Tuesday marks an important day in college basketball, with the transfer portal officially opening. Several players already announced their decisions to transfer, while there’s bound to be plenty additional moves in the coming days.
The UNC men’s basketball program already has one player in the portal: freshman guard Isaiah Denis. He could very well return, particularly with Michael Malone being named head coach on Monday, but Denis played sparingly last season in Chapel Hill.
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Another Tar Heel added his name to that outgoing transfer list on Monday afternoon, with junior guard Jaydon Young announcing his decision to enter the portal.
Young, who grew up a lifelong North Carolina fan in Goldsboro, transferred into Chapel Hill from Virginia Tech. Outside of a few big moments, highlighted by his season-high 12 points during UNC’s 87-84 win over Wake Forest, Young largely played sparingly off the bench.
Seth Trimble and Derek Dixon led the Tar Heels’ backcourt during their 2025-26 campaign, which ended in a 19-point collapse against VCU in both team’s NCAA Tournament opener. As injuries piled up for North Carolina, Young experienced more playing time.
Trimble is graduating in May – and so is Denis. Dixon should return, while Malone will likely land guards in the transfer portal. Young doesn’t have a clear path to minutes if he returns, but is more likely with less guarantees in the 2026-27 backcourt.
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Young initially committed to High Point University last offseason, before flipping to UNC. With HPU on the rise, making history with their first NCAA Tournament win by upsetting Wisconsin in March, playing for another North Carolina school might be the best-case scenario for Young.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball guard Jaydon Young to hit the transfer portal
