When Jonathan Powell entered his name into the transfer portal, it felt like he was likely to depart Chapel Hill this offseason.
That feeling became truth on Saturday, as Powell became the first Tar Heel from last year's roster to commit elsewhere.
His destination, you ask? You probably won't like it.
Jonathan Powell commits to Pittsburgh
NEWS: North Carolina transfer guard Jonathan Powell has committed to Pitt, he told @On3. ⁰⁰The 6-foot-6 sophomore began his career at West Virginia.https://t.co/P2CLLLO2iq pic.twitter.com/9TPiT3Dd9Y
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 11, 2026
Joe Tipton of On3 was the first to report that Powell has committed to Jeff Capel and the Pittsburgh Panthers. He leaves Chapel Hill with two seasons of eligibility to work with.
After serving primarily as a starter at West Virginia during his freshman season, Powell hit the portal and found a new landing spot at North Carolina. While he was a rotation regular, his minutes and role greatly diminished from what he had at West Virginia, as his usage (and production) took a dip as well.
In fact, Powell attempted 112 less shot attempts as a sophomore compared to his freshman season. However, his shooting percentages were nearly identical, showing his consistency from essentially anywhere on the floor.
Based on how his sophomore season at North Carolina went, it just seemed like he was looking for a bigger role. He must've liked what Capel had to offer, leading him to make a quick decision on his future.
Now, Powell has left both West Virginia and North Carolina following head coaching changes. Capel, as we all know, is very much on the hot seat heading into the 2026-2027 season, as his future in Pittsburgh could be very much in doubt if the Panthers don't turn things around quickly.
Not that we're hoping for Capel to lose his job, but if history repeats itself in terms of bringing in Powell, the indication is that it won't bode well for him down the road.
Regardless, Powell is a guy who we've vouched for during his lone season at North Carolina to play a more consistent role, one that never came to fruition. For Powell's sake, we hope that Pittsburgh gives him that opportunity, as he's a guy who simply has a lot of untapped potential to work with.