QB T. J. Yates - UNC Tar Heels

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Closing in on several UNC career passing marks • Has started 31 games over the last three seasons • Throws a catchable ball and has worked hard to improve his accuracy • Was not a highly recruited quarterback, but drew interest from Carolina's coaches who were in Georgia in 2006 to watch a player on the opposing team • Yates had a great game and was offered a scholarship, which he accepted before coming to campus for an official visit • Also turned down several basketball scholarship offers to play football in Chapel Hill.

2009 - Junior Season
Third year as the Tar Heels' starting quarterback • Ranks among Carolina's career top two in passing yards (5,959), touchdowns (39), completions (513), attempts (855) and completion percentage (60.0) • Finished the season with 2,136 yards and 14 touchdowns on 214-for-355 passing • The 2,136 yards ranks eighth all-time on UNC's single-season list • Completed 19 of 32 attempts vs. Pitt in the Meineke Car Care Bowl with two touchdowns and one interception • Connected with Greg Little on scoring passes of 15 yards in the first quarter and 14 yards in the third quarter • Threw for a season-best 280 yards and two touchdowns on 13 of 19 passing at NC State • Both TD passes (35, 70 yards) versus the Wolfpack went to Jheranie Boyd • The 70-yarder was the Tar Heels' longest passing play of the season • Matched a season high by completing 23 of 34 passes for 182 yards and three interceptions at Boston College • Posted biggest passing day since the East Carolina win with 213 yards on 17-for-31 passing against Miami • Had a 29-yard TD strike to Greg Little and did not throw an interception against the Hurricanes • Went 16-for-28 for 119 yards in the win over Duke • Became just the second Tar Heel to surpass 5,000 career passing yards in the win over the Blue Devils • Threw for two touchdowns for the first time since the East Carolina win and was 18-for-28 for 131 yards passing in the win at Virginia Tech • Connected on TD passes of 13 yards to Jheranie Boyd and 15 yards to Greg Little versus the Hokies • Scored through the air and on the ground versus Florida State • Went 12-for-25 for 64 yards versus Florida State • Recorded fourth career rushing TD run with a 10-yard run in the third quarter and added a 13-yard passing score to Ed Barham in the first quarter against the Seminoles • