Florida defensive back Gregory Smith III commits to transfer to North Carolina

Florida Gators defensive back Gregory Smith III has committed to transfer to the North Carolina Tar Heels, per On3’s Hayes Fawcett. He appeared in five games as a freshman for the Gators.

Smith played his high school football at Sumner in Florida. There, he was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2024. He was the 261st-ranked recruit overall and the 18th-ranked safety in that recruiting cycle. A multi-sport athlete, he played both sides of the ball in high school, starting at quarterback during his junior season.

In his one season with Florida, Smith played in five games. That includes an appearance in the bowl game, meaning he will be able to retain the year of eligibility and give him four remaining years of college football if he wants to use them. During that time, he had five total tackles and a pass defended.

2024 was the third season in Gainesville for head coach Billy Napier. It was also the season when he found the most on-field success. The Gators went 8-5 and managed to win the Gasparilla Bowl. That brought him to 19-19 overall in his three seasons with the program. Notably, Florida lost co-defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong to the Houston Cougars. Ron Roberts, the team’s other co-defensive coordinator from last season, has taken over the role on his own.

Gregory Smith III now heads to a North Carolina program that underwent a major transformation in the offseason. Mack Brown and the Tar Heels parted ways following the 2024 regular season, and he would be replaced by legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick. At defensive coordinator, Steve Belichick is coming over from the Washington Huskies.

Among the many changes that have come for North Carolina since the coaching change has been a complete roster flip. That includes through the Transfer Portal. North Carolina currently has the 21st-ranked transfer class in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings. That includes 40 players who have transferred out of the program and another 35 who have entered the program. Gregory Smith III is included in that number. Including incoming high school recruits, the Tar Heels are going to have a completely new roster for the 2025 season.

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

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