Heel Tough Blog: Major Member of Tar Heel Defense No Longer With Team

@pryceyates- Instagram

The Tar Heels have suffered some defections from the team in-season, but none is as big as the one they just suffered.

According to a report from Inside Carolina, major offseason acquisition Pryce Yates is no longer with the program due to an injury situation. 

Yates, who was active for the Clemson game and finished with three total tackles, 0.5 a tackle for loss and one quarterback pressure, missed the first four games of the season with a concussion and missed this weekend game as well. Yates, who transferred in from Connecticut in the offseason, missed the first six games of last season after sustaining a concussion.

Yates spent the first three years of his career with the Huskies and was a major contributor in all three as he was expected to be this year for the Tar Heels. As a redshirt freshman in 2022 starting at defensive tackle, he finished with 45 total tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 27 total quarterback pressures and one forced fumble in 528 snaps across thirteen games. In 2023, he moved out to the strongside defensive end spot and racked up 42 total tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 30 total quarterback pressures in 559 snaps across twelve games. This season, he saw limited action because of an offseason injury, but he still tallied 21 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and 14 total quarterback pressures in 340 snaps across seven games. He closed his time with the Huskies by being named defensive MVP of the Fenway Bowl after collecting six total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack.

With his departure, the Tar Heels lose a promising piece that provided some hope for this pass rushing unit that just doesn’t have much production this season. The good news is that Tyler Thompson may have stumbled upon something this past week against Cal, but the question now becomes can he make it consistent for a unit that is struggling otherwise. So far in six games this season, the Tar Heels edge rushers have totaled just four sacks and 39 total pressures, the majority of which came in the Charlotte, Richmond and California games. The team needs someone to step up here and be more consistent and with the only pass rusher that has shown consistency gone from the room, it’s hard to see that happening.