This week saw three more players leave the football program:
- Freshman Yasir Smith, TE
- Senior Prince Yates, DL
- Senior William Boone, OL
The 4 prior departures:
- Freshman Aziah Johnson, WR
- Junior Paul Billups, WR
- Junior Treyvon Green, OL
- Senior Caleb Hood, RB
Prince Yates, a transfer from UConn prior to the season, was expected to be a starter on the defensive line. Yates has a concussion history, and it appears another one has hampered him this season. He’s played one game for the Heels this season. His departure may simply be a medical retirement, but his timing would allow him to ask the NCAA for another year of eligibility (a medical redshirt) and give it a go somewhere
else next season.
William Boone, a transfer from Prairie View, had people in the program excited. Boone was a prime exhibit for Lombardi’s claimed NFL eye for finding diamonds in the rough. Boone started against TCU, logging 36 of the offense’s 50 snaps. An nagging injury cost him playing time in the games since. Boone seems to be applying for a medical redshirt in anticipation of a transfer. He would have two years of eligibility remaining.
Yasir Smith was a last-minute addition to UNC’s roster. Smith flipping his anticipated signing with ECU to the Heels despite never having visited the campus or met with the coaches. He’s expected to transfer to ECU.
First, best of luck to all of them in whatever they decide to do next. College sports these days abound in stories of players finding a better situation for themselves and thriving. Those examples may still be the exception rather than the rule, but players know themselves and their situation better than anyone else.
Second, it can be hard to tell how much of this might be related to reported dysfunction surrounding the coaching and administration of the football program. All the losing likely compounds the frustration. However, players have already left programs across the country this season, not just UNC. Those departures seem tied far more correlated to playing time than wins, losses, or disaffection for the coaching staff. That said, seven departures since the beginning of the season seems high. I can’t recall anything similar.
On the other hand, UNC’s roster seems the very definition of available playing time. Even its own GM, Mike Lombardi, sent an email to boosters in September asking for patience and outlining a plan to build a competitive roster over two or three high school recruiting classes. Summarized, the email amounted to, Yes, this year’s roster isn’t competitive, but we’ll start getting better players next season. A key component of the Belichick apologia has been that Belichick’s hire date left him with the dregs of high school recruits and the transfer portal.
It all adds up the heavy inference that this team’s talent isn’t to the coach’s or GM’s liking. Given how players likely receive that messaging, it’s not hard to see why players who either don’t see the field or simply don’t like the coaching want to get the heck out of Dodge. No sense in burning a year of eligibility to be Mike’s and Bill’s Year Zero cannon fodder.
