North Carolina’s roster makeover under Bill Belichick is packed with former highly rated recruits, but one name stands out as a real breakout candidate heading into the season: Jelani Thurman.
The Tar Heels are trying to reshape the conversation around a 2025 season that fell far short of expectations, and Belichick’s approach is built around developing talent that once carried plenty of recruiting buzz. That group includes true freshmen like quarterback Travis Burgess, along with other former 4-star prospects such as wide receivers Nathan Leacock and Jordan Shipp and offensive tackle JacQawn McRoy.
Thurman, though, is the former blue-chip player who looks ready to make the biggest leap. The redshirt junior tight end arrived from Ohio State with plenty of pedigree, having been rated No. 3 overall at his position by 247Sports, but he has spent the last couple of seasons playing a limited role while waiting for his opportunity.
At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, Thurman brings the kind of frame that jumps off the screen. His work as a blocker has already shown up on film, especially when he’s sealing the backside, moving down the line on split zone, or getting to the second level to help spring runs. The next step is in the passing game, where he needs to become a dependable target in the short and intermediate areas, especially in the MOF.
He’s not the only tight end in the mix, either. Colorado State transfer Jaxxon Warren and Texas transfer Jordan Washington are both in the fight for snaps, giving North Carolina a deeper and more competitive room heading into training camp.
Still, Thurman feels like the one with the clearest path to becoming the playmaker he was projected to be coming out of high school. Belichick has added real competition at the position, but Thurman has the chance to turn all that promise into a breakout season.
In Other News...
UNC May Regret Losing The Triangle Player It Needed Most
The Triangles latest transfer-portal churn has left all three local power programs staring at different kinds of holes, and North Carolinas loss may be the one that stings most in the long run. Duke is trying to replace a quarterback who carried its offense, while NC State has to rethink its backfield after losing a productive runner, but the Tar Heels are the ones watching a key defensive piece head elsewhere after Khmori House decided to move on to the SEC.
House gave North Carolina a presence in the middle of the defense and was one of the more important in-state names to come through the portal cycle, which makes his departure more than just another roster change. For a program trying to build toward a better 2026 outlook, losing a linebacker like that is the kind of setback that can linger, especially when the rest of the Triangle is dealing with its own portal damage and every edge in the region feels hard-earned. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Faced A Painful Truth Before Moving On From Hubert Davis
North Carolinas move on from Hubert Davis came after a season that never matched the talent in the room, ending with a first-round NCAA Tournament loss and a hard reset for a program that expects to live much deeper into March. Athletic director Steve Newmark made clear the decision was rooted in coaching performance, not a shortage of ability on the roster, a distinction that matters at a place where expectations are never subtle.
Michael Malone has since taken over and quickly put his stamp on the job, rebuilding both the roster and the staff around him. The early work has already changed the feel of the program, and it also hints at how aggressively UNC wanted to move after deciding the old formula was no longer enough. [Read more 🡒]
Two Returning Tar Heels Could Be UNC's 2026 Offensive Answer
A pair of returning playmakers could end up shaping North Carolinas offense in 2026, and both already showed enough last season to suggest the ceiling is real. Wide receiver Shipp proved he can be a reliable target even in a tough passing environment, while running back June gave the Tar Heels a steady ground option and flashed enough to make him part of the conversation as the offense looks ahead.
The bigger question is how much more each can do with better support around them. Shipp stands to benefit from an upgraded quarterback room, and June appears positioned for a larger share of the workload after the backfield changes already in motion. If both take the next step, UNC could have two of its clearest offensive answers waiting in-house. [Read more 🡒]