North Carolina

2025 Clemson Opponent Portal Tracker: North Carolina Tar Heels

Published

1 year ago

February 10, 2025

Press Room

2025 Clemson Opponent Portal Tracker: North Carolina Tar Heels

Dabo Swinney vs. Bill Belichick.

When Clemson travels to Chapel Hill on October 4, it will be one of the more anticipated matchups of the season.

The game will represent only the second time in college football history that a head coach with multiple FBS national championships will face another head coach with multiple Super Bowl titles.

The Tigers lead the all-time series 40-19-1 and have won six straight over the Tar Heels. Clemson’s last loss to North Carolina came in 2010 in Chapel Hill.

Today, The Clemson Insider continues its series looking at each of the Tigers’ 2025 opponents and the moves each has made in the transfer portal. Players lost, as well as players added.

There will be a lot of roster turnover in Belichick’s first season and the former NFL head coach has been active in the portal. Several players followed his son, Steve Belichick, from Washington to Chapel Hill. Belichick was the defensive coordinator with the Huskies in 2024.

North Carolina Portal Additions

OL Christo Kelly (Holy Cross): Kelly started 22 games over the last two seasons. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder was named to the All-Patriot League Football First Team after logging 778 snaps as the starting center and team captain in 2024. A grad transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
DL Melkart Abou-Jaoude (Deleware): Had his best season as a junior last year, totaling 24 tackles, with 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 11 starts for the Blue Hens, earning all-conference honorable mention honors. He began his college career as a walk-on and has two years of eligibility remaining.
TE Connor Cox (South Carolina): Appeared in four games with the Gamecocks in 2024, then sat out the rest of the season to preserve the year of eligibility. His only catch over his two years at SC was a nine-yard touchdown against Akron last season. Has three years left.
K Adam Samaha (Michigan): Kicked one extra point at Michigan. Has three years of eligibility left.
DL CJ Mims (E. Carolina): Originally committed to Wake Forest after entering the portal before flipping to the Heels. Over his two seasons at ECU, Mims recorded 37 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. Has two seasons left.
OL Miles McVay (Alabama): A Top 200 talent in the 2023 recruiting class. McVay redshirted his first season and appeared in five games at tackle, logging 94 snaps in 2024. Three seasons left to play.
QB Ryan Browne (Purdue): Was a 3-star in the 2023 class and redshirted his first season. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder, appeared in eight games for Purdue this past season with two starts. On the season, he threw for 532 yards and four touchdowns with a pair of interceptions while completing 56.6 percent of his passes. He also gained 241 yards on the ground. Has three years of eligibility remaining.
OL Chad Lindberg (Rice): Former Top 150 recruit who signed with Georgia out of high school. Over four years with the Bulldogs, he played in 20 games. A year ago, Lindberg transferred to Rice. He started all 11 games he appeared in for the Owls. Seven of those starts were at left guard and the rest were at left tackle.
WR Aziah Johnson (Michigan State): As a red-shirt freshman this past season, he caught 16 passes for 276 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Had just one drop in 25 targets. Has three years of eligibility remaining.
LB Khmori House (Washington): Last season as a freshman, House tallied 317 snaps across 12 games for Washington, recording 35 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception. Three years left to play.
OL William Boone (Prarie View A&M): Appeared in a dozen games for Prairie View A&M last season at right tackle. In a team-high 782 snaps, Boone did not allow a sack in 2024. He has two years remaining of eligibility. His prior collegiate stops were at Kilgore College (2023) and the New Mexico Military Institute (2022).
DB Gavin Gibson (E. Carolina): Spent his first two seasons at Maryland before transferring to ECU last year. Started 10 games with the Pirates (five at cornerback and five at strong safety), recording three interceptions (returning one for a touchdown), three pass breakups, 52 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.
DL Pryce Yates (UConn): Injury limited him to just seven games in 2024 but still finished with 21 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks. In the Fenway Bowl on Dec. 28, Yates helped UConn beat UNC, 27-14, with six tackles, including three for a loss and a sack. Has one season of eligibility left.
DB Coleman Bryson (Minnesota): Compiled 54 tackles in three years with the Golden Gophers. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
WR Jason Robinson (Washington): The 5-foot-10, 151-pound wideout didn’t appear in a game while redshirting in 2024. Will have four years of eligibility remaining.
DB Peyton Waters (Washington): As a true freshman, the 6-foot-1, 182-pound Waters appeared in all 13 games for Washington this past season, recording five tackles. Waters played three games on defense at safety, but the majority of the action he saw was on special teams. Has three seasons left.
DB Thaddeus Dixon (Washington): Over the past two seasons, Dixon appeared in 27 of Washington’s 28 games with 13 starts (12 this season). He concluded his career with 69 tackles, 16 pass breakups, and a pair of interceptions. Has one year of eligibility left.
OL Daniel King (Troy): King started all 40 of his games at Troy. He is a two-time All-Sun Belt Second Team honoree. King played 789 snaps in 2024 while playing two positions on the line — right guard the first half of the season, before moving to right tackle. Last season he allowed one sack in 408 pass-blocking plays and was the fourth-rated run blocker in the league.

