Carolina Could Be Active Pursuers In The Portal

The transfer portal for college football opened last Saturday, and at the time of this writing, no North Carolina players have entered their names.

A couple of Tar Heels likely will, that’s how things work now. So, while the program likely will lose some guys, it could also gain some.

With that, the coaching staff met Monday to lay out a full depth chart, and then have held individual player meetings this week to discuss where each is on the chart and how they can expect to be used in the fall.

“You really have to look hard at your roster management,” UNC Coach Mack Brown said following the spring game last Saturday, in response to a question about how active his program may be in the portal.

That means transparency with the current players, and understanding needs to go outside the program to fill needs.

Position groups lacking depth are mostly on offense, but one on defense as well: Offensive line; quarterback; possibly running back; and possibly inside linebacker.

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Some might be surprised that quarterback is a spot UNC may have on its radar when looking into the portal, but there is a sense of urgency in the program to have a handle on what life after Drake Maye will look like at the all-important position.

Maye is expected to leave after the coming season, and could be the top overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. But who will step in after he’s gone?

Conner Harrell won the backup job just last week, beating out true freshman Tad Hudson. Harrell is a redshirt freshman and has some impressive tools. He’s fast, extremely smart, and was a big-time winner in high school. But he hasn’t always impressed at UNC, and the confidence from the staff in him may not be there in case something happens to Maye this fall, and certainly beyond.

Perhaps landing someone from the portal who can serve as an apprentice to Maye this year and take over in 2024 is what the staff may have in mind.

“We’re constantly evaluating who we have at quarterback behind Drake,” Brown said. “We’ve had two great ones, we’ve had two NFL guys, and we’ve got to look hard at what we’ve got.”

For all of the talk from the staff about having a goal of eight offensive linemen in the rotation, spring practice closed with just six players in that tier. The drop off after them is considerable, and in-house projections might mean UNC looks for a versatile lineman in the portal who can play both tackle and guard. It is certainly a need.

Quality depth is needed there, so Carolina bringing in someone shouldn’t surprise Tar Heels fans.

“You’re always looking for offensive linemen,” Brown said. “It’s the hardest thing; probably quarterback and offensive linemen are the two hardest things to hit on in recruiting. You make more mistakes with both.”

Running back probably is a surprise, but only two backs were healthy when spring practice concluded. Elijah Green and Omarion Hampton are solid, with Hampton having considerable upside, but what else can the staff count on in that room?

They love Caleb Hood but he can’t stay healthy. British Brooks is a great story, but he’s coming off a major ACL injury, and UNC must tread carefully with him. George Pettaway sprained an ankle a few weeks before the spring game, and he wasn’t entirely coming on before then. What will he be in August? Can the staff afford to wait and see?

D.J. Jones was moved to safety before spring practice started, and he could move back to running back. But considering he worked at a different position this spring suggests the staff was no longer all that high on him as a running back. True freshman Jordan Louie arrives this summer.

On defense, depth is pretty much everywhere except behind Cedric Gray and Power Echols at inside linebacker. If Sebastian Cheeks can get healthy and play as projected, there may not be a need to land anyone, but the staff won’t know what Cheeks can truly do until August.

Deuce Caldwell is improving, but may not be ready yet.

Running back and linebacker are iffy, and less likely position groups to see additions through the portal this spring. The same goes for the other position groups unless the staff identifies a sure starter who wants to be at Carolina and they believe fits.

“Any great player that you feel like can come in and start,” Brown said before noting the success rate the had with the portal last winter. “I think just about every one of the guys that we signed is going to make an impact on our team.”

UNC may lose some players, but expect it to look closely into the portal for some depth. That doesn’t mean Brown will bring in anyone, but the staff is certainly looking.