Bill Belichick and the UNC football program strike once again in the transfer portal.
LFG-#GoHeels pic.twitter.com/ishZvsI5iT
— Smithvilbert (@Smithvilbert2) March 20, 2025
The latest addition comes from the Big Ten Conference, as former Penn State Nittany Lion defensive lineman Smith Vilbert will close out his collegiate career at North Carolina.
Vilbert entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer about a month ago. Over the last few days, the speculation was that a commitment to North Carolina could be on the horizon, especially given he was in Chapel Hill on Monday for a visit.
The 6-foot-6, 285-pound defensive lineman was a part of Penn State's 2019 recruiting class. He took the standard redshirt in his first year in Happy Valley and received the NCAA's blanket COVID redshirt in 2020. He was forced to take a medical redshirt in 2023 when he was sidelined due to injury, as these factors all played a role in him being eligible for the 2025 college football season.
Over his college career, Vilbert has played in 580 defensive snaps. He appeared in all 16 games for Penn State this season, recording 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles during the Nittany Lions' run deep into the College Football Playoffs.
A product of St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey, Vilbert originally had his eyes set on playing basketball for the Green Knights. However, he became a dominant force for head coach Augie Hoffmann's defensive line, earning him a high three-star rating out of high school (which resulted in his scholarship offer to Penn State).
The UNC football program's defensive line is still very much a work in progress, as it lost a significant number of key contributors from last year's roster. Belichick and the Tar Heels hope that Vilbert can stay healthy and put together a strong final college season, which could ultimately put him on the map for NFL teams looking for pass rushers in next year's draft class.