The Tar Heels added three transfer portal visits to their calendar on Monday for this week and it includes one of the top Group of 5 offensive linemen currently available.
Pete Nakos of On3 Sports reported earlier today that the Tar Heels will host Rice offensive tackle transfer Chad Linberg later this week. Lindberg, who transferred to Rice last offseason from Georgia, will have one year of eligibility remaining wherever he lands.
This season at Rice, Lindberg played and started in eleven games for the Owls across three different positions. He played 642 snaps this season, 377 of which came at left guard, 245 at left tackle, 17 at right guard and two at right tackle, showing just how versatile he is. He grade out incredibly well in pass protection with a 77.8 from Pro Football after allowing just one sack and 11 total pressures so far this season. He will have to improve in run-blocking scenarios after finishing the season with a 50.9 grade, something that was an issue for him in the limited snaps that he saw in 2023 at Georgia.
This guy should be considered a potential replacement for starting left tackle Howard Sampson, who does not appear to be considering a return to Chapel Hill. While he may need to improve as a run blocker, this is a team in need of better pass protection and he’ll bring that. At the least, this would be a strong option to come in and compete with promising true freshman Luke Masterson throughout the spring and summer.