The portal chaos is underway and the Tar Heels are feeling the brunt of it right now. The team has already lost two veterans who started on the defensive side of the ball today, as well as a handful of other rotational and depth players on that side of the ball. Now they will have to deal with the loss of another depth piece that has starting experience in the middle of the defensive line.
Earlier this morning, Inside Carolina’s Ben Sherman reported that senior defensive tackle Jahlil Taylor has entered his name into the transfer portal. The five-year veteran played just four snaps this season while rehabbing from a lower body injury suffered last season in the team’s bowl game against South Carolina. Taylor’s best season as a Tar Heel came back in 2020, when he finished with 18 total tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries while starting for three games. He finishes his Tar Heel career having played 682 snaps while piling up 34 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 12 total pressures.
Taylor was a reserve lineman for this year’s team because of the injury, but he would have had a lot of work to do to gain a significant role in this packed room. Grad senior Raymond Vohasek’s career is over, but outside of that this group is scheduled bring back plenty of starting experience and depth. Current starters Myles Murphy and Kevin Hester Jr. look as if they will be back, as will true freshman Travis Shaw, who saw extended time as the season progressed and the versatile Jahvaree Ritzie, who’s game may actually fit better on the interior of the defensive line. Sophomore Kedrick Bingley-Jones and redshirt freshman Keeshawn Silver will also have the opportunity to return and potentially push for bigger roles if they choose to. Expected early signee Joel Starlings could also be a factor here, as well, at the least helping to provide some extra depth.