Cade Fortin, a redshirt first-year quarterback, will leave UNC and enter the NCAA transfer portal, InsideCarolina reported Thursday night.
Fortin’s decision to transfer came four days after head coach Mack Brown named first-year quarterback Sam Howell the Tar Heels’ first-team quarterback. Howell beat out Fortin and fellow redshirt first-year Jace Ruder for the spot.
The team is yet to announce the starter for its Aug. 31 season opener against South Carolina in Charlotte.
Fortin, a four-star quarterback from Suwanee, Georgia, played in four games and started two for North Carolina last season. He was 23-65 for 388 yards and a touchdown; he also rushed 14 times for 76 yards and a touchdown.
He made his debut against East Carolina and later started against Virginia Tech. Fortin had a promising performance against the Hokies — 97 passing yards, 44 rushing yards — before missing the second half with injury. Fortin also saw action versus Duke and started against N.C. State, going 19-40 for 276 yards, a touchdown, an interception and a rushing touchdown.
But, by virtue of an NCAA rule change, the quarterback will still leave North Carolina with four years of eligibility. Since he played in just four games last year, he maintained the redshirt tag placed on him for the 2018 season.
Brown intimated throughout the offseason that the result of UNC’s quarterback competition could lead to a transfer. Such is the nature of college football.With Fortin’s departure, North Carolina has two scholarship quarterbacks: Howell, the current first-teamer, and Ruder, his backup by default.
Howell, a four-star and the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2019, came to UNC with considerable hype after a record-setting career at Sun Valley High School in Monroe.
On Sunday, a day after the Tar Heels’ second scrimmage, Brown said Howell’s consistency, along with injuries to Ruder and Fortin, were deciding factors in his promotion to first-team quarterback. Teammates, in recent days, have also raved about Howell’s arm strength.
