Heel Tough Blog: 2025 Roster Update
- Anthony Pagnotta
- 13 minutes ago
- 6 min read
The Tar Heels have landed three commitments in the portal in the past week as they have been putting the finishing touches on their 2025 roster. Following their most recent addition, Boise State transfer linebacker Andrew Simpson, it appears that the roster is close to being complete for this upcoming season. With that, now is the perfect time to take a look at where the roster currently stands and give you our evaluation of where each room sits from a talent and depth perspective.
Quarterback
Number of Scholarship Players: 5
Max Johnson (Gr.): 1 year remaining
Gio Lopez (So.): 3 years remaining
Bryce Baker (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Gary Merrill (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Au’tori Newkirk (Fr.): 4 years remaining
The Tar Heel quarterback room has undergone a lot of change this offseason and the room is still in a bit of a shaky spot depthwise because of the lack of experience. The numbers are there, but with Max Johnson still walking with a limp according to Andrew Jones of Tar Heel Illustrated, the team could use a third quarterback with at least a little experience just in case Lopez and Baker go down. Still, this room appears to have their starter and is in better shape than some of the other rooms on this team.
Running Back
Number of Scholarship Players: 8
Caleb Hood (Gr.): 1 year remaining
Charleston French (So.): 3 years remaining
Davion Gause (So.): 3 years remaining
Benjamin Hall (So.): 3 years remaining
Demon June Jr. (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Jaylen McGill (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Jaylen Nichols (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Joseph Troupe (Fr.): 4 years remaining
This room is in solid shape despite not having a ton of experienced options in the backfield. Gause and Hood may have to carry a lot of the load early, but it feels like there is potential in this room led by guys like Demon June Jr. and Jaylen McGill. As long as Gause and Hood stay healthy, this room should be one of the more productive on the team this season.
Wide Receiver
Number of Scholarship Players: 13
Kobe Paysour (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Chris Culliver (Jr.): 2 years remaining
Paul Billups II (So.): 3 years remaining
Aziah Johnson (So.): 3 years remaining
Jordan Shipp (So.): 3 years remaining
Dayton Sneed (So.): 3 years remaining
Javarius Green (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Jason Robinson Jr. (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Alex Taylor (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Shanard Clower (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Madrid Tucker (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Kenedy Uzoma (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Adrian Wilson (Fr.): 4 years remaining
It’s hard to get a great read on this group, especially with Belichick giving us nothing in terms of team updates this summer. Adding another experienced option in the portal at the position would have been ideal, but it might mean that the younger guys have stepped it up and proven themselves. Let’s hope that’s the case because the talent is there for this to be one of the best receiving corps in the ACC again.
Tight End
Number of Scholarship Players: 5
Jordan Owens (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Jake Johnson (Jr.): 2 years remaining
Connor Cox (So.): 3 years remaining
Shamar Easter (So.): 3 years remaining
Timmy Lawson (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Cal Tierney (Sr.)*
Deems May III (Jr.)*
Cort Halsey (So.)*
This is a room that we knew the Tar Heels needed to hit hard in the portal and they have, but the additions that they have made simply lack the experience you would like to have here. Like some of the other positions on this team, the Tar Heels are banking on upside to pay off with the transfers that they brought in. Jake Johnson will be counted on heavily, especially early in the season, but the team needs at least one pass catcher to emerge from the remaining group.
Offensive Line
Number of Scholarship Players: 15
Austin Blaske (Gr.): 1 year remaining
Christo Kelly (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Daniel King (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Chad Lindberg (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Jakai Moore (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Will O’Steen (Sr.): 1 year remaining
William Boone (Jr.): 2 year remaining
Trevyon Green (Jr.): 2 years remaining
Aidan Banfield (So.): 3 years remaining
Jordan Hall (So.): 3 years remaining
Miles McVay (So.): 3 years remaining
Jani Norwood (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Trey Blue (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Eidan Buchanan (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Bryon Nelson (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Bo Burkes (Jr.)*
Jarvis Hicks (Jr.)*
This room is the one that has undergone the biggest overhaul so far this offseason and depthwise they are in a really good spot. While they have the bodies, the question now is do they have the talent? Of the eight portal additions to this room, only two are coming from P4 schools, so there is a learning curve for a lot of the guys that the team is going to be relying on. How these guys pan out will determine just how good this offense can be this season.
