The Tar Heels have done a tremendous job restocking their roster in the transfer portal since it was eviscerated by the opening of the transfer window where they lost twelve players, including some major defensive pieces. On Friday, the Tar Heels landed their eighth commitment from the portal in the form of another veteran ACC defender.
Shortly after 3:30 this afternoon, Florida State transfer Amari Gainer announced his commitment to the Tar Heels over West Virginia, Cincinnati and recent offer Alabama. He will have one season of eligibility remaining when he arrives to campus.
Gainer will come to Carolina following a four-year career with the Seminoles that saw him split time as a starter and a rotational player. In 45 career games at Florida State, Gainer started 18 games and accumulated 210 total tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, two pass deflections and five fumbles. In each of his first three seasons in Tallahassee, Gainer played in every game and amassed 55+ total tackles and 5.0+ tackles for loss. This season, he played in just seven games, though, due to injury, finishing with 17 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack.
The Tar Heel staff will look to Gainer to help provide some help on the edge where there is desperate need for help. He will challenge for the starting role that is expected to be left behind by Noah Taylor, the starter for the first half of this season who is attempting to get a waiver from the NCAA. Even with this addition, this staff needs to continue to search for pass rushing help. The staff should be strongly pursuing Wake Forest transfer Rondell Bothroyd and Utah State transfer Daniel Grzesiak to help a unit that had just 17.0 sacks this season.