Heel Tough Blog: Former Starting OT Leaves Team

@williamboone_ - Twitter

For the third time today, the Tar Heels have had a member of their team step away midseason.

As first reported by TarHeel247, junior offensive tackle William Boone is no longer with the team as of Tuesday evening. 

Per his agent, Austin Pfenniger, Boone is pursuing a medical redshirt for this season and should be 100% for spring practice.

Boone, who transferred in back in the winter portal, is at least done for the season after playing in the first three games of the season for the team. Boone, who started in each of the first three games of the season, suffered an injury against Richmond and had been out of the lineup since.

In his three games this season, Boone graded out with a 67.2 run block grade, an 81.3 pass block grade and a 73.8 overall grade, while allowing just one quarterback pressure in the game against TCU.

Prior to his time with the Tar Heels, Boone played 782 snaps while starting all 12 games for the Prairie View, receiving a 62.3 run block grade, a 78.0 pass block grade and a 69.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. In 425 pass protection reps, he didn’t allow a single sack and gave up only 11 total pressures. Prior to Prairie View A&M, Boone spent time at Kilgore College and New Mexico Military Institute.

Since Boone’s injury in the game against Richmond, the Tar Heels have had Austin Blaske make his return and take over the starting job at left tackle. Meanwhile, every other starting job has been settled as well. In terms of depth, the Tar Heels still have true freshman Eidan Buchanan, who started at the left tackle spot in the opener, but that’s where the depth stops at the position after fellow tackle Trevyon Green left the team earlier in the season. The hope is that the team will not get to a point where this depth gets tested, but it does put a lot of pressure on Buchanan to be ready to go.