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UNC has four top transfers entering 2025 football season
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- UNC has four top transfers entering 2025 football season
The North Carolina Tar Heels will carry what appears to be an entirely new roster entering their 2025 football season, which is a good thing on paper.
UNC graduated, or lost, several key 2024 starters to the transfer portal and 2025 NFL Draft. North Carolina's greatest loss in undoubtedly star running back Omarion Hampton , whom the Los Angeles Chargers took 22nd overall in April's NFL Draft.
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The Tar Heels also reloaded their roster through the transfer portal. UNC's most impactful roster addition is quarterback Gio Lopez , who figures to compete with Max Johnson for the starting job, while Washington transfers Khmori House and Thaddeus Dixon will beef up a long-struggling defensive unit.
North Carolina's offensive and defensives lines will also have new looks, particularly the D-line, which will replace every 2024 starter.
In ESPN's recently-released list of Top 100 transfers entering the 2025 college football season, four Tar Heels landed on this list: Dixon (#55), offensive tackle Daniel King (#74), House (#87) and Lopez (#100).
Here's what ESPN had to say about Dixon:
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"A plug-and-play starter who'll benefit greatly from the fact he played for defensive coordinator Steve Belichick last season in Seattle . The Tar Heels managed to beat out Ole Miss and several other contenders for a pledge from Dixon, who should team up with returning starter Marcus Allen to provide good experience in the secondary."
Here's what ESPN says King will bring to UNC:
"Belichick and his new regime have brought in eight new offensive linemen via the portal as they work to rebuild up front. They'll likely be counting on King to step right in as a starter, although it'll be interesting to see whether his best fit for this squad is right guard or tackle as he takes on ACC competition."
ESPN really likes the prospects of House playing in Chapel Hill:
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"House is following defensive coordinator Steve Belichick to Chapel Hill and will team up with Missouri transfer Mikai Gbayor to give the Tar Heels one of the better linebacker combos in the ACC."
ESPN has high hopes for Lopez, but despite his talent, Lopez isn't a guaranteed starter for North Carolina:
"Lopez to North Carolina was pretty much a done deal as soon as he hit the portal. The Tar Heels were clearly going to be in the market for a QB this spring with few experienced options on the roster beyond Max Johnson, who is rehabbing from a broken leg. New coach Bill Belichick and his staff are trusting the young QB is ready to make the move up and will catch up quickly this summer. Lopez will have to earn it, but he'll be the favorite to win the starting job entering preseason camp."
I'm excited to see how the above four Tar Heels mold into Bill Belichick's system . We're hoping for UNC to become a championship team under Chapel Bill, but realistically, we're just hoping for plentiful victories.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Four incoming UNC football transfer ranked amongst ESPN's Top 100
