Is Jarin Stevenson to UNC an imminent move as Alabama forward enters transfer portal?  

Alabama Crimson Tide forward Jarin Stevenson saw his team's 2024-2025 campaign come to an end earlier on March 29. As the second seed of the East region, the Crimson Tide were defeated by the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils by a whopping 20 points, 85-65, in the Elite Eight matchup to be eliminated from contention in the 2025 national tournament.

Earlier on Wednesday, Stevenson confirmed to On3 senior recruitment analyst Jamie Shaw that he is entering the transfer portal after two stints under the tutelage of coach Nate Oats. Some in the college basketball scene weren't shocked by the move, given that he didn't have a lot of playing time this campaign, averaging just around 18.7 minutes per contest.

Later on that day, On3 Sports on X/Twitter reported that the Chapel Hill, North Carolina native is eyeing two schools: the North Carolina Tar Heels and NC State Wolfpack as his two preferred destinations for the 2025-2026 season, which will be Stevenson's third stint of collegiate hoops.

Given that the two aforementioned universities are the premier programs of his home state, he is likely moving on to transfer to one of those teams. But, a transfer to UNC specifically may be imminent, given that during his high school recruitment days, his decision boiled down to either the Tar Heels or the Crimson Tide.

Stevenson was the 2023 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, through which he became a top-ranked, four-star recruit coming out of Seaforth High School. It is more probable that he transfers to the Hubert Davis-coached team, especially since it will feel closer to home for him moving forward.

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UNC Tar Heels' looking to rebuild

In the 2025-2026 season, the Tar Heels are expected to lose spitfire scorer RJ Davis due to graduation, as he played out his fifth and final year just this past season with the program. Known for his high-octane scoring at all three levels, Davis averaged the most points in his last stint with UNC, tallying 17.2 a game to go along with 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals.

Stevenson's insertion into the team could bolster UNC's roster for next season, especially since they merely made it to just the first round of this year's national tournament, even after they just made it to the national title game just three years prior. This gives the incoming junior a chance to be one of the focal points of his home state school.

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Jarin Stevenson's Journey: From Alabama to exploring options

Throughout his two years at Alabama, Stevenson tallied 5.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 0.6 spg in around 17.6 mpg. Since high school, Stevenson has showcased immense ability as an athletic wing who can score inside and shown flashes of an outside game with a respectable jumper.

It seems as though the now third-year swingman is looking to move on from his initial commitment to Alabama, as getting to play for UNC presents him with a chance to be a hometown favorite while being a part of a storied program looking to bring back its glory days.

In his final game as a Crimson Tide, Stevenson played just 15 minutes off the bench, snagging two rebounds in the process.