For the third time this offseason, the Tar Heels have dipped into the transfer portal to land a defensive back.
Former Clemson cornerback Kyler McMichael announced on Saturday afternoon that he will be transferring to Carolina just one day after submitting paperwork to enter the transfer portal. He is now reunited with his high school teammate Trey Morrison, who had a phenomenal freshman year in Chapel Hill.
McMichael played 101 snaps for Clemson as a true freshman in 2018, racking up three total tackles. He had a good spring for Clemson and was listed on the two-deep behind starting corner A.J. Terrell that was released a short time ago before announcing his intent to transfer on Friday afternoon.
McMichael was ranked as the No. 56 overall player in the 2018 recruiting class, according to 247Sports, and the No. 12 cornerback in the class. Rivals had him similarly ranked, as he was listed as the No. 53 overall player in 2018 and the No. 8 cornerback.
The question everyone has now is when will McMichael be eligible? While he likely will apply for a waiver, it seems likely that he will have to wait until 2020 to step onto the field at Kenan Stadium. He’ll join Virginia Tech cornerback transfer Bryce Watts as guys who will likely have to wait a season, while Auburn defensive back transfer Cam’Ron Kelly continues to wait for his verdict from the NCAA after he applied for a family hardship waiver back in April.
Mack Brown said Thursday at ACC media days that he is not a fan of the new transfer portal, but he has not been shy about using to help bolster his defensive backfield. While the last two moves are likely built towards 2020’s gameplan, Brown and his staff continue to instill optimism that this turnaround for Tar Heel football will happen sooner rather than later.