Heel Tough Blog: What Do the Tar Heels Need in the Portal

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The Tar Heels have been hit hard by transfers in the spring portal, leaving their 2025 roster with some major holes as we sit here post-spring ball. With the staff in the early stages of rebuilding this roster again, here is a look at the most important positions that they need to hit here.

Interior Defensive Line

This is a crucial spot where the team needs to land at least two players at and maybe even more. As of right now, the room contains just four players who are not true freshmen and just one, CJ Mims, that has seen any sort of consistent playing time at the college level. Not only does the room need bodies, it needs players capable of contributing right away, which are available if the staff is willing to spend money. Acquiring two or three names with size and experience would at least give this group a fighting chance this season, something that simply can’t be said with where the group is now.

Edge Rushers

This was a spot where you felt pretty good about where you were prior to Beau Atkinson’s entrance into the portal, but now you are in need of a contributor here. The team still has Pryce Yates, the winter transfer from Connecticut, that they can count on as the leader of this room, but they need someone who can cause problems on the other side for quarterbacks. If the staff does not feel like Melkart Abou-Jaoude can be that guy, then they must go out and acquire a starter. Even if they do, they need someone that can rotate in and play the role that Atkinson played last year for the team.

Wide Receiver

This is a position where it’s hard to gauge what exactly the team needs because of how little we were told in the preseason. However, with the losses of Gavin Blackwell and Christian Hamilton last week, the team could use someone with experience to join the room. There are plenty of options available in the portal, but money could be a factor here because of how important it is that the team spends money at the other positions.

Offensive Line

The offensive line was the spot that the team hit the hardest in the winter transfer portal, but they may still need more help here, especially at the tackle spot. Bringing in someone with starting experience, especially at the P4 level, wouldn’t be the worst idea after both Miles McVay and Trevyon Green have some issues in pass protection in the ‘Practice Like a Pro’ event. Once again, this is going to have to be a budget pick up because of the type of resources that need to be spent on the other side of the trenches.