During his press conference on Monday morning, UNC football head coach Mack Brown announced that kicker Jonathan Kim will transfer.
The UNC football program is down a kicker, as senior Jonathan Kim will no longer be with the team.
Through the Tar Heels’ first four games, Kim was limited to a role as a kickoff specialist. With sophomore Noah Burnette handling the place-kicking duties, the Fredericksburg, Virginia native decided that he wants to pursue other opportunities.
Kicker Jonathan Kim told the staff he wants the be a placekicker, but since Nah Burnette has that job Kim is going to transfer. So since he played four games, playing in a fifth would mean he can’t use this season as a redshirt. So he is no longer a part of the team.
— Tar Heel Illustrated (@HeelIllustrated) September 26, 2022
Given that he already appeared in four contests this season, it was a decision that had to be made before the team’s fifth game. If he competed in this upcoming week’s game for the UNC football program, he would lose his ability to use this season as a redshirt year.
Kim has appeared in 36 games throughout his Tar Heels career, serving mostly as a kickoff specialist. He missed his only field goal attempt for the program back during the 2019 season.
There’s no question that Kim has a strong leg, but he is simply looking for an opportunity to be a place-kicker. The opportunity didn’t present itself in Chapel Hill during his tenure, but the hope is that Kim will find a program that will allow him the opportunity for a bigger role to finish out his collegiate career.
With Kim transferring, Burnette will take over the kickoff duties, as per Mack Brown.
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