Though the offseason hasn’t officially begun for the UNC football team, head coach Mack Brown is already building the program’s roster for the 2022 season. Several key returning players, such as running back British Brooks and receiver Josh Downs, and an elite 2022 recruiting class ensure there will be plenty of talent in Chapel Hill. But Brown is also intent on looking to add players via the NCAA’s transfer portal.

Use of the portal has exploded in recent years, with players seemingly entering and exiting the portal by the dozen every day. Already this season, Carolina has seen contributors such as receivers Beau Corrales, Emery Simmons and Khafre Brown leave the team via the transfer portal. On the flip side, the Tar Heels have already added one player to the team from the portal: Miami offensive lineman Corey Gaynor, who committed to the Tar Heels last week.

“He’s used to playing in this league,” Brown said of Gaynor. “He’s a captain, so he gives us immediate leadership in that group. And it also gives us depth at guard and center, which we need… we’ve got to have more consistent play in the interior of our line, and we felt like Corey gives us a step forward in doing that.”

But if Brown is to be believed, the Tar Heels are far from done.

“We’ve got to do a better job of looking at the portal,” he said at a press conference earlier this month. “And if there’s somebody that can help our team immediately… then we need to be more aggressive at trying to get that young person to come here.”

Brown also mentioned the program was “looking at the positions of need for us.” That would explain the addition of Gaynor, who played mainly at center on Miami’s offensive line. Center proved to be a troublesome position for UNC this season, with starter Brian Anderson struggling with injuries all year. Carolina allowed an ACC-worst 45 sacks against quarterback Sam Howell in 2021.

“We don’t want to bring an average player in,” Brown went on to say. “If we bring somebody in, he needs to be a contributor and a guy who could start.”

That’s exactly what the Tar Heels did during the 2020 offseason, adding former Tennessee running back Ty Chandler to the roster for his last year of eligibility. Chandler immediately stepped in as UNC’s starter, and set career-highs in both rushing yards (1,063) and total touchdowns (14) in 2021.

However, the program has been relatively quiet in the transfer portal apart from the additions of Chandler and Gaynor. That may be attributable to Brown’s initial dislike of the portal. Now, though, the 70-year-old head coach is learning to live with it.

“Wake up, and get in the real world here,” Brown said. “Because it’s happening. It’s real.”

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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