Bill Belichick has never had trouble spotting talent, and in his second year running North Carolina’s football program, he’s banking on the transfer portal to deliver a few more difference-makers.
UNC brought in 20 players from the portal and got some real value out of that group last season, including the ACC’s returning sack leader, Melkart Abou-Jaoude. This time around, the Tar Heels may have a few more players with true star potential. Four transfers stand out as possible breakout names in Chapel Hill.
Start with offensive tackle McRoy, because players built like that tend to grab attention fast. At 6-foot-8 and more than 330 pounds, he checks the kind of size box that makes coaches and fans alike look twice.
A former Top-10 offensive tackle recruit in 2024, McRoy enters his redshirt sophomore season projected as the starter at right tackle. His mix of elite physical traits, strong movement skills, raw power and rock-solid clamps gives him a real chance to become a punishing blocker on the right side.
Aeron Burrell might be the most unusual name on the list, but the ceiling is obvious. A kicker as a superstar sounds odd until you look at what Burrell already has on his résumé.
He spent the last two years as LSU’s kickoff specialist and earned Second Team All-SEC and Freshman All-SEC honors as a true freshman in 2024. His kickoff average ranked third in the nation and led the SEC.
After entering the portal during Lane Kiffin’s overhaul of the Tigers roster, Burrell landed at North Carolina as the starting kicker. With the chance for long field-goal attempts and plenty of makes, he has the tools to become one of the top kickers in the ACC and the FBS.
The tight end room is crowded with possibilities, and Jelani Thurman has gotten plenty of attention. Still, Jaxxon Warren may end up being the best of the group.
The former Colorado State transfer has three years of eligibility left and has barely scratched the surface of his college career, appearing in only a handful of games. He played just twice last season after leading the Rams in receiving yards before an undisclosed injury ended his year.
At 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds, Warren brings the kind of size and athleticism that can turn an offense’s plans upside down. If he puts together a productive 2026 season, the rest of the sport will notice.
Then there’s Harvey, the classic boom-or-bust portal addition. He was already mentioned as a player North Carolina could later regret taking, which tells you exactly how much risk comes with the reward.
But the upside is loud. Harvey has the explosiveness, lateral quickness and flexibility to develop into a dangerous pass-rusher, the kind of player the online NFL Draft crowd tends to latch onto.
He could wind up among UNC’s top sack producers, especially with strong talent retention around him. That makes him either one of the best steals of the offseason or one of the program’s biggest misses.
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