After spending a month in the transfer portal, Nathan Leacock has found a new home with Bill Belichick and the University of North Carolina. It’s Belichick’s first year, and Leacock is the 26th transfer North Carolina has added since Belichick’s official hiring in mid-December 2024, and is the fourth receiver, joining Jason Robinson (Washington), Dayton Sneed (Tennessee), and Adrian Wilson (Colorado).
Committing to North Carolina is a homecoming of sorts for Leacock. He is a Raleigh native, and was ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 76 player in the country and No. 3 player in the state of North Carolina according to the 247sports composite rankings.
Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels land former Tennessee Vols wide receiver.
Nathan Leacock left the Tennessee Volunteers’ program in December before Tennessee lost to Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs opening round. He joined Purdue but didn’t stay long in West Lafayette, entering the transfer portal again in late April. He has now joined the UNC Tar Heels.
Leacock has three years of eligibility remaining as he’s a redshirt sophomore after playing just five games for Tennessee where he recorded just one catch for 13 yards.
BREAKING: Purdue transfer WR Nathan Leacock has committed to North Carolina, @PeteNakos_ reports🐏https://t.co/6R3acN5ecb pic.twitter.com/NXc8seRyzy
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) May 26, 2025
Leacock is talented enough to be productive at the collegiate level, and Bill Belichick could help the Purdue transfer fully maximize his potential. He played just seven snaps while redshirting during the 2023 season and 45 total snaps in three games during the 2024 season.
Leacock is not the only former Volunteer to join North Carolina in the spring portal window. Former Vols’ walk-on receiver Dayton Sneed also committed to the Tar Heels earlier this spring after hitting the portal.
The two receivers join a UNC program that has been receiving a lot of attention since NFL Hall of Fame coach Belichick was appointed.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee Volunteers lost six wide receivers to the transfer portal this off-season.
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Squirrel White, Kaleb Webb, Chas Nimrod, Sneed and Nate Spillman all hit the portal and left Tennessee. White transferred to Florida State, Webb landed at Maryland, Nimrod went to South Florida and Spillman transferred to Charlotte.
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