North Carolina was one of the most disappointing teams in college basketball this season, but it was still able to salvage a miniature postseason run thanks to a controversial NCAA Tournament berth. Hubert Davis and company crushed San Diego State in the First Four before Ole Miss knocked them out in the Round of 64.

Now, North Carolina is fully invested in the transfer portal cycle as it looks to get back into national title contention in 2025-26. As with most teams, the Tar Heels have lost some key contributors and picked up others, but they took a major hit on Monday.

Standout freshman Ian Jackson has entered the transfer portal, according to On3 Sports.

Jackson is a former 5-star recruit who was one of the top players in a very talented North Carolina backcourt that included RJ Davis, Seth Trimble and Elliot Cadeau. Despite playing just 23.8 minutes a night and starting 12 games, Jackson still averaged 11.9 points per game and improved throughout the season for the Tar Heels.

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This move comes as a bit of a surprise considering Jackson is a potential first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. However, he will have a chance to increase his role and raise his stock next season by finding a new home to play in college next season.

North Carolina also lost Cadeau in the transfer portal, and the starting point guard is headed to Michigan. As a result, Hubert Davis will have to find some more pieces to fill out his backcourt.

Coming into the offseason, the front court was the biggest area of need for North Carolina, and it addressed that with one of the best available options. Former Arizona big man Henri Veesaar committed to North Carolina basketball to give it a versatile big man who can play and be effective on both ends, which is something that the team lacked last season.

Wherever Jackson ends up, he is a versatile scorer who has a lot of room to grow if he can get some more usage. He instantly becomes one of the top players available in this portal cycle.