Heel Tough Blog: UNC Freshman EDGE Enters the Portal

ESPN

As the opening of the transfer portal grows closer and closer, the portal entries have begun to pick up again. The most recent transfer comes from one of the young edge rushers who spent just one season on the Tar Heels roster before leaving the program.

As first reported by 247Sports, true freshman edge rusher Chinedu Onyeagoro is planning to enter the transfer portal when it opens on January 2nd. He will have four years of eligibility remaining wherever he lands.

Onyeagoro, a former 3✮ prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, departs Chapel Hill after a season where he did not see action in a single game this season and was without a helmet on gamedays for most of conference play. Back in high school, he collected 107 total tackles, 35.0 tackles for loss, 20.0 sacks, 20 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and six passes defensed as a senior. The prior season as a junior, he finished with 95 total tackles, 30.0 tackles for loss, 21.0 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and two passes defensed. He broke onto the scene back in 2022 as a sophomore when he tallied 61 total tackles, 31.0 tackles for loss, 17.0 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two passes defensed.

His departure is a bit of a blow to the team’s depth at edge rusher, especially after the loss of Tyler Thompson to the portal last week. With those two gone, the Tar Heels will be relying on guys like Joseph Mupoyi, Daniel Anderson, Austin Alexander and Emmanuel Nwaiwu to step their games up this offseason. The team may also be counting on 2026 recruits Zavion Griffin-Haynes and Ashton Blatt to play bigger roles than some may have expected them to. The team should also be looking to hit the portal to find at least one major contributor at the position.