The Tar Heels are back to building their roster for the 2025 season after a disappointing showing to close out the Mack Brown era on Saturday in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. As that focus now shifts to the future, the team is being tied to one of the better defensive backs in the portal.
According to Stephen Igoe, East Carolina reporter for 247Sports, the Tar Heels are seen as a likely destination early on for Pirates nickelback Gavin Gibson, who entered the transfer portal on Sunday following the team’s Military Bowl victory over NC State. Gibson will have one year of eligibility remaining wherever he eventually ends up.
In Gibson’s lone season at East Carolina, he played in all thirteen games, starting ten of them at that nickel corner spot. In the 630 snaps he played, he finished with 52 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, six quarterback pressures, three interceptions and three pass breakups. Gibson was thrown at 53 times this season and while 36 of those were caught, he allowed 322 yards and two touchdowns and a 73.0 QB rating. Prior to that, Gibson spent the first two seasons of his college career at Maryland where he played 315 snaps in 20 games.
This would be a welcome addition for a Tar Heel defense that has had major issues at the nickel spot in two of the last three years. This season, Kaleb Cost allowed 649 yards (8th most in FBS), five touchdowns (T-23rd most in FBS) and a 108.2 QB rating. They clearly need an upgrade there if they want to take a step as a defense under Stephen Belichick.
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