Minnesota transfer DB Coleman Bryson signs with North Carolina

DB Coleman Bryson has signed with North Carolina out of the NCAA Transfer Portal. On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed the news on Friday morning.

Bryson had spent the past three seasons as a redshirt sophomore with Minnesota. While with the Golden Gophers, Bryson posted 54 tackles, four deflections, and an interception that went for a pick-six.

In a 19-17 loss in this fall’s season opener versus UNC, Bryson had three tackles against the Tar Heels. Per the latest in On3’s 2025 Top Transfer Portal Players, Bryson was the No. 91 DB and the No. 968 overall transfer.

Now, Bryson is the 14th addition out of the portal during this cycle for North Carolina. He will come to Chapel Hill alongside QB Ryan Browne (Purdue), WR Aziah Johnson (Michigan State), TE Connor Cox (South Carolina), OT William Boone (Prairie View A&M), LB Khmori House (Washington), DE Pryce Yates (UConn), CB Gavin Gibson (East Carolina), K Adam Samaha (Michigan), two defensive linemen in Melkart Abou Jaoude (Delaware) and C.J. Mims (East Carolina), and three offensive linemen on the interior in Christo Kelly (Holy Cross), Miles McVay (Alabama), and Chad Lindberg (Rice).

Those will make up part of the first roster for the program under Bill Belichick in 2025.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Belichick era begins

Bryson now joins a program led by legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick. Hired this offseason by the Tar Heels, there were recently reports that Belichick was considering a return to the NFL before even coaching at UNC.

That is no longer out there, though. General manager of North Carolina, Michael Lombardi, shut down those rumors on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday.

“Completely committed. 1,000% committed,” Lombardi said. “I know for Coach Belichick and myself those conversations — look, guys that do the insider stuff for the NFL they’ve got to put stories out there. That one was a complete falsehood. Coach Belichick when that story came out was recruiting in South Jersey. Today, he was at Bergen Catholic, one of the teams we watched play at Ocean City. He’s going to the Hun School to recruit kids in Princeton. That story just had no legs.”