ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew isn’t leaving the UA football program after all.
Groves-Killebrew, who committed to the Nebraska Cornhuskers after a season in Tucson, withdrew his name from the transfer portal, according to CBS Sports and on Saturday.
Groves-Killebrew started six games for the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ this past season and was in line to start in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™s secondary this season. He split starts with second-year cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, who transferred to Miami. Groves-Killebrew and Karnley were the counterpart to former UA star cornerback Tacario Davis, who transferred to Washington for his senior season.
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 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ick and wanted to go home,†he said in August, so he transferred to Louisville for one season, before trekking to Tucson for his redshirt sophomore season at the UA.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±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.
Groves-Killebrew had 26 tackles, four pass deflections and one stop for loss for the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ in 2024.
With Groves-Killebrew back at ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥, the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ have four returning starters in their defensive secondary: Groves-Killebrew, nickel back Treydan Stukes, free safety and nickel back Genesis Smith and strong safety Dalton Johnson.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ added three cornerbacks in the transfer portal: Michael Dansby (San Jose State), Jay’Vion Cole (Texas) and Ayden Garnes (West Virginia).
For its 2025 recruiting class, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ signed four cornerbacks: El Camino College transfer Elijah Brown, Gianni Edwards (Forney, Texas), Swayde Griffin (Lago Vista, Texas) and Dajon Hinton (Chandler). The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ have 10 newcomer scholarship defensive backs.
Contact Justin Spears, the Star’s ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
Justin Spears
Sports Reporter
