Bryce Baker, the highly touted quarterback prospect from Kernersville, North Carolina, is officially entering the transfer portal. It’s a surprising move on the surface - after all, this is a player who, not long ago, was considered the centerpiece of North Carolina’s 2025 recruiting class.
Baker, a 4-star recruit, had the kind of arrival in Chapel Hill that signaled big things ahead. When Bill Belichick - fresh off his hiring - made one of his first major moves by re-recruiting Baker and securing his signature last December, it felt like a foundational moment.
Belichick even brought Baker out to center court at halftime of a UNC basketball game, introducing him to the crowd and handing him the mic. It was a symbolic passing of the torch, a moment that suggested Baker would be a central figure in the Tar Heels’ future.
But football doesn’t always follow the script.
Despite the fanfare, Baker never took a snap for the Tar Heels. Once training camp got rolling in August, he quickly found himself buried on the depth chart.
Fellow true freshman Au’Tori Newkirk leapfrogged him just days into camp, and Baker never regained ground. He spent the season as the fourth-string quarterback, unable to climb out of the shadows.
Now, at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Baker is looking for a new opportunity - and likely a clearer path to playing time. His departure leaves UNC with some uncertainty at the quarterback position. Gio Lopez and Newkirk are still on the roster, but neither has made any public declarations about their plans moving forward.
For Baker, the decision to transfer is a reset - a chance to find a program where he can compete, develop, and potentially become the player many expected when he first committed to UNC. And for the Tar Heels, it’s an early offseason reminder of how quickly things can change in the modern college football landscape, especially at the most scrutinized position on the field.