards at Notre Dame.

2021
• Ascended Clemson’s tight end depth chart as the season progressed and finished the year having played 197 snaps and having recorded one eight-yard catch in 13 games with one start.
• Contributed on special teams vs. No. 5 Georgia.
• Made offensive season debut vs. SC State.
• Made his first career catch vs. Boston College, gaining eight yards.
• Made first career start in a two-tight-end set vs. Florida State.

2020
• Played 27 snaps in four games.
• Made collegiate debut at Wake Forest.
• Also saw action against The Citadel, No. 7 Miami (Fla.) and Pitt.

PREP & PERSONAL
• Played for Quinn Gray at Lincoln High in Tallahassee, Fla.
• Had experience at defensive end, quarterback and tight end during his career, including starting at quarterback as a sophomore.
• Scored nine touchdowns on just 23 carries as a goal line Wildcat back as a junior in 2018.
• Recorded 113 receptions for 1,783 yards and 17 touchdowns over his career at tight end.
• Rushed for 13 touchdowns, giving him 30 total rushing and receiving touchdowns for his career.
• Named first-team FACA All-District, Tallahassee QB Club Student Athlete of the Year and team MVP as a team captain in 2019.
• Recorded 40 catches for 560 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019.
• Finished 2018 season with 39 receptions for 596 yards and four scores.
• Played quarterback as a sophomore and completed 86-of-175 passes for 1,529 yards and nine touchdowns, including a 96-yard touchdown pass.
• Started at tight end as a freshman and registered 34 receptions for 627 yards and six scores.
• Had career-best 18.4 yards per catch as a freshman.
• Also played a season of baseball in spring of 2017.
• Ranked as the No. 18 tight end in the nation according to PrepStar at the time of his signing.
• Ranked as the No. 5 H-Back/TE by ESPN.com.
• Born Sept. 15, 2001.
• Earned degree in parks, tourism and recreation management in December 2022 from Clemson.
• Added a master’s degree in athletic leadership from Clemson in December 2023.
• Enrolled at Clemson in January 2020.
• Completed a microinternship with Cisco in spring 2022.

Gavin Frakes, QB
6-4 … 220 … Norman, Okla. (Norman North)

2023
• Did not see game action.

2022
• Played in 11 games, making five starts under center as a true freshman.
• Totaled 736 passing yards with four touchdowns, adding 143 yards on the ground with another pair of scores.
• Connected with Kordell David on a ten-yard pass for his first collegiate touchdown pass against Nevada on Aug. 27.
• Ran for a season-high 78 yards and a touchdown in a home win over Hawaii.
• Put together a well-rounded performance against UNM, connecting on a season-best ten passes for 119 yards and a pair of scores through the air.

PREP & PERSONAL
• Stepped into the role of Norman North High School’s starting quarterback for the first time as a senior in the fall of 2021.
• Named a top-100 class of 2022 prospect in the state of Oklahoma.
• Led the Timberwolves to a 7-4 mark which included a 4-3 mark in district games.
• Through the regular season, threw for 2,207 yards and 24 touchdowns.
• A dual-threat quarterback, also ran for 785 yards and eight scores.
• Finished the regular season with 2,992 all-purpose yards and 32 touchdowns.
• As a senior, earned the title of Co-Offensive Player of the Year in District 6A-1-2.
• Held offers from Houston Baptist, Penn, Princeton and Yale.
• Originally committed to Princeton, but de-committed in mid-December prior to his commitment to NM State.

Jermarian Jackson, DB
6-2 … 175 … Plant City, Fla. (Plant City)

PRIOR TO VIRGINIA (ROBERT MORRIS)
2023
• Third Team FCS Freshman All-American according to Phil Steele.
• Big South-OVC Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year
• Finished the season with 40 tackles (33 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and forced a fumble.
• Had a season-high six tackles in RMU’s win over Charleston Southern (Nov. 11) and added five stops against Howard (Sept. 30), Tennessee Tech (Oct. 28) and Eastern Illinois (Nov. 18).

2022
• Appeared in four games during his freshman season
• Recorded two tackles in his freshman campaign
• Had his first career tackle at Campbell (10/15)
• Made his collegiate debut against Dayton (9/3)

Kempton Shine, DB
6-0… 184 … Chicago, Ill. (St. Rita)

PRIOR TO VIRGINIA (EASTERN MICHIGAN)

EMU CAREER
• Started 40 of the 45 games in which he appeared. He started the final 25 games of his EMU career.
• Left Eastern Michigan ranked second in program history with 27 career passes defended. Totaled 22 of his career pass breakups over the final two seasons, including 13 in 2022.
• Credited with 176 career tackles (110 solo), one interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
• Four-year letterwinner.
• Played in three bowl games as a member of the EMU football program – 68 Ventures Bowl (2023), Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (2022) and Lending Tree Bowl (2021).

2023
• Started all 13 games.
• Totaled 56 tackles (31 solo)
• His nine passes defended were tied for the seventh-most in the MAC.
• Helped the Eagles clinch bowl eligibility on the final game of the regular season, a 24-11 win over Buffalo on Nov. 21.
• Made a season-high nine tackles against Northern Illinois on Oct. 21
• 2nd Team Preseason All-MAC by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele

2022
• Recorded a team-high, 13 pass defended (12 breakups, 1 interception), tied for the fourth-most in the MAC.
• Notched 30 tackles (24 solo), an interception, a force fumble and a fumble recovery.
• Named the MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 19) after six tackles (four solo) and a forced fumble and recovery in the final minutes to help seal the victory over Arizona State, the first ever regular season win by a MAC school over a PAC-12 program.
• Grabbed his first career interception, returning the ball nine yards versus the University of Akron (Nov. 8)
• Was a preseason All-MAC selection by Athlon Sports

2021
• Played in a career-high 10 games, all starts
• Recorded a personal-best 47 tackles (27 solo, 20 assisted)
• Added a career-high three pass breakups
• Posted a season-best nine-tackle performance against Western Michigan (Nov. 16)
• Recorded five-or-more tackles four times during the 2021 season
• Led the team with eight tackles including a tackle for loss in EMU’s 13-12 win over Miami-Ohio (Oct. 9). Squared off against current UVA defensive end Kam Butler in the contest. Butler had four tackles, including two sacks.

2020
• Played in six games and made four starts.
• Finished the season with 36 tackles (23 solo, 13 assisted)
• Also notched two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery
• Recorded a career-high 14 tackles against Central Michigan (Nov. 27)
• Had multiple tackles in each game for Eastern in 2020
• Registered five-or-more tackles in four-of-six games played

2019
• Appeared in four games for the Eagles, making one start at Illinois (Sept. 14).
• Credited with seven tackles, including four against Central Connecticut (Sept. 21).

PREP & PERSONAL
• Attended St. Rita High School and played under Todd Kuska as an Mustang…Ranked as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and a two-star by Rivals
• Was a three-year starter
• Team won the 89th version of the Chicago Prep Bowl defeating Public League champion Taft, 56-6, to finish the season at 7-6 after a 1-5 beginning to the year
• The 2017 squad finished in second-place in the Chicago Catholic League Blue Conference and earned a berth in the Class 7A quarterfinal round
• Earned Second Team All-CCL Blue honors as a sophomore
• Also a part of the track team
• Full name: Kempton Simba Shine
• Son of Kempton and Lufreda Shine
• Has one brother, Marcellous Moore, and one sister, Kimberly Shine
• Was part of the Individualized Studies Program at Eastern Michigan