UNC Football: Transfer offensive lineman visits Chapel Hill

In an effort to improve their offensive line, the UNC football program hosted former North Texas tackle Howard Sampson this week.

The UNC football program’s offensive line could definitely use some improvements, as Mack Brown and his staff have looked at the transfer portal to help fill the void.

North Texas transfer Howard Sampson took an official visit to North Carolina on December 8. It appears that the Tar Heels may have the upper hand in landing the 6-foot-7, 325-pound lineman.

Sampson joined the North Texas football program in the summer of 2022 but failed to get in-game action during his time on campus. After redshirting during what was his true freshman season,  Sampson was a member of the North Texas team in 2023 but once again really wasn’t a factor, leading him to enter the transfer portal with three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Sampson has received interest from one team since entering the portal on December 4. The UNC football program is looking to bolster its offensive line in 2024, and they think Sampson could play a big part in doing so. Sampson took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and posted pictures inside of North Carolina’s football facilities yesterday.

The Tar Heels offensive line allowed 30 sacks in 2023, which ranked 96th in the country. The UNC football program could use Sampson’s help at tackle to protect the quarterback’s blindside and cut down on those sacks. The team allowed 2.5 sacks per game, which also ranked 96th in the FBS.

Since the portal opened on December 4, the UNC football program has lost a lot of players. Recently they’ve been looking to add players as well, and Howard Sampson would be an addition that could have plenty of upside if the Tar Heels can develop him into a consistent presence up-front.

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