Tuesday was a big day of attrition for the Tar Heels, as they saw one player declare for the NFL Draft and two other players enter the transfer portal. Among those entering the transfer portal is a veteran receiver that will add to the group of players that will be gone from the 2020 receiving corps.
As reported by both 247Sports and Rivals on Tuesday night, Rontavius “Toe” Groves has entered his name into the transfer portal. After a rough first three seasons on campus at Carolina that saw two gruesome knee injuries, Groves recovered to have two solid seasons in 2018 and 2019. He finished fourth on the team in receiving a year ago, catching 27 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown. Groves closes his Tar Heel career with 41 receptions for 474 yards and two touchdowns. According to Inside Carolina’s Ross Martin, Groves still has two years of eligibility remaining.
Groves’ departure will leave the Tar Heels without their three of their four most experienced receivers from this past season. The good news is that there is still plenty of young talent and depth in place. In the slot, losing both Groves and starter Dazz Newsome stings, but talented true freshman Josh Downs looks ready to handle the starting role and 2021 early enrollee Gavin Blackwell will have a chance to come in and make an early impact. Don’t be surprised if Khafre Brown also plays a little bit of slot next year.