What will all the transfers mean for Carolina football?

The Tar Heels have lost more than ten players by transfer or early entries into the NFL draft. It would be an alarming number if, as Mack Brown likes to say, the transfer portal wasn’t so “crazy.”

While hundreds and hundreds of players from all levels of college football is unusual, it’s still puzzling to know why some of Brown’s heralded recruits from 2019 and 2020 are leaving with eligibility left. Transfers can move to another school, and the first time they do so can play right away.

Some of the UNC names in the transfer portal are familiar to us.

Khafre Brown, Dyami’s younger brother and the fastest player on the team last season; Emery Simmons, who was expected to improve on his freshman numbers of 30 catches and 3 touchdowns the next two years; Eugene Asante, a top-300 recruit in the class of 2019, got the first crack at replacing Chazz Surratt and had 58 career tackles, including 23 this fall. Asante picked the Tar Heels over Florida State, Virginia Tech and UCLA.

Other “regulars” in the portal are multi-skilled defensive back Trey Morrison; wide receiver Beau Corrales, injured for most of the recent season, and running back Josh Henderson, who started the Orange Bowl.

All this begs the question is the depth Brown has been building the last three years still on pace to contribute, or will these departures widen the gap that existed between the older players recruited by Larry Fedora and those from the last two recruiting classes who may still not be quite ready?

Brown’s staff has been slow to engage with players who have entered the portal. UNC’s one transfer this season, ex-Tennessee running back Ty Chandler, had a great year and joined the stable of 1,000-yard rushers at Carolina. So far, two incoming transfers have been signed, including 6-foot-4, 300-pound tackle Corey Gaynor from Miami, who missed most of this past season but is seen to be a help shoring up an inconsistent, if veteran, offensive line.

When you look at how successful, say, NC State has been with the portal, picking up kids who helped the Wolfpack overcome some serious injuries early in the season, you have to imagine the Tar Heels will join that fray. There may not be a lot of unexpected holes to fill but likely a few important ones.

 

Photo via AP Photo/Chris Seward

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