UNC Football: Offensive Lineman Diego Pounds enters transfer portal

The UNC football program was already set to lose a good portion of its offensive line, as three of the five starters from the 2023 season have exhausted their eligibility.

Well, it got worse on Thursday, as starting left tackle Diego Pounds announced that he will enter the transfer portal.

Entering his third season as a Tar Heel, Pounds was originally supposed to alternate at both tackle positions. However, he cracked the starting lineup in Week 2 and went on to start eight games this past season.

According to Pro Football Focus, Pounds finished the season with a 74.0 pass-blocking grade, 53.1 run-blocking grade, and 61.6 overall grade.

A former three-star recruit, Pounds made his first real impact on the offensive line this past season. Heading into 2024, Pounds, along with returner Willie Lampkin, were set to anchor the Tar Heels line, but now only Lampkin remains a Tar Heel among the unit we saw this past season.

The Tar Heels are going to have to figure out their offensive line situation for the 2024 season and beyond, as Pounds' decision to enter the transfer portal could lead to Mack Brown and company looking to replace him with an incoming transfer. At this current moment, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this unit, as the hope is that some of the incoming freshman (or potential transfer additions) can come in and help pave the way for the UNC football program's offense in 2024.

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