Former Gamecock commits to UNC, Bill Belichick out of transfer portal
A former USC offensive lineman has found his next school.
And he’ll be playing for a very prominent coach.
Former South Carolina lineman Jakai Moore has signed with the UNC Tar Heels, according to Friday reports from 247Sports and On3 Sports. The Tar Heels are entering their first season under six-time Super Bowl champion coach Bill Belichick.
Moore, 24, was one of the oldest players on USC’s roster and the longest-tenured South Carolina player, having started his Gamecock career back in 2019.
The Virginia native had appeared in 44 games and started 28 for the Gamecocks over the past six seasons. He started nine games in 2023 (playing both guard and tackle) before missing the entire 2024 season with a shoulder injury.
Moore was granted a seventh year of eligibility for 2025 after redshirting. He left South Carolina during the spring transfer portal window last month.
Moore (6-foot-6, 315 pounds) joins a Tar Heels program that went 6-7 and 3-5 in the ACC last year. UNC fired Mack Brown late in the season and hired Belichick, the NFL’s second all-time winningest coach and a six-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, as Brown’s replacement in December.
Belichick, 73, has never been a college head coach. He is making $10 million in total salary (excluding bonuses) this season, a top 10 number nationally.
USC’s spring transfer portal additions
- Edge Demon Clowney (Louisville)
- Edge George Wilson (Campbell)
- DL Troy Pikes (Georgia Southern)
- OL Nolan Hay (Incarnate Word)
USC’s spring transfer portal departures
- LB Wendell Gregory (Oklahoma State)
- CB Emory Floyd (App State)
- OL Kam Pringle (Syracuse)
- QB Dante Reno
- OL Jakai Moore (UNC)
- LB Ronnie Porter (App State)
- Walk-on DL Rondarius Porter (App State)
This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 11:21 AM.
