Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Lose True Freshman RB to Portal

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The spring portal window officially closes tonight at 11:59 PM and this morning, another member of the 2025 class has entered his name prior to the deadline. 

As first reported by Inside Carolina, true freshman running back Jariel Cobb is entering his name into the transfer portal after spending the spring in Chapel Hill. He will have four years of eligibility remaining wherever he eventually lands.

Cobb, the No. 1559 overall prospect and No. 122 running back prospect in the 2025 class, was an early enrollee and one of Bill Belichick’s first commitments after the coaching change. He spent the entirety of his high school career just down the road at Reidsville High School in Reidsville, NC where he was one of the most accomplished running backs in program history. In just 10 games as a senior, he ran for a career-high 1,533 yards and 23 touchdowns on just 142 carries and caught 23 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns on his way to first team all-conference honors. This followed a breakout junior season in which he ran for 1,213 yards and 17 touchdowns on 154 carries, helping Reidsville win the 2A state title, the 23rd in program history.

This shouldn’t be seen as that big of a shock considering Cobb was buried on a depth chart that is going to be pretty full come the fall. We fully expect Davion Gause, Caleb Hood, Demon June Jr. and Benjamin Hall to be able to hold things down in that backfield this season and the depth to remain strong with guys like Joseph Troupe, Jaylen Nichols and reclassified 2026 back Jaylen McGill in the room.