The 2024 Fenway Bowl was one to forget for the North Carolina Tar Heels, but new head coach Bill Belichick liked what he saw in at least one aspect of the game.

UConn defensive lineman Pryce Yates, who hit the transfer portal after the Huskies' 27–14 win, signed with the Tar Heels earlier this week to join Belichick's first roster in Chapel Hill.

Yates was named the Fenway Bowl Defensive MVP on Dec. 28 after racking up six tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack against North Carolina. He initially entered the transfer portal earlier in December but announced he planned to return to UConn on Dec. 21.

One week later, Yates caught the attention of Belichick at Fenway Park and flipped his decision.

In three seasons at UConn, Yates tallied 108 tackles, 30 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks in 32 games. He was limited to seven games in 2024 due to injury but still made an impact, posting 21 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

Yates is the 13th player to sign with North Carolina in the transfer portal since the Tar Heels hired Belichick in December, joining the likes of former Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne and former South Carolina tight end Connor Cox.

It's been an interesting week for Belichick, who found his name back in the rumor mill Wednesday afternoon to potentially land an NFL head-coaching gig with links to Tom Brady's Las Vegas Raiders. But a few hours later, The Athletic reported Belichick does indeed plan to stay and coach at North Carolina.

That's good news for the Tar Heels—and good news for Yates, their newest defensive lineman.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bill Belichick Lands Impact Transfer Who Crushed North Carolina in Fenway Bowl.