Ja'Qurious Conley to enter transfer portal

The defensive back becomes the fifth Tar Heel to enter the portal following the spring game.

Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports

Spring ball concluded in Chapel Hill on April 15th, as North Carolina participated in their annual spring game. With that came clarity on the depth chart and roster turnover.

According to Inside Carolina, Tar Heel defensive back Ja'Qurious Conley has entered the transfer portal, becoming the fifth player to do so in the spring period.

Conley appeared in just two games last season after rehabbing a knee injury he suffered in a Nov. 2021 contest against Wofford.

The Jacksonville, NC native recorded 23 games played over three seasons and accumulated 81 tackles and two interceptions.

His best season came as a sophomore in 2021, where he tallied a career-high 46 tackles to go along with two interceptions.

While remaining healthy and returning to form could have been difficult for Conley, he provides an explosive and aggressive mentality in a secondary which has struggled at times over the past two seasons.

As he enters the portal, he joins Bryson Jennings, Don Chapman, Gabe Stephens, and Ladaeson DeAndre Hollins as defensive pieces to exit over the last week.

The departure of Conley emphasizes a defensive overhaul under Gene Chizik, as the Tar Heels have lost over 10 players this offseason under the defensive coordinator. They have seen the departure of six defensive backs and brought in three members of the secondary through the transfer portal ahead of the 2023 campaign.

How will Conley's exit impact the North Carolina defense and will the Tar Heels utilize the extra scholarship available?