The Panthers have added the following 19 undrafted free agents to their rookie class:
- JaTravis Broughton, CB (TCU)
- Ryan Fitzgerald, K (Florida State)
- Ethan Garbers, QB (UCLA)
- Jacolby George, WR (Miami)
- Isaac Gifford, S (Nebraska)
- Jared Harrison-Hunte, DE (SMU)
- Jack Henderson, S (Minnesota)
- Kobe Hudson, WR (Central Florida)
- Luke Kandra, OL (Cincinnati)
- Steven Losoya, OL (Vanderbilt)
- Kayron Lynch-Adams, RB (Michigan State)
- Bam Martin-Scott, LB (South Carolina)
- Moose Muhammad III, WR (Texas A&M)
- Tuasivi Nomura, LB (Fresno State)
- Bryce Pierre, TE (UCLA)
- Michael Reid, CB (South Dakota)
- Michael Tarquin, OL (Oklahoma)
- Trevian Thomas, S (Arkansas State)
- Corey Thornton, CB (Louisville)
Fitzgerald was thought to be a potential Day 3 pick after a stellar senior year at Florida State. He converted all 13 of his field goal tries with a 100% conversion rate that led all FBS kickers with at least 12 attempts. Fitzgerald was also perfect on his 14 extra points. He will compete with Matthew Wright for the Panthers’ kicking job in training camp.
Harrison-Hunte went undrafted despite a strong showing at the Combine. He’s an older prospect who will turn 25 by the start of his rookie year, but he had just one season of sustained production at SMU after five years at Miami. Still, he earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2024 with 8.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks and will push for a roster spot in Carolina as an athletic interior disruptor.
Hudson was a rotational target at Auburn in 2020 and 2021 before transferring to UCF, where he emerged as a starter over the last three years. He scored 19 touchdowns across 34 starts at UCF, but his lack of elite athleticism and ball skills will necessitate further improvements in route-running in the NFL. Hudson will compete with several young Panthers receivers for a roster spot this summer.
Kandra started 24 games at right guard for Cincinnati over the past two years with second-team All-American honors in both seasons and a team captaincy and a first-team All Big-12 nod in 2024. He is a strong, fast blocker with a brawler’s mentality in the trenches, but his lack of flexibility and agility will limit him in the NFL. His physical traits and experience will have him pushing for a roster spot, but he may have to develop center versatility to see playing time early in his career.
The Panthers were aggressive in bringing in some of these rookies who just slipped out of the draft. Two of the cornerbacks, Thornton and Reid, received increased guarantees on their deals to ensure they sign. Thornton’s contract included $150K in guaranteed money, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, while Reid’s deal contained $100K. George, the former Hurricanes receiver, was perhaps the most sought-after of Carolina’s signees. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tells us that he received $215K in guaranteed money to sign with the Panthers, which is more in guarantees than he would’ve received had he got drafted in the sixth round.