We are now officially one week past the deadline for players to enter the transfer portal and it seems like everyone that beat that deadline is now officially in the system. The Tar Heels have already been pretty aggressive in the portal in this cycle, landing five commitments, two of which joined the team in the spring. The most recent commitments for the team out of the portal came following the conclusion of spring practice but did not involve any additions at the spot that was mentioned multiple times as a position that the team would potentially look to add someone from in the portal during the spring, wide receiver. We went through and looked at the names that are currently available in the portal and here are some reasonable options that the Tar Heels should potentially consider at the position.
Deion Smith- LSU Transfer
This is a name that came up earlier in the transfer cycle and is an intriguing one that is still out there. Smith initially announced he was entering the portal back in early December but was apparently looking at returning to Baton Rouge prior to spring practice. However, in late March, it was confirmed that he would not join the team for the spring and was officially looking to go elsewhere. In six games as a true freshman this past year, Smith caught 11 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns before injury cost him the rest of the season. With three seasons of eligibility left and a ton of upside for a guy who was rated as one of the top 70 prospects in the class of 2021, this one should be a no-brainer if he was to consider it.
Matt Landers- Toledo Transfer
Landers is one of the names that entered the portal at the deadline and is easily the most attractive option available right now. In his lone season with the Rockets, Landers caught 20 passes for 514 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 25.7 yards per catch, one of the top marks in all of college football. He had 50 or more yards receiving in each of the final five games of the season, including a massive performance to close out the season in the Bahamas Bowl against Middle Tennessee. The Tar Heels could still use a big play threat on the outside after the fleeting nature of that element of the offense a year ago outside of Josh Downs. The former Georgia transfer definitely feels like a risk worth taking, especially with two years of eligibility left.
Marcus Washington- Texas Transfer
Washington is another one of the prospects that entered the transfer portal last minute that might be worth the look. In his three seasons in Austin, he finished with 25 catches for 366 yards and three touchdowns in 31 games played but did break out a bit last fall, finishing third amongst the Texas receivers this past season in receiving yards (277) and fourth in both catches (18) and touchdowns (2). This is another guy who is a low-risk, high-reward pick-up that is worth the look to try to find help and add depth on the outside.