North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis appeared to be on the hot seat last season, but a strong close to the season, a surprising NCAA Tournament at-large bid, and a previously unrevealed extension gave Davis some security heading into the offseason. However, after the recent news of Ian Jackson’s transfer portal entry, the Tar Heels may have seen too many talented players walk out the door for Davis to recover in Chapel Hill.
In the three seasons years Davis’s debut run to the Final Four, the Tar Heels have been uninspiring. North Carolina missed the tournament in 2023, earned a No. 1 seed in 2024 before a Sweet 16 exit, and got bounced after a first-four victory over San Diego State this March. However, Davis’s offseason has almost been worse than the product on the court.
NEWS: North Carolina guard Ian Jackson has entered the transfer portal, sources told ESPN. Former five-star recruit averaged 11.9 points as a freshman for the Tar Heels. Hit 20+ points eight times, including against Alabama, UCLA and Louisville. Explosive scorer.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 7, 2025
North Carolina guard Ian Jackson enters transfer portal
A 2024 five-star recruit, Jackson flourished alongside RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau in Chapel Hill this season, averaging 11.9 points a game while shooting 46% from the field and 40% from three. Now, with Jackson’s name in the portal, all three members of Davis’s dynamic backcourt are gone. Davis is out of eligibility after a legendary five-year career at UNC and Cadeau already landed at Michigan in the transfer portal after two seasons with the Tar Heels.
Jackson appeared to be a foundational piece for Davis’s program after a promising first year in the ACC, but now the Tar Heels need a new centerpiece if Davis is going to save his job. The fifth-year head coach has made two nice portal additions in promising Arizona center Henri Veesaar who greatly improved throughout last season and West Virginia guard Jonathan Powell, though neither will offset the loss of Jackson’s scoring pop.
Now, unless Davis is able to land one of the few transformational talents still on the market, UNC will lean heavily on a new incoming five-star next season, forward Caleb Wilson. Wilson chose the Tar Heels over Kentucky and is the No. 6 ranked player in the 2025 high school class according to 247Sports Composite rankings.
With Wilson and four-stars Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon, Davis has the No. 5 ranked high school class. Davis has leaned heavily on veterans like Davis and Armando Bacot throughout his tenure, but with his job on the line, he’ll need freshmen to step up. That would have been the case before Jackson’s departure, but now that the former five-star is leaving Chapel Hill, it feels as though North Carolina fans can start to fantasize about their next head coach.