North Carolina DB Patrice Rene transfers to Rutgers

It has been five years in the making for Patrice Rene to make his way to Piscataway.

Rene committed to Rutgers as apart of the Class of 2016 when Kyle Flood was the head coach at Rutgers. When Flood was fired, Rene decommitted shortly after Chris Ash took over on the sideline.

After spending five seasons with North Carolina, Rene will transfer to Rutgers for the 2021 season, announcing on Twitter late Wednesday night.

The grad transfer is taking full advantage of the 2020 season not counting towards eligibility and join the Scarlet Knights.

Rene was a highly-touted recruit coming out of Episcopal in Alexandria, Virginia when he held 28 offers. After entering the transfer portal, Rene narrowed down his decision to three schools — Auburn, Oklahoma, and Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were able to beat out two huge names for the veteran defensive back.

With the Tar Heels, Rene started 19 games at cornerback. This is the position he is expected to play with the Scarlet Knights. This past season, the Scarlet Knights had the luxury of having Brendon White in the secondary. They will lost that luxury in 2021 as White will test the waters of the NFL draft. Rene will join a secondary that includes Tre Avery and Avery Young.

Rene played six games in 2020 and finished with 28 tackles, four passes defended, and a forced fumble. In his Tar Heel career, Rene totaled 103 tackles, 12 passes defended, and two interceptions. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Rene will be the biggest corner for the Scarlet Knights.

Greg Schiano has navigated the transfer portal successfully this offseason. Rene will join David Nwaogwugwu and Ifeanyi Maijeh from Temple and Kansas State’s Joshua Youngblood as transfers who will suit up for the Scarlet Knights in 2021.