UNC's Greg Smith Reversing Course, Now Expected to Return

One day after announcing his intention to enter the Transfer Portal, North Carolina defensive back Greg Smith is now expected to stay at UNC for the 2026 season, multiple sources confirmed on Thursday. According to this year’s NCAA guidelines, the window for entering the Transfer Portal closes on Friday, Jan. 16.

After working his way into the rotation in the early games, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound defensive back became a regular contributor in the secondary in 2025, playing 33 or more snaps in each of the final five games. He finished the season with 24 tackles and an interception, which he made late in UNC’s win at Charlotte. Smith did not do any interviews during his year in Chapel Hill.

He came to UNC last offseason after a redshirt year at Florida in which he played in five games and recorded five tackles.

North Carolina graduated four defensive backs — Thaddeus Dixon, Marcus Allen, Gavin Gibson, and Will Hardy — who started most of the season. Smith will be one of four returning UNC defensive backs that played at least 200 snaps last season, alongside Kaleb Cost, Jaiden Patterson, and Coleman Bryson.

UNC has thus far signed one defensive back out of the transfer portal, Michigan State’s Ade Willie. UNC also enrolled earlier this month the nation’s No. 12 safety Jakob Weatherspoon and the No. 20 cornerback Kenton Dopson out of the high school ranks.