North Carolina Portal Departures

OL Eli Sutton (to Austin Peay)
RB Jordan Louie (TBD)
OL Zach Greenburg (James Madison)
QB Conner Harrell (Charlotte)
OL Andrew Rosinski (Georgia Tech)
DL Travis Shaw (Texas)
OL Howard Sampson (Texas Tech)
K Noah Burnette (Notre Dame)
OL Jakiah Leftwich (UCF)
DB Tyrane Stewart (TBD)
OL Malik McGowan (UNLV)
QB Michael Merdinger (Liberty)
LB Ashton Woods (West Virginia)
LB Caleb LaVallee (Florida State)
DB Deandre Boykins (TBD)
QB Jacolby Criswell (ETSU)

Boston College Portal Tracker

Syracuse Portal Tracker

SMU Portal Tracker

LSU Portal Tracker

Duke Portal Tracker

Georgia Tech Portal Tracker

Photo courtesy of Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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North Carolina

North Carolina felon gets 22 years for 15 guns, fentanyl pills, meth and cocaine

Published

10 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Press Room

North Carolina felon gets 22 years for 15 guns, fentanyl pills, meth and cocaine

CHEROKEE COUNTY, N.C. — A Murphy, North Carolina man with prior felony convictions was sentenced this week after authorities say he was caught with a large cache of illegal drugs and firearms.

44-year-old John Anthony Barreiro of Murphy was sentenced Thursday to 22 years in prison and ordered to serve five years of supervised release, according to an announcement from Russ Ferguson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Authorities say Barreiro illegally possessed 15 firearms along with more than 1,600 fentanyl pills and more than 800 grams of methamphetamine and cocaine.

According to court documents, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Barreiro’s vehicle on Dec. 4th, 2023.

Authorities say Barreiro fled instead of stopping, leading to a vehicle pursuit.

Court documents show that during the chase, Barreiro threw a Glock 9mm pistol out of the passenger-side window.

Authorities say he later threw a bag out of the same window containing more than 300 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl tablets, fentanyl powder and cocaine.

Law enforcement later recovered the firearm and the drugs, according to court records.

After throwing the gun and drugs from the vehicle, authorities say Barreiro pulled over and was arrested.

Investigators say they found additional clear baggies with suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in the vehicle and on Barreiro.

Authorities also say Barreiro had $7,840 in cash, marijuana, a loaded Glock 30-round capacity magazine and a bag containing multiple loose rounds of 9mm ammunition in the vehicle.

Later the same day, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a Murphy home where Barreiro was known to reside.

Law enforcement seized 14 firearms, 1,450 fentanyl tablets, fentanyl powder, cocaine and almost 500 grams of methamphetamine, authorities say.

Barreiro had prior convictions that prohibited him from possessing firearms.

Barreiro pleaded guilty on Sept. 26th to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

He was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison on Thursday.

Barreiro remains in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

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Families in Durham say they’re barely getting by; New report says Americans are saving less

Published

20 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Families in Durham say they’re barely getting by; New report says Americans are saving less

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — With the price of gas, groceries and housing continuing to climb, many who live in Durham say there’s not much left over to put away at the end of the month.

Samuel Fisher was filling up his daughter’s car at a Durham gas station when he admitted he’s had to get creative to stretch his budget. “We haven’t saved. We’re not rich,” he said. “We were saving a few hundred dollars here and there.”

Fisher said he’s now driving his daughter’s smaller car while she’s on vacation because it’s cheaper to fill up than his SUV. “It costs me 90 dollars to fill up,” he said with a laugh. “She’s not here, so I’m going to drive her car. Save some money.”

For others, cutting back has become a daily routine. Anne McConville said everything she was wearing came from a thrift store. “Black jumpsuit, black top and this necklace that was only three dollars,” she said. “It’s beautiful.”

McConville said shopping secondhand helps her afford the basics. “Every time I go shopping, I spend 100 dollars. For me. I just buy produce.”

A new federal report shows Americans are saving less overall. The U.S. personal savings rate fell to 2.6 percent in April, a sign that rising costs for essentials are squeezing household budgets.

Arkell Barnes, a Triangle-based financial advisor for the past 30 years, said even small amounts of savings matter. “I always recommend people put something away no matter what. Pay yourself first,” he said.

Barnes said finding small ways to cut costs can help families build a cushion. “Refinancing, taking meals to work instead of going out, watching your subscriptions,” he said.

It’s advice 79-year-old Jerry McClain is already following. Pushing a cart of groceries to his car, he said he’s scaled back his spending. “I’m older, so I don’t do as much,” McClain said. “I don’t go out as much. I don’t eat out as much.”

Barnes said more people are also picking up side jobs to bring in extra income. It’s something he believes could help boost savings in the long run.

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Student from North Carolina finishes 4th in national spelling bee

Published

1 day ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Student from North Carolina finishes 4th in national spelling bee

WASHINGTON (WBTV) – A student from North Carolina finished fourth in the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night.

Thirteen-year-old Kushi Gottimukkala made it to the 15th round of the May 28 spelling bee in Washington, D.C. before she misspelled the word “cara sposa.” She spelled it “carra spoza.”

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, cara sposa is an Italian word that means “dear wife.”

Gottimukkala is a seventh-grader at Carnage G&T Magnet Middle School in Raleigh. She was one of a handful of students to have been sponsored by the Carolina Panthers.

This year’s bee was not her first time participating in the national spelling competition. She finished 41st in the 2025 event.

Outside of spelling, Gottimukkala is active in Science Olympiad, MathCounts and a dance group. She enjoys reading and has an interest in history books and documentaries.

Fourteen-year-old Shrey Parikh from California won Thursday’s spelling bee after a “spell-off” decided the champion.

Kushi Gottimukkala finished 4th in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee.(Allison Robbert | AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Also Read: 14-year-old battles nerves, dominates spell-off to win National Spelling Bee

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