Former Penn State Defensive End to Join Forces With Bill Belichick, Transfer to UNC

A former Penn State defensive lineman has found his new home. Joseph Mupoyi, a former four-star defensive end who joined the Nittany Lions in 2023, has signed with North Carolina after entering the transfer portal last week, Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported on Thursday.

Mupoyi joins defensive end Smith Vilbert as the second ex-Penn State player to join Bill Belichick’s inaugural Tar Heels roster this offseason. He is also one of five scholarship Nittany Lions to have entered the portal since the spring window opened last Wednesday.

He’ll have three years of eligibility remaining.

The 6-foot-5, 261-pound Mupoyi appeared in just two games across two seasons at Penn State. He was potentially in line for a boost in playing time with four defensive ends — Abdul Carter, Amin Vanover and Vilbert — out of the picture.

Dani Dennis-Sutton, a returning starter off the edge, has dealt with an injury throughout spring practice, increasing the rep count for others down the depth chart. Max Granville and Zuriah Fisher are the most likely top two defensive ends behind Dennis-Sutton at this point.