After the conclusion of the 2024 season, Troy offensive lineman Daniel King was focused on preparing for the NFL Draft.
That was when the 6-foot-5, 340-pounder thought he was out of college eligibility.
After the NCAA announced a new blanket waiver rule for former JuCo players, King had an option to return to the college ranks. King felt it was best to do so, entering the transfer portal to find a new home for his final season of eligibility.
All it took was one visit to show King that he wanted to wrap up his college career in Chapel Hill.
Troy transfer OL Daniel King has committed to North Carolina, he tells @On3sports.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) January 18, 2025
Multi-time All-Sun Belt selection has played 2,642 career snaps. https://t.co/VxSGJEUisH pic.twitter.com/u4o0ocYVry
On Saturday, King announced that he has committed to Bill Belichick and the UNC football program. He becomes the fifth offensive lineman transfer that has pledged to the Tar Heels this offseason.
King started all 40 games he played in at Troy, tallying over 2,600 snaps. He is a two-time All-Sun Belt Second Team honoree, spending the entire 2024 season playing on the right side of the offensive line. He is very good in both pass and run blocking situations, as he only allowed one sack over 408 pass blocking plays while being rated as one of the best run blockers in the Sun Belt Conference.
With the new regime in place, restoring the offensive line would be one of their immediate challenges. North Carolina lost six offensive linemen via the transfer portal, leaving plenty of room to improve this unit. Now, with a mix of some returners and newcomers, this feels like a depth chart that features a ton of potential as the Bill Belichick era begins in Chapel Hill.