Under-the-Radar ACC Transfer Lists UNC in Top 3

The Tar Heels are in a serious race to land one of the most underrated players in the portal.

Mar 7, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels mascot RJ on the court against the Louisville Cardinals in the fourth quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Hiring a head coach was the top priority for the North Carolina Tar Heels this offseason, and installing Michael Malone into that position is potentially a home run decision by the administration.

Now, it's time to construct a roster and put the 54-year-old head coach in the best position possible to compete for national championships on a regular basis. That starts with how North Carolina operates in the transfer portal, which officially opened on April 7.

Mar 28, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reacts in the second half against the Utah Jazz at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Since the portal opened, the Tar Heels have been linked with multiple players on the open market, and on Saturday, Malone and the coaching staff received more good news about potentially adding another player to the roster.

According to CBS Sports' College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein, Notre Dame's transfer Jalen Haralson has trimmed his list of programs to three, which includes North Carolina.

Source: Notre Dame transfer Jalen Haralson has cut his list to the following programs.

Tennessee
Ohio State
North Carolina

Averaged 16.2 PPG and 4.0 RPG last season.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 11, 2026

Haralson's Background

Jan 10, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Jalen Haralson (10) shoots against the Clemson Tigers during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward just finished his freshman season with the Fighting Irish, and after a strong 2025 performance, he entered the transfer portal, with several teams vying for his services. In 27 games, Haralson averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 51.5 percent from the field, including 20.0 percent from three-point range.

While perimeter production is not a feature of his game, Haralson has proven to be an effective scorer in other areas of the court.

What This Means for the Tar Heels

Jan 27, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Jalen Haralson (10) drives as Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis (5) defends during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Obviously, North Carolina wants to pursue as many players as possible who it believes can make a major impact next season and beyond. NIL prevents retaining players long-term, so coaches and administrations have to operate on a year-by-year basis when constructing a competitive roster.

It goes without saying that the Tar Heels will not land every player they pursue in the transfer portal. However, over the last couple of days, multiple players have dwindled their lists down, with North Carolina still in the equation.

Feb 28, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Jalen Haralson (10) drives as NC State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11) defends during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Haralson is an underrated asset in the portal, and the Tar Heels would be more than happy to have him in the rotation in 2026.

Level of Competition for Haralson's Services

Jan 31, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Jalen Haralson (10) takes a shot as Syracuse Orange forward William Kyle III (42) and forward Ibrahim Souare (10) defend in the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

On the surface, based on the brands of the programs in the race, the Tar Heels are the runaway favorites to land the freshman forward. While that could be true, both Tennessee and Ohio State have been active in the transfer portal thus far. The Volunteers lost center JP Estrella to Michigan, but they landed California transfer guard Dai Dai Ames. As for the Buckeyes, they have acquired California transfer guard Justin Pippen and Kentucky transfer forward Andrija Jelavic.

North Carolina has the inside track, especially if Haralson wishes to stay in the ACC, but the Buckeyes pose as a legitimate threat in this discussion.