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Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Lose Starting TE to the Portal
Gregory Fisher- Getty Images After a quiet weekend on the transfer front, the Tar Heels have lost a contributor at the tight end position to the portal. As first reported by Pete Nakos on On3/Rivals, Tar Heels tight end Jake Johnson is following in his brother’s football footsteps and entering the transfer portal when it opens on January 2nd. He will have one year of eligibility remaining wherever he lands. Johnson spent two years with the Tar Heels, playing in all 25 games,

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 8, 20251 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Georgetown Recap
Bob Donnan- Imagn Images The Tar Heels welcomed the Georgetown Hoyas to Chapel Hill on Sunday afternoon as they looked to build on the momentum they built with a win in Lexington against Kentucky earlier this week. The first half of the game was a back-and-forth affair between the two teams with the Tar Heels closing the half strong to take a 44-39 into the break. In the second half, they would put their foot on the gas, though, starting with the play of the big men and conti

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 7, 20254 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Georgetown Preview
GoHeels.com After starting the season with a five-game homestand, the Tar Heels return to the friendly confines of the Smith Center for three straight games, beginning this afternoon against Georgetown. Earlier this week, Carolina secured a road win at Kentucky, 67-64 in the ACC/SEC Challenge, behind the heroics of freshman Derek Dixon, who scored 5 points in the final minute to help propel Carolina to a win. It was the first road win for UNC against a ranked opponent since w

Joshua Marlow
Dec 7, 20254 min read


Heel Tough Blog: 2026 Early Signing Class Breakdown
In the three day early signing window, the Tar Heels signed 39 members of 2026 class, the second most of anyone in college football behind only West Virginia. With all 39 commits that the team has having signed with the program, here is our breakdown of the class. Class Rankings 247Sports- Overall: No. 17 | ACC: No. 3 On3/Rivals- Overall: No. 17 | ACC: No. 3 ESPN- Overall: No. 12 | ACC: No. 2 4 ✮ S Jakob Weatherspoon- Avon (Avon, OH) 247Sports: No. 147 overall, No. 13 S On3/R

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 6, 202531 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Set to Lose RB to the Portal
Gregory Fisher- Getty Images Friday has been a big day of portal entries and the most significant one of the day came in the running room. As first reported by Hayes Fawcett of On3/Rivals, Tar Heel running back Davion Gause will enter his name into the transfer portal when it opens on January 2nd. He will have two years of eligibility remaining. In his two seasons with the program, Gause played in 24 games, including the lone start of his career in last year’s Fenway Bowl aga

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 5, 20251 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels’ Depth CB Heading to Portal
@KhalilCon1ey- Twitter The portal entries just keep rolling in and the most recent comes in the defensive backfield where the team loses another depth piece. As first announced by Chris Hummer of 247Sports, Tar Heel cornerback Khalil Conley will enter his name into the transfer portal when it officially opens on January 2nd. The redshirt freshman, who spent two seasons in Chapel Hill, will have three years of eligibility remaining. Conley, a former 3✮ recruit, will enter the

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 5, 20251 min read


Heel Tough Blog: UNC Loses Rotational OT Portal
@McVayMiles- Twitter Today has been another day full of portal entries and the biggest one of the day comes from a member of the offensive line whose role became expanded as the season went along. As he announced via social media, redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Miles McVay will be entering his name into the transfer portal when it officially opens on January 2nd. The former Alabama transfer will have two years of eligibility remaining wherever he lands. In McVay’s lone s

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 5, 20251 min read


Heel Tough Blog: UNC Veteran QB Announces Decision to Transfer
Bleacer Report After two seasons with the UNC football program, veteran QB Max Johnson announced his decision to transfer away from the Tar Heels. Johnson joined Carolina two years ago, when he transferred in from Texas A&M, committing to play for Mack Brown. He opened as the starter for the team in the season opener at Minnesota, where he suffered a gruesome leg injury that forced him to miss the rest of the 2024 season. After Carolina added Gio Lopez in the spring portal la

Joshua Marlow
Dec 5, 20251 min read


Heel Tough Blog: 8th Tar Heel Announces His Decision to Enter the Transfer Portal
ESPN.com With National Signing Day officially in the rear-view mirror, the focus for Bill Belichick and his staff is figuring out how many players are entering the transfer portal, so the staff can begin working on how to revamp the roster for next season, when the portal officially opens next month. Earlier today, Carolina lost their 8th player from the 2025 roster to the portal, as redshirt freshman Javarius Green entered the portal, after posting 13 catches, for 150 yards

Joshua Marlow
Dec 5, 20252 min read


Heel Tough Blog: UNC Depth OL to Enter the Portal
ESPN The portal defections just keep on rolling in tonight for the Tar Heels. As he announced via social media on Thursday night, redshirt freshman Jani Norwood will enter his name into the transfer portal when the portal opens in January. He will have three years of eligibility remaining. Norwood, a former 3✮ recruit in the 2024 recruiting class, is leaving Chapel Hill after two seasons. In those two years, he played in just four games, with his most extensive action coming

