Report: Pryce Yates to Transfer to Bill Belichick, UNC in CFB Portal from UConn

After watching UConn defensive lineman Pryce Yates dominate UNC in the Fenway Bowl, new Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick reportedly decided to add him to the roster.

According to ESPN's Max Olson, Yates is expected to transfer to North Carolina this offseason as one of Belichick's first major acquisitions through the transfer portal.

Yates earned defensive MVP honors in the Fenway Bowl after racking up six total tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack in UConn's 27-14 victory over UNC at Fenway Park in Boston. The loss for the Tar Heels was the final game before the Belichick era officially began.

In three seasons with the Huskies, Yates had career numbers of 108 total tackles, 12.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and three passes defended. After appearing in all 25 games over his freshman and sophomore seasons, he missed the first six games of the 2024 campaign due to injury before returning on Oct. 19 against Wake Forest.

Per Don Callahan of 247Sports, Yates initially entered the transfer portal on Dec. 13 before withdrawing his name following a visit to N.C. State. He re-entered the portal on Dec. 30, two days after his breakout performance in the Fenway Bowl.

Yates is now the third defensive lineman to commit to UNC in the transfer portal, joining Melkart Abou-Jaoude (Delaware) and CJ Mims (East Carolina). In total, 13 transfers have committed to the Tar Heels so far.

Belichick appears to have had no trouble in his transition from the NFL to the college level, and the legendary head coach surely will continue to find ways to improve the UNC roster before the 2025 season.