UNC Football: D.J. Jones enters transfer portal

The UNC football program lost another player to the transfer portal as D.J. Jones announced his entry on Monday evening.

D.J. Jones came to Chapel Hill as a running back in 2020 and spent his first three seasons in the backfield.  After rushing for 442 yards and three touchdowns, Jones switched positions (moving to defensive back) in 2023, hoping to earn more playing time.

Jones spent most of his time with the Tar Heels playing special teams, as his transition to the defensive side of the ball did not result in more playing time. Looking for a bigger opportunity, Jones elected to enter the transfer portal.

Jones has the perfect build to play running back and safety at the Division I level. It will be interesting to see which position he is recruited for, as most of his interest will likely come as a running back. Some programs could bring him in and elect to try him at both positions to see which one would best suit him as well as the team’s respective needs.

The UNC football program is one of many programs that have taken a hit since the portal opened on December 4. North Carolina has lost 16 players to the portal, which is top-five in the country. There is a silver lining, however, as the Tar Heels have been talking to a few top transfers this past week and have a big recruiting class coming in over the next few months.

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