Replacing the production of Kaimon Rucker and Beau Atkinson won't be an easy task by any means, but the UNC football program is working to put together a collection of depth in an effort to fill the void.
On Friday, the Tar Heels added to their transfer portal commitment list, landing Maryland transfer defensive lineman Lavon Johnson.
BREAKING: Maryland transfer DL Lavon Johnson has signed with North Carolina, @PeteNakos_ reports🐏https://t.co/GmZKd2FBvQ pic.twitter.com/i8y46tqDCt
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) April 18, 2025
A native of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Johnson spent his first two seasons of his college career with the Terrapins. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound nose tackle was viewed as a potential starter for Maryland leading up to the start of the 2025 season, but that plan changed when he elected to enter his name into the transfer portal.
Used as a rotational piece, Johnson recorded 14 tackles and one hurry over eight games played. He's a player who is better in the run defense than he is in pass rush situations, but is a talented lineman who could improve overall if he can earn more than 165 total snaps.
Not every addition via the transfer portal has to be a major splash. Great teams feature depth throughout, adding quality pieces that can be part of the overall puzzle.
Lavon Johnson is one of those pieces, as you can expect him to factor into the UNC football program's defensive line rotation throughout the 2025.
Who knows: maybe the Belichick clan can unlock some untapped potential in Johnson during his time in Chapel Hill.
Continue to keep up with the latest transfer portal news and updates by checking out our tracker, which can be found by clicking here.