Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Land Second DT Transfer from Portal

Mark J. Rebilas- Imagn Images

For a second straight game, the Tar Heels have landed a defensive tackle from the transfer portal.

According to Adam Friedman of Rivals, the Tar Heels have landed a commitment from Arizona transfer defensive tackle Isaiah Johnson. He will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Tar Heels.

Johnson, a former 3✮ prospect out of high school, spent the last three seasons in Tucson, playing in 12 games and starting one in those three years. After not playing a single snap as a true freshman, Johnson played just 11 defensive snaps in 2023, failing to register any stats. This year, though, he was part of the rotation on the defensive line for the Wildcats, playing 170 snaps and compiling nine total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.

With his commitment, the Tar Heels can now feel pretty good about where they’re at in this room despite all the departures they suffered. Johnson should be a rotational piece along this defensive front behind CJ Mims and D’Antre Robinson, but he’ll still be a major contributor. The question now is can one of the young guys step up and claim another rotational role.