For the (put any reasonable number here, and it’s probably close to correct) morning in a row, we begin the morning with a portal post.
Jonathan Smith‘s senior season at North Carolina began with the linebacker serving a two-game suspension related to academics, an issue that also sidelined him for all of spring practice. It will end prematurely as well based on a personal decision, 247Sports.com reported, as Smith has decided to place his name into the NCAA transfer database.
Because he has only played in three games this season, Smith can take a redshirt for 2019. That would leave him with one season of eligibility at another FBS school in 2020, provided he can keep his academic house in order and graduate.
Smith was a three-star member of the Tar Heels’ 2016 recruiting class, rated as the No. 21 inside linebacker in the country and the No. 23 player overall in the state of North Carolina. All told, he played in 26 career games at UNC, starting eight of those contests. Four of those starts came during the 2018 season.
Prior to his decision to transfer, Smith had been listed on the two-deep depth chart heading into the Week 6 matchup with Georgia Tech.