Following a down year for North Carolina, both Elliot Cadeau and Jalen Washington have elected to explore the transfer portal. The departure of these two players on top of losing RJ Davis has head coach Hubert Davis prepared to welcome a completely new look Tar Heel team for the 2025-26 season.
Most likely, these are not the only losses North Carolina will have to accept. Ian Jackson, who had an exceptional freshman season despite playing limited minutes, is an NBA-level talent that could very well enter his name in the upcoming draft. Assuming Jackson leaves Chapel Hill as well, let’s take a look at North Carolina’s projected starting lineup for next season as of right now.
Projected North Carolina lineup for 2025-2026
PG: Seth Trimble
After initially entering the transfer portal after the 2023-2024 season, guard Seth Trimble decided to return to North Carolina and has now expressed that Chapel Hill feels like home. Over the last three seasons, his athleticism and constant improvement on the offensive end has made him more of a complete player. Trimble is a great defender and can get to the rim at will. Playing point guard would be somewhat of a new experience for Trimble but he seems like the best current option considering his experience and understanding of the North Carolina system. If he can learn to survey the floor at a higher level and become more of a distributor, he could be Hubert Davis’ starting point guard next season.
SG: Derek Dixon
Derek Dixon is an incoming four-star recruit who has signed to play for North Carolina next season. ESPN gives him an overall grade of 85. Dixon also had offers from Arizona, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Vanderbilt and Virginia.
Dixon is 6-foot-3, 180 pounds. 24/7 Sports claims that Dixon is an excellent 3-point shooter and that strength alone is something that the Heels will desperately need next season after losing RJ Davis.
SF: Drake Powell
There is still a very small chance that Drake Powell chooses to enter the NBA draft. However, Powell is not projected to be selected in any mock drafts. With family ties to North Carolina (being the cousin of head coach Hubert Davis), it is unlikely that Powell transfers if he chooses to come back to college. At this point, we can expect to see Powell back next season.
In 2025-26, Powell will be able to return to a position he is more comfortable with. This past year with North Carolina being undersized, Powell was forced to play the power forward position taking him off of the perimeter where he is used to being. Although Powell had a solid season, we can expect to see him reach his full potential next year and show he belongs in the NBA.
PF: Caleb Wilson
Caleb Wilson is North Carolina’s biggest incoming recruit. Wilson is a five-star, 6-foot-9, 250-pound power forward. Wilson is a complete player who has length and quickness that is difficult to guard and helps him defend at a high level.
Some Tar Heel fans are nervous that Wilson’s commitment could flip since he said he really wanted to play with Elliot Cadeau who is now in the portal. Wilson has yet to officially sign so this still feels like a possibility. Wilson also had offers from Kentucky and Ohio State. As of now, Wilson is still a Tar Heel and if he chooses to stick with his commitment, he will be “the guy” for Hubert Davis.
C: Ven Allen-Lubin
Ven Allen-Lubin has bounced around quite a bit in his collegiate career. He started at Notre Dame, transferred to Vanderbilt and ultimately ended up at North Carolina last season. Lubin started the year getting a limited amount of playing time but quickly inserted himself into the starting lineup and became the most reliable big man in Chapel Hill. ‘
Lubin’s efforts were a significant factor in UNC’s late-season push that controversially put them into the NCAA tournament. Although at 6-foot-8 Lubin is a little smaller than most centers, he has what it takes to play big inside. Speculation suggests that Lubin will stay with the Heels for his senior season.