North Carolina wide receiver Aziah Johnson leaves football team
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UNC confirmed wide receiver Aziah Johnson left the football team.
- Johnson saw limited playtime this season with one reception in five total snaps.
- Coaches continue talent evaluation, citing consistency as a key selection factor.
UNC wide receiver Aziah Johnson, who transferred to North Carolina from Michigan State this offseason, has left the team, a source close to the program confirmed to the N&O on Wednesday morning. Inside Carolina was the first to report the news.
Johnson’s bio on UNC’s football roster is blank — it reads “the page you are looking for no longer exists” — as of Wednesday morning. The 6-foot, 175-pound redshirt freshman recorded 16 receptions for 276 yards as a Spartan last season, including two touchdowns.
But Johnson barely saw the field through three games this season. He recorded one catch in five snaps played against Charlotte on Sept. 6.
UNC wide receivers coach Garrick McGee spoke to the media on Sept. 11 — two games into the season — about wanting to “grow” the team’s number of dependable players.
“That’s what the practice session is for, to show us... that they can do what we’re supposed to do on a consistent basis,” McGee said.
He made it clear the coaching staff was still in the process of talent evaluation.
“We evaluate everything as a staff,” McGee said. “All the drills, what they’re doing on special teams, just which guys are committed to showing up and doing their job on a consistent basis.”
The following Saturday, against Richmond, Johnson didn’t play.
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 12:15 PM.