Replacing the likes of John Copenhaver and Bryson Nesbit won't be an easy task, but the UNC football program took steps toward bolstering their tight end unit on Wednesday.
North Carolina earned a commitment from former Arkansas tight end Shamar Easter. Viewed as a four-star prospect (and the No. 1 ranked player from Arkansas) in the Class of 2023, Easter arrives in Chapel Hill with three seasons of eligibility to work with.
Easter redshirted his freshman season and looked to be on the verge of earning some meaningful playing time as a redshirt freshman during the 2024 season. However, after recording a catch for 16 yards in Arkansas' season opener, the 6-foot-5, 225-pounder was transitioned to the wide receiver position and didn't record another catch for the Razorbacks.
In terms of trying to compare the type of tight end he is, Easter is more like Nesbit in the sense that his strength is catching the football. Given Arkansas was willing to move him to wide receiver shows how athletic he is, as the coaching staff felt that changing his position would benefit him in the long run.
Now, as he's set to embark on this new chapter in Chapel Hill, it seems that tight end is the position the Tar Heels brought him in to play.
The UNC football program's tight end depth chart took a massive hit due to graduation and the transfer portal. While there are plenty of good football players departing Chapel Hill, Bill Belichick and the North Carolina staff have done a great job in terms of bringing in some good football players, a group of newcomers who are going to be challenged to make a major impact on the UNC football program during their tenure in Chapel Hill.