Edge Rushers
Number of Scholarship Players: 10
Pryce Yates (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Smith Vilbert (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Melkart Abou-Jaoude (Jr.): 2 years remaining
Jaybron Harvey (So.): 3 years remaining
Joseph Muypoi (So.): 3 years remaining
Tyler Thompson (So.): 3 years remaining
Daniel Anderson (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Austin Alexander (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Emmanuel Nwaiwu (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Chinedu Onyeagoro (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Yasir Smith (Fr.): 4 years remaining
This is the room that we are most concerned about at this point. Pryce Yates was an outstanding addition and would have been perfect alongside Beau Atkinson. With Atkinson out of the fold, the team now needs someone else to step up to help pressure the quarterback and take some of the attention off of Yates. There are many options to do just that, but who is going to step up is the big question.
Defensive Linemen
Numbers of Scholarship Players: 10
Isaiah Johnson (Jr.): 2 years remaining
CJ Mims (Jr.): 2 years remaining
D’Antre Robinson (So.): 3 years remaining
Peter Pesansky (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Leroy Jackson (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Devin Ancrum (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Trey Giddens (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Nico Maggio (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Kamarion Thomas (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Laderion Williams (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Henry Martello (Fr.)*
Xavier Lewis (Fr.)*
This is another room that we have some concerns about, but it is a far cry from where we were just a couple of weeks ago. The trio of Mims, Robinson and Johnson is a promising one, but it is a group that still doesn’t have a ton of snaps under their belt. Beyond them, there are questions about whether or not anyone else can step up from a group of unproven freshmen to provide some needed depth and take the pressure off the trio to produce.
Linebackers
Number of Scholarship Players: 9
Mikai Gbayor (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Andrew Simpson (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Khmori House (So.): 3 years remaining
Jonathan Agumadu (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Timir Hickman-Collins (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Evan Bennett (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Jake Bauer (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Tyler Houser (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Lantz Pascal (Fr.): 4 years remaining
The linebacker spot was the biggest question mark just as soon as yesterday, but Simpson completely changed that outlook. With him in place, the team actually has a trio that might be one of the better ones in the ACC this season. The depth is also in solid shape as well thanks to the work done late in the 2025 recruiting class and late in the portal.
Defensive Backs
Number of Scholarship Players: 14
Marcus Allen (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Thaddeus Dixon (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Gavin Gibson (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Will Hardy (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Coleman Bryson (Jr.): 2 years remaining
Kaleb Cost (Jr.): 2 years remaining
Ty Adams (So.): 3 years remaining
Tre Miller (So.): 3 years remaining
Jaiden Patterson (So.): 3 years remaining
Gregory Smith II (So.): 3 years remaining
Jalon Thompson (So.): 3 years remaining
Peyton Waters (So.): 3 years remaining
Ty White (So.): 3 years remaining
Malcolm Ziglar (So.): 3 years remaining
Khalil Conley (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Khristian Dunbar-Hawkins (RFr.): 4 years remaining
Javion Butts (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Reggie Love II (So.)*
Kenyon McMahon (RFr.)*
This room might be in the best shape of any on the team. The cornerback room is packed with talent and depth and the same can be said about the safety room now that Smith is on board. Figuring out the starters at safety is the challenge that the room faces, but there are some solid experienced options that can carry the team until the younger, more talented players in the move can prove themselves.
Special Teams
Number of Scholarship Players: 5
Tom Maginness (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Spencer Triplett (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Rece Verhoff (Sr.): 1 year remaining
Jacob Horvath (Jr.): 2 years remaining
Guytano Bartolomeo (Fr.): 4 years remaining
Gannon Burt (RFr.): 4 years remaining
This is another room where there isn’t a ton of depth, but the room seems to be in solid shape. Punter and long snapper are in good shape with two capable options at both positions thanks to portal additions, while kicker is more of a question mark with an inconsistent veteran in Verhoff and an unproven true freshman in Bartolomeo. The hope is that one of the two can get into enough of a rhythm to carry them throughout the season.