After being installed as head coach in December, Bill Belichick has gone to work recruiting players out of the transfer portal to join Carolina for the upcoming season. Here’s a list of all the players who have signed on so far, with newest additions at the top of the page:

OL Daniel King – Troy

Image via Troy Athletics

King earned consecutive All-Sun Belt second team honors in 2023 and 2024. A three-year starter, King played more than 2,600 snaps as a Troy Trojan. In 1,396 career pass-blocking snaps at both right tackle and right guard, King allowed only nine sacks. He anchored a Troy offense which featured a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver for only the third time in program history in 2024. As a junior in 2023, King finished as Troy’s top-rated pass blocker and run blocker according to Pro Football Focus.

DB Thaddeus Dixon – Washington

A two-time transfer, Dixon began his college career in the junior college circuit before joining Washington prior to the 2023 season. He played in 14 of the Huskies’ 15 games during their run to the national title game, finishing the season with 26 tackles. In 2024, Dixon started 12 of Washington’s 13 games, made 43 total tackles and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.

DB Peyton Waters – Washington

Though he was just a true freshman in 2024, Waters still played in all 13 games for Washington during their season. He finished with five total tackles. The safety was rated as the No. 34 recruit in the state of California out of high school, where he also competed on the track and field team.

WR Jason Robinson – Washington

Originally from Long Beach, CA, Robinson didn’t see any action for Washington as a true freshman in 2024 and redshirted the season. Thus, he comes to Carolina with a full four years of eligibility remaining. 247 Sports ranked Robinson as the No. 45 player in the state of California and the No. 88 wide receiver in his high school class.

DB Coleman Bryson – Minnesota

Image via Associated Press/Adam Hunger

Originally from Waynesville, N.C., Bryson spent three seasons with Minnesota, earning Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2023 and 2024. Though he redshirted his true freshman season in 2022, Bryson still notched a career highlight that year with a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Pinstripe Bowl. He earned the games’ MVP award. Bryson has played in 31 career games, notching 54 total tackles (including three against the Tar Heels in the 2024 season opener) and three passes defended. According to Minnesota, he will have three years of eligibility remaining.

DL Pryce Yates – UConn

Image via UConn Athletics/akoPhoto

Yates played in just seven games for the Huskies in 2024, but he saved his best performance for the Fenway Bowl against the Tar Heels. Yates tormented the Carolina offense to the tune of six total tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack. In three seasons at UConn, Yates totaled 12.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

DB Gavin Gibson – East Carolina

UNC will be the third collegiate stop for Gibson, who spent his first two seasons at Maryland before joining East Carolina for 2024. Now, the rising senior, originally from Hickory, will be using his final season of eligibility in Chapel Hill. With the Pirates, Gibson logged 52 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, six passes defended, three interceptions and a forced fumble.

OL William Boone – Prairie View A&M

Boone made 11 starts at right tackle for Prairie View A&M in 2024. The Panthers finished 5-7 in the FCS circuit. The junior from Georgia will have two years of eligibility remaining when he joins the Tar Heels.

LB Khmori House – Washington

The first linebacker to commit to Carolina out of the portal, House brings a familial connection to Chapel Hill: at Washington, he played under defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, Bill Belichick’s son. House had a productive freshman season for the Huskies, forcing a fumble and nabbing an interception. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

WR Aziah Johnson – Michigan State

Image via Michigan State Athletic Communications/Matthew Mitchell

The first pass-catcher landed by Belichick’s staff in the transfer portal, Aziah Johnson will come to Carolina with three years of eligibility after two years at Michigan State. During his red-shirt freshman season with the Spartans, he had 16 receptions for 276 yards and a pair of touchdowns across five games — largely playing behind other wide receiver options. Johnson is a name that may sound familiar to those who follow UNC’s recruiting efforts, as Mack Brown’s regime was his first collegiate scholarship offer coming out of Richmond, VA a few years ago, according to Inside Carolina. On3 Sports first broke the news of Johnson’s commitment to UNC.

OL Chad Lindberg – Rice

Image via Rice Athletics/Shane Banegas

UNC will be Chad Lindberg’s third collegiate stop. He began his career as a highly-touted recruit at Georgia, where he spent four seasons but only played 20 total games. He then transferred to Rice for the 2024 season, where he started 11 games for the Owls at both left tackle and left guard. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

QB Ryan Browne – Purdue

Image via Purdue Athletics

A redshirt freshman, Browne appeared in nine games across two seasons for the Boilermakers. His most productive outing came against Illinois this past fall, when he threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in a 50-49 loss. It was the highlight of an otherwise miserable season for the Boilermakers, who finished 1-11. Browne played in just eight games. Now, he will join UNC with three years of eligibility remaining.

OL Miles McVay – Alabama

A highly-coveted prospect coming out of high school, McVay was rated as a four-star recruit and the No. 192 overall player in the class of 2023 by 247 Sports. McVay committed to Alabama over offers from several other schools, including Oregon and Texas A&M. He appeared in five games in his redshirt freshman season with the Crimson Tide and will have three years of eligibility remaining with UNC.

DL C.J. Mims – East Carolina

Mims’ commitment to Carolina on December 19 ended a transfer portal odyssey for the redshirt sophomore from Vanceboro, N.C. After entering the portal out of East Carolina, Mims originally committed to Wake Forest. But once Demon Deacons head coach Dave Clawson resigned on December 16, Mims re-entered the portal. A few days later, Bill Belichick and UNC secured his commitment. Mims will have two years of eligibility remaining in Chapel Hill.

K Adam Samaha – Michigan

Image via Michigan Athletics

Originally from Ypsilanti, MI, Samaha spent two years with Michigan. He appeared in one game as a freshman, kicking an extra point in a win against Indiana. Samaha didn’t appear in any games as a sophomore in 2024 but did earn Academic All-Big Ten honors.

After committing and signing, Samaha shared a childhood photo of himself at the Dean Smith Center:

TE Connor Cox – South Carolina

Cox spent the first two seasons of his career with South Carolina and played sparingly, though he sat out most of the 2024 season to preserve a redshirt and another year of eligibility. Thus, Cox will come to UNC with three years of eligibility remaining. Cox has connections to the Triangle, having begun his high school career at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh.

DL Melkart Abou-Jaoude – Delaware

Image via Delaware Athletics

A former walk-on, Abou-Jaoude had the best season of his collegiate career for the Blue Hens in 2024. The junior from New Jersey finished with 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 11 games for a 9-2 Delaware team. He earned All-CAA honorable mention honors. Now, Abou-Jaoude is joining Carolina with two years of eligibility remaining.

OL Christo Kelly – Holy Cross

Image via Holy Cross Athletics

A multi-year starter at the FCS level, Kelly comes to Carolina after five seasons at Holy Cross. The Crusaders won at least a share of the Patriot League title in all five of Kelly’s years with the team and reached the FCS quarterfinals in his junior season in 2022. Kelly started his final 23 games with the team and earned a first team All-Patriot League selection in 2024. He was also a team captain. Mainly a center, Kelly anchored an offensive line which allowed just 1.08 sacks per game, best in the conference. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

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