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 4, 20251 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels DB to Enter Portal
@TheTyShunWhite- Twitter For the second time today the Tar Heels have had a member of the 2025 defense enter the transfer portal, this time at defensive back. As first reported by Inside Carolina, Tar Heel defensive back Ty White will enter his name into the transfer portal when it opens in January after spending two years with the program. He will have three years of eligibility remaining wherever he lands. In his two seasons with the Tar Heels, White played in 12 games, wit

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 4, 20251 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Starting LB to Enter the Portal
David Jensen- Getty Images Over the past week, the Tar Heels have seen a handful of entries into the transfer portal and on Thursday, the biggest name so far entered the portal. According to multiple reports, Tar Heel linebacker Khmori House is planning to enter the transfer portal when it opens on January 2nd. He will have two years of eligibility remaining wherever he eventually lands. In his lone season in Chapel Hill, House finished with a team-high 81 total tackles, 2.5

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 4, 20251 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Flip 2026 3✮ TE from Purdue
@DreamRashadQB- Twitter The Tar Heels have been made a chore of flipping players in the 2026 class and that has carried over into the opening of the early signing window. As the Tar Heel football account revealed earlier this morning, the Tar Heels flipped the commitment 2026 3✮ TE Dream Rashad from Purdue to UNC to start off a day of flips for the team. Rashad’s flips following an official visit to Chapel Hill back on November 22nd for the team’s loss to Duke. Rashad, the No

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 3, 20252 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Officially Flips 2026 4✮ IOL
The Tar Heels have been made a chore of flipping players in the 2026 class and that has carried over into the opening of the early signing window. On Wednesday, the team completed another flip, this time of 2026 4✮ IOL Da’Ron Parks. Parks took an official visit to Chapel Hill for the Duke game a couple of weeks ago which led to his decommitment from Florida State just a few days later. Parks, the No. 434 overall prospect and No. 34 interior offensive lineman, hails from Nitro

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 3, 20251 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Complete Flip of 4✮ DL from Texas
@ ocho.vj- Instagram The Tar Heels have been made a chore of flipping players in the 2026 class and that has carried over into the opening of the early signing window. On Wednesday, the Tar Heels completed one of the biggest flips yet when they flipped the commitment of 2026 4✮ DL Vodney Cleveland from Texas. He committed to the Longhorns back on June 21st following a month full of official visits, which included a trip to Chapel Hill back on June 11th. He took two unofficial

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 3, 20252 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Kentucky Recap
ESPN.com Looking to bounce back, against a desperate Kentucky team, UNC went on the road, into a hostile Rupp Arena and earned a 67-64 win, in the ACC/SEC Challenge, to give Carolina their first win in Lexington since 2007, and arguably the biggest win since winning at Duke back in March of 2024 to clinch the ACC regular season title. And while Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar both recorded double-doubles, it was freshman Derek Dixon, not even a starter, who came to the rescue,

Joshua Marlow
Dec 3, 20255 min read


Heel Tough Blog: 2026 3✮ S No Longer Signing With Tar Heels on Wednesday
@darienlewisx2- Instagram In the midst of all of the excitement about the the upcoming opening to the early signing window on Wednesday for the Tar Heels’ 2026 class, the news of a new decommitment has flown under the radar a bit. As he announced via social media on Tuesday evening, 2026 3✮ S Darien Lewis is no longer signing with the Tar Heels today and will instead be signing with UNLV. Lewis, who had been committed to the Tar Heels since July 2nd, took an official visit to

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 3, 20251 min read


Heel Tough Blog: 5 Tar Heels Earn ACC Honors After 2025 Season
Sports Illustrated Despite going just 4-8 this season, and 2-6 in league games, there were some Tar Heel football players to be recognized by the conference’s media members, as the 2025 All-ACC teams were announced earlier today. The first player to earn honors on either the first or the second team was defensive lineman, Melkart Abou Joude, who recorded 10.5 sacks and 47 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss, while starting all 12 games after transferring in from Delaware

Joshua Marlow
Dec 2, 20252 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Kentucky Preview
CBS 17 After having a few days off to regroup after the loss to Michigan State on Thanksgiving night, the Tar Heels return to action tonight, in the ACC/SEC Challenge, as they travel to Kentucky to take on the #18 Wildcats. The loss to Michigan State was the first loss of the season for Carolina, which is 6-1, and is ranked 16th in the AP Poll. Last week was the first time that the Tar Heels played on a neutral floor, and tonight will be the first true road game for Carolina,

Joshua Marlow
Dec 2, 20254 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Lose Commitment from 2026 3✮ IOL
@elirickell- Instagram Early Signing Day for the 2026 class is set for Wednesday and prior to that the team has lost a commitment from one of their members of the offensive line. As he announced via social media on Sunday evening, 2026 3✮ IOL Eli Rickell has decommitted from UNC and is reopening his recruitment. He had been committed to the Tar Heels since early June. His departure isn’t a significant blow to a Tar Heel class that still has three interior offensive lineman co

Anthony Pagnotta
Dec 1, 20251 min read
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