With the transfer portal just days away from closing, the Wildcats have lost one of their starting cornerbacks from a year ago. On Thursday, Arizona cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew entered the transfer portal.
Groves-Killebrew is the latest defensive starter to enter the transfer portal, along with cornerback Tacario Davis, safety Gunner Maldonado (Kansas State), linebacker Jacob Manu (Washington), and Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei (Washington).
He started six games for the Wildcats this season, splitting time former Arizona cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, who transferred to Miami on Thursday. Last season, Groves-Killebrew appeared in 10 total games for the UA, recording 26 tackles, including one TFL, and four PBU.
This will be Groves-Killebrew’s fourth school in as many years. The former four-star recruit and Acworth, Georgia native began his collegiate career at Texas A&M in 2022. He appeared in three games for the Aggies as a true freshman. In 2023, he transferred to Louisville for a year, before heading to Tucson for his redshirt sophomore season.
Despite Marquis Groves-Killebrew entering the transfer portal, Arizona’s secondary remains solid heading into the 2025 season. Defensive backs Genesis Smith, Dalton Johnson, and Treydan Stukes have all withdrawn from the transfer portal, and the Wildcats will also return safety Jack Luttrell, who appeared in all 12 games last season. The UA also added former San José State cornerback Michael Dansby, former Texas cornerback Jay’Vion Cole, and ex-Stanford defensive back Jshawn Frausto-Ramos.