North Carolina had three football players taken across the course of the three days, seven rounds and 257 picks that comprised the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit.
And other Tar Heels have a chance to join quarterback Drake Maye (first-round selection by the New England Patriots), linebacker Cedric Gray (fourth-round choice by the Tennessee Titans) and receiver Tez Walker (fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens) in the league.
Running back British Brooks, defensive lineman Tomari Fox, edge rusher / outside linebacker Amari Gainer, defensive lineman Myles Murphy and offensive lineman Spencer Rolland of UNC have signed undrafted free-agent contracts with NFL teams, and will compete to earn roster spots.
Going undrafted certainly isn’t ideal, but it’s not an unnavigable path. Many players, including Fox’s older brother, have traveled that route to careers in the NFL. Here’s a look at where UNC’s undrafted prospects have landed after the 2024 draft:
RB BRITISH BROOKS — HOUSTON TEXANS
The quiet but respected team leader Brooks played in 52 career college games during his six-year stay with the Tar Heels, while rushing for a total of 836 yards and seven touchdowns. He supplied 670 yards on 105 carries — 6.4 yards per attempt — combining the 2021 and 2023 seasons, after missing the 2022 season due to a torn knee ligament suffered in training camp.
The 5-foot-11, 225-pound Brooks, a native of Gastonia, N.C., delivered some significant performances. He churned out 124 yards on 15 carries at NC State in November 2021, ripped off a 63-yard touchdown burst in the 2021 Duke’s Mayo Bowl, and ran for 103 yards against South Carolina in the 2023 season opener. He was a special teams ace for UNC earlier in his college career, an experience that should serve him well as he tries to earn an NFL job with the Texans.
DT TOMARI FOX — LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
The strongman Fox played in 49 college games across his five-year career at UNC, while compiling 100 total tackles, including 10½ stops for lost yardage and 6½ sacks. His older brother, former Tar Heel defender Tomon Fox, has been a two-year member of the New York Giants since signing with the NFL team as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
Tomari Fox, who’s 6-3 and 300 pounds, played in all 13 games for the Tar Heels last season, while backing up Myles Murphy and Kevin Hester Jr. on the interior of the defensive line. He contributed three tackles and a sack against South Carolina in the 2023 season opener, and finished with 14 tackles on the season. He returned highly motivated after spending the 2022 season in NCAA exile, the result of a yearlong suspension for taking a banned substance. The NCAA ruled he used an unapproved pre-workout supplement, a performance enhancer, and then later denied his appeal of that decision.
EDGE AMARI GAINER — LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
The athletic transfer Gainer, perhaps best known for his speed in pursuit, played in 59 college games and made 19 starts along the course of his six-year career. He spent the first five seasons at Florida State, before joining UNC through the transfer portal and playing in all 13 games for the Tar Heels last season.
The 6-3, 235-pound Gainer supplied two sacks against South Carolina in the 2023 season opener, and went on to post six tackles for losses among his 27 tackles on the season. He mostly appeared in pass-rushing packages while backing up stud starter Kaimon Rucker at the edge or “jack” position in UNC’s defense. Gainer left FSU as the program’s active leading tackler. He collected 210 tackles, including 19 tackles for losses and six sacks, during his five seasons with the Seminoles.
DT MYLES MURPHY — ARIZONA CARDINALS
The interior defensive lineman Murphy was viewed as an eventual NFL Draft choice earlier in his UNC career, particularly after picking up second-team All-ACC honors as a true sophomore in 2021. He proved dependable and willing to play through pain across the last four seasons, while appearing in 52 college games and logging 38 starting assignments for the Tar Heels. He participated in the 2024 NFL Combine, along with UNC products Maye, Gray and Walker.
The 6-4, 310-pound Murphy came out of Greensboro Dudley High School ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 3 overall prospect in the Class of 2020 for the state of North Carolina. He recorded 99 total tackles for the Tar Heels during his career, including 17 tackles for losses and seven sacks. He started 38 of UNC’s 40 games over the last three seasons. In 2021, he supplied nine tackles for losses and four sacks as part of his 38 tackles, all of which became his best numbers in those three categories.
OT SPENCER ROLLAND — MINNESOTA VIKINGS
The veteran offensive lineman Rolland has signed with his hometown NFL team. He’s from Burnsville, Minn., which is about 15 miles south of downtown Minneapolis. He completed his six-year college career by playing in 26 games for UNC during the last two seasons and starting at right tackle, missing only the Tar Heels’ road victory at Georgia State in 2022.
The 6-6, 315-pound Rolland spent four seasons in the Ivy League at Harvard, before joining UNC through the transfer portal. With Maye operating the controls and running back Omarion Hampton emerging as a workhorse, Rolland blocked for an offense that ranked No. 7 overall nationally in the NCAA and first in the ACC last season (491.2 total yards per game). The Tar Heels ranked No. 19 in the NCAA and second in the ACC in 2022 (462.8 total yards per game).
At Apple Valley (Minn.) High School, Rolland did the dirty work on talented basketball teams that featured future Duke and NBA players Gary Trent Jr. and Tre Jones. Rolland relished his enforcer duties in those days, as Apple Valley claimed two Minnesota basketball state titles and made three state championship game appearances during his four years there.
