After earning defensive MVP honors as North Carolina’s opponent, UConn defensive lineman Pryce Yates will transfer to UNC. He has signed with the Tar Heels, Inside Carolina confirmed on Tuesday evening.
Yates, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound San Antonio, Texas native, arrives in Chapel Hill with a year of eligibility and career totals of 12.5 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss.
On Dec. 13, Yates entered the Transfer Portal. Shortly after officially visiting NC State, he announced that he was withdrawing from the Portal and returning to UConn. He re-entered on Dec. 30.
Two days before re-entering, in the Fenway Bowl on Dec. 28, Yates helped UConn beat UNC, 27-14, with six tackles, including three for a loss and a sack. Due to injury, he didn’t begin seeing action this fall until week 8 and played in seven games. He finished with 21 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks.
During the prior two seasons, Yates appeared in all 25 contests, starting the latter 22. As a red-shirt freshman, he started at defensive tackle collecting 45 tackles, 9.0 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. The subsequent year, he was moved to strong-side defensive end, finishing with 42 tackles, 14 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles.
As a 2021 recruit out of San Antonio (Texas) Reagan High, the 247Sports Composite rated Yates a low three-star prospect. Those numbers raised as a transfer recruit: a high-three-star rating, the No. 217 overall transfer, and the No. 27 edge rusher in the nation.
Yates is the third defensive lineman that UNC has plucked out of the Transfer Portal. Future linemates Melkart Abou-Jaoude (Delaware) and CJ Mims (East Carolina) committed last month. In total, the Tar Heels have scored commitments from 13 transfers.
Defensive line was always going to be a Transfer Portal priority for UNC. The program lost six scholarship players from the D-line room following the season: Desmond Evans, Jahvaree Ritzie, Kevin Hester, Kaimon Rucker, Joshua Harris, and Jacolbe Cowan. Those departures include four full-time starters.
“They have a plan in terms of what kind of player they want,” said Inside Carolina analyst Jason Staples. “Belichick is really, really emphasizing motor at a lot of positions. They’ve also done well at attracting talent without most of their staff hires in place … He’s going to build his team inside out, and he’s going to play football inside out. It’s what he does.”
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