Former Gator Gregory Smith finds new home in portal, but not where first expected

When now-former Florida Gator safety Gregory Smith III hit the transfer portal, most assumed he would wind up down south in Miami. The connection made sense, given the coach who recruited him to Gainesville, Will Harris, is now an assistant coach at Miami. Add in a visit to Coral Gables along with some other social media clues, and it seemed like a lock he was heading to the ACC.

As it turns out, Smith is heading to the ACC, but not with the team everyone first assumed it would be.

Gregory Smith heads from Florida to North Carolina

The Fighting Bill Belichick's have landed Smith as it was officially announced he would be committing to North Carolina.

On paper, Smith was in line for an uptick in playing time in 2025 with Florida after seeing minimal action in 2024. In part due to injuries in Florida's secondary, Smith worked with the 1st team unit for a good chunk of spring camp. He even won the award for "Most Improved" during spring camp.

But right before Florida's spring game, it was reported that Smith would be hitting the transfer portal.

There were some last-ditch efforts to retain Smith, but those efforts fell through.

On April 24th, Smith took a visit to Miami, and given his previous relationship with Harris, it felt like a lock.

But then, a few days later, he was in Chapel Hill for a visit and whatever Belichick sold him on sealed the deal as Smith will be a Tar Heel in 2025.

There was a last-minute visit to Purdue, and it seemed like he might wind up in West Lafayette, but ultimately, he chose North Carolina.

Smith was originally a late addition to the class of 2024 for Florida. He was a four-star prospect out of Sumner High in Riverview and was noted as an athletic but raw prospect at safety. He was a multi-time all-state performer in track and field, with a personal best in the triple jump of 47' 11.25".