UNC’s cross-sport wild card: Paul Barton brings size, edge, and a rare athletic backstory to tight end
Paul Barton enters North Carolina’s 2026 season as a 6-foot-4, 210-pound graduate transfer-style story without the transfer—he’s a former Tar Heel lacrosse defender who made the leap to football after a summer tryout, and that kind of toughness usually travels well. He hasn’t produced football stats yet, but the appeal is clear: a long, athletic frame, competitive experience from 54 lacrosse games, and the kind of “figure-it-out” mentality teams love in developmental tight ends. If you want instant receiving polish, look elsewhere; if you want upside, physicality, and a locker-room grinder, Barton is worth a serious glance.
