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North Carolina football will undergo a roster makeover soon now that Bill Belichick is in place. The newest Tar Heels head coach looks bound to hit the transfer portal to fill out his first UNC roster. However, Belichick already received some mixed transfer portal news Thursday.
Wide receiver Kobe Paysour entered the portal, he told Hayes Fawcett of On3.com. Paysour's decision came during Belichick's introductory press conference as UNC head coach. Yet while Paysour became a portal entry, starting offensive lineman Aidan Banfield withdrew his name, according to 247Sports' transfer portal insider Matt Zenitz.
Paysour is a big loss for Belichick. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder caught 70 passes, racked up 936 yards and scored seven touchdowns in his college career. And Paysour delivered those numbers playing for Mack Brown's final UNC teams ever.
The native of Gaffney, South Carolina was a prized recruiting win for Brown and the Heels in 2021. North Carolina grabbed 247Sports' No. 4 ranked prospect from a state that features UNC rivals Clemson and South Carolina. The latter rival offered Paysour. He also turned down an opportunity to play at Duke for North Carolina.
Paysour, however, didn't score a single touchdown in 2024. He also settled for a career-low 19 receptions.
Bill Belichick getting immediate offensive help at North Carolina
While Belichick will have to add a WR to his first UNC receiver room, he received a big boost through Banfield.
Banfield ranked as the portal's second-best interior offensive lineman by 247Sports. He came to Chapel Hill as a swingman guard — capable of playing both guard spots.
Banfield's return gives Belichick immediate college experience he can lean on immediately in the trenches. He started in six games last season, including against rival Duke.
He's not the only returning OL coming into the Belichick era. Austin Blaske announced his intentions to return to UNC on Wednesday. The fifth-year senior took to social media in unveiling his decision to withdraw his own name from the portal.
Blaske started 11 games in the trenches for Brown's last Tar Heels team. Now, Belichick has two instant building blocks on the offensive line moving forward.
Belichick is already making his own moves in his transition from the NFL to college football coaching. He revealed to reporters that interim head coach Freddie Kitchens will stay on the staff following the Fenway Bowl. Kitchens is leading the Tar Heels against Connecticut in Boston.
The eight-time Super Bowl winner is also planning to add former league general manager Michael Lombardi to a similar role. Lombardi's news surfaced Wednesday night following Belichick accepting North Carolina's five-year deal.
