LATEST: Every Player Joining UNC Football Through the Transfer Portal

Giving and taking is done using the transfer portal. Between the completion of the 2023 regular season and the portal, 14 players have left the UNC football program. Coach Mack Brown will have additional tools for 2024 as a result of several athletes that committed to Carolina through the portal.

A glimpse of each player that joined the Tar Heels is shown here:

QB Max Johnson – Texas A&M

Johnson, who previously attended Texas A&M and LSU, is anticipated to face off against Conner Harrell for the starting quarterback position at UNC in the upcoming campaign. With the Tigers in 2021, Johnson had his finest passing season with 2,815 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. His previous two seasons had both been cut short by injuries. Johnson is eligible to play at Chapel Hill for two seasons.

OL Austin Blaske – Georgia

Blaske was a member of the Bulldogs in Athens for three seasons. Having committed to NC State in 2020 as a three-star recruit and the 42nd-ranked offensive tackle in the nation, he has ties to North Carolina even though he is new to Chapel Hill. But, Blaske changed his mind and moved to Georgia a few days before he signed his national letter of intent. His eligibility with Carolina will last for two years.

TE Jake Johnson – Texas A&M

Jake Johnson, Max Johnson’s brother, became a Tar Heel shortly after Max did. Jake will be eligible to play for Carolina for two years, just like his brother. In nine of Texas A&M’s twelve games this season, including a season-high six against Louisiana-Monroe in September, he has at least one reception of a pass. During the season, he caught four touchdowns.

S Jakeen Harris – NC State

In 2024, Harris will make the uncommon transfer from NC State to Carolina, marking the first intra-rivalry move in either direction since the NIL/transfer portal era. Harris only made one appearance in the 2023 season due to an early injury. In 2021 and 2022, he had started 19 games for the Wolfpack. Over his career, the seasoned safety has 167 tackles and four interceptions. He will be eligible to play for the Tar Heels for one season.

OL Howard Sampson – North Texas

Through the transfer portal, Sampson first committed to TCU, but he later changed his mind and chose the Tar Heels. Under current UNC offensive line coach Randy Clements, Sampson redshirted his true freshman season with North Texas in 2022. However, he only appeared in two games for the Mean Green in 2023. With four starters on the UNC offensive line out, Sampson, who stands six feet, eight inches and weighs 325 pounds, will be a towering presence.

RB Darwin Barlow – USC

Barlow’s collegiate career will make three stops: two at TCU and three at USC. The third place will be Carolina. For the Trojans in 2023, Barlow only totaled eight rush attempts. He has never carried the ball more than 19 times in a single game. With 993 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in his career, the seasoned player comes to Chapel Hill. He will be eligible to play for the Tar Heels for one year.

OL Zach Greenberg – Muhlenberg College

Greenberg, who spent the previous three seasons at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, comes to Chapel Hill via the Division III path. As a true freshman, Greenberg made an immediate impression while starting on Muhlenberg’s offensive line, garnering first team all-conference recognition. Due to injuries, he missed the majority of his sophomore campaign. However, he returned stronger in 2023 and was once again awarded to the first team all-conference. With Carolina, he will be eligible for two seasons.

OL Jakiah Leftwich – Georgia Tech

On February 4, Leftwich committed, making him the fourth offensive lineman to join the Tar Heels outside of the portal. Throughout the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Leftwich, a rising redshirt junior, made 17 appearances and eight starts for the Yellow Jackets. He helped the Georgia Tech offensive line surrender the fewest total sacks in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In terms of rushing yards per game, the Yellow Jackets also lead the conference. Leftwich will be reunited with former Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins, who is currently UNC’s defensive coordinator, in Chapel Hill for his final two years of eligibility.