UNC Football earns commitment at defensive tackle

Earlier this week, former UNC basketball player Dontrez Styles committed to NC State after spending a season at Georgetown.

The tables were turned on Sunday, as a former NC State football player headed to Chapel Hill.

Defensive tackle Joshua Harris has announced his commitment to the UNC football program. His return to his home state comes after a season competing at Ole Miss.

Harris, a 6-foot-4, 325-pound Roxboro native of North Carolina, wasn’t available long when he entered the transfer portal on Tuesday. He spent the weekend in Chapel Hill and attended the program’s spring game on Saturday, as his visit was enough to convince him to return to his home state.

The Tar Heels were heavily involved in his high school’s recruiting, as they were ultimately defeated by NC State. Harris spent four seasons with the Wolfpack, recording 28 tackles in 29 games played. In 2023, Harris played in 13 games at Ole Miss as his role was quite limited (which likely led to him entering the transfer portal in the first place).

With one season of college eligibility remaining, Harris will look to add depth to the UNC football program’s defensive line. He becomes the third former ACC player to commit to the UNC football program this season, joining Jakeen Harris (NC State) and Jakiah Leftwich (Georgia Tech).

Mack Brown revealed that the Tar Heels were looking to add defensive linemen in the transfer portal as they wasted no time in bringing one in. Now we’ll have to see if the program looks to add more depth at the position, as they still have outstanding needs at quarterback and running back based on what Brown had to say earlier this week ahead of the team’s spring game.