North Carolina’s starting center has entered the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining, as confirmed by Inside Carolina on Monday. This player is the second confirmed starter from the program to make this move, following linebacker Amare Campbell.
Throughout the regular season, he was a reliable presence at center, starting every game except for the matchup against North Carolina Central in Week 3 due to a lower-body injury. He played 737 offensive snaps during the 2024 season and received an impressive pass-blocking grade of 85.6 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked second on the team behind Willie Lampkin. His run-blocking grade was 60.7, contributing significantly to the team’s run game, especially in aiding Omarion Hampton, who rushed for a leading 1,660 yards in the ACC and the second-best total nationwide.
Measuring 6-foot-5 and weighing 310 pounds, this player spent four years at Georgia before transferring to UNC for the 2024 season. He was part of the roster during the national championship wins in 2021 and 2022, participating in 18 games with the Bulldogs.
Coming out of Guyton (Ga.) South Effingham as a three-star recruit in the class of 2020, he was ranked as the No. 42 offensive tackle and the No. 59 overall player in his class. While at Georgia, he also played left tackle. Upon entering the transfer portal, he expressed a desire to play on the inside, specifically at center or guard.
“Just to be honest, I like to be in there,” he mentioned during spring practice when discussing his preference for playing center. “I like to run the show. I can be in the middle making all the points, calling out the fronts. That’s a big thing for me. And I think I’m best at center.”
This season, he was one of four new starters on UNC’s offensive line, alongside Howard Sampson, Trevyon Green, and Aidan Banfield. In October, he discussed the adjustment to a higher snap count, saying, “I’d definitely say finding that routine. (At) Georgia, I didn’t really play a lot from week to week, and now I’m getting almost 80 snaps a game. So finding that routine of treatment, nutrition, and hydration has been the key thing for me. I found that routine pretty quick after Week 2, just finding out what I need to do to keep my body healthy. I’ve done a really good job of that.”
UNC finished the 2024 regular season with a 6-6 record and is scheduled to face the UConn Huskies in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Dec. 28. The program has parted ways with head coach Mack Brown after his sixth season in his second stint, and 16th overall, with the team, with Freddie Kitchens stepping in as the interim head coach.
The current transfer portal cycle ends on Dec. 28.
Austin Blaske, the starting center, is the player who has entered the portal.
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