In an era of unrestricted player movement in college football, teams are undergoing radical changes every offseason. Take UNC before the 2025 season, when the Tar Heels upended their roster and brought in 70 new players.

This offseason, there is only one transfer portal window, between Jan. 2 and Jan. 16. More than two dozen Tar Heels have entered the portal, but the program has also secured the returns of several key contributors from the 2025 season. Here are the players who have confirmed to have “re-signed” with the program and their class in the fall:

  1. RB Demon June (sophomore)
    • 623 total scrimmage yards and 3 touchdowns in 2025
  2.  CB Jaiden Patterson (junior)
    • Tied for third on the team with 5 pass break-ups; also recorded an interception
  3. DL Leroy Jackson (redshirt sophomore) 
    • Appeared in all 12 games and recorded 36 tackles
  4. DB Kaleb Cost (senior)
    • Ranked 5th on the team with 45 total tackles in 2025
  5. DE Melkart Abou-Jaoude (redshirt senior)
    • Second team All-ACC in 2025; recorded a team-high 10.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss
  6. WR Jordan Shipp (junior)
    • Led UNC receivers in catches (60), yards (671) and touchdowns (6) in 2025
  7. DL Isaiah Johnson (redshirt senior)
    • 41 tackles and 2 sacks in 2025
  8. DB Greg Smith III (redshirt sophomore)
    • 25 total tackles and an interception in 2025

“Let’s make no mistake about it: we’re in a professional era,” UNC general manager Michael Lombardi told the media in December. “That’s just part of college football. We’re in a professional era, and that’s why you need a [player] grading system. And that’s why you need to be able to value talent so that you understand what you’re paying for.”

UNC finished the 2025 season with a 4-8 record, its worst since the 2018 season.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Andy Mead

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
This Week in UNC Sports: October 19-25, 2026
This series of posts will be made weekly on Chapelboro with a full schedule of UNC sports contests, both in Chapel Hill and elsewhere. Note that game times and broadcast information are subject to change due to inclement weather or other factors. October will roll on with another very busy week of Tar Heel sports. […]
For Whom the Bill Tolls: Reactions to UNC Football's Win at Duke
UNC forged multiple redemption arcs during its thrilling win at Duke Saturday night to take the Victory Bell back.
UNC Football Fights Off Duke Rally, Uses Late Touchdown to Win Victory Bell Back
Jaylen McGill scored a 24-yard touchdown and freshman cornerback Kenton Dopson intercepted a Blue Devil pass in the final seconds to help UNC fight off a Duke comeback and win 24-20 in Durham. HEELS WIN #GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/yf4x1tY56K — Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) October 17, 2026 “Heck of a football game,” said head coach Bill […]
'Coach, We've Got a Dawg': Xavier Lewis' Unlikely Journey from Unheralded Recruit to UNC Star
Xavier Lewis has established himself as one of UNC's best players in 2026, but his journey to stardom came from humble beginnings.
UNC Football at Duke (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Kickoff Time
UNC will make the short trip over to Durham Saturday afternoon to face Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium. The Tar Heels are looking to win the Victory Bell back from the Blue Devils after dropping the last two meetings. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: […]
100 Years of Kenan Stadium: 'Give Us That Victory Bell Back!'
Voice of the Tar Heels Jones Angell looks back on the UNC-Duke game at Kenan Stadium in 2019, one of the best in the history of the rivalry.
UNC Football Ranked No. 1?! 78 Years Ago, It Really Happened.
During the summer, I stumbled across a graphic on social media that caught my eye. It showed every program to have been ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press College Football poll, which debuted in 1936. Since then, there have been more than 1,200 polls, featuring 45 different teams in the top spot. Timeline of […]
100 Years of Kenan Stadium: 'A Tsunami of Scoring and Defense'
Chapelboro's very own Kenny Dike remembers a stunning UNC blowout win against No. 5 Florida State in Kenan Stadium in 2001.
2026 UNC Football Opponent Preview: Duke
UNC and Duke will write another chapter in the Battle for the Victory Bell Saturday in Durham. The Blue Devils are 4-1 overall and 1-1 in ACC play on the season, having suffered their first loss of the year at Georgia Tech last Saturday. Duke fell 28-25 after missing a short field goal in the […]
UNC's Xavier Lewis, Tre Miller Each Earn ACC Player of the Week Nods
Following UNC’s 21-17 win at No. 25 Pitt Saturday, Tar Heel defensive lineman Xavier Lewis and cornerback Tre Miller were each named ACC Players of the Week at their positions. 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞: Week 6 🔗 https://t.co/zIbMJdc9Kf pic.twitter.com/BK1OK9st13 — ACC Football (@ACCFootball) October 12, 2026 Lewis recorded a career-high 11 tackles against the Panthers, […]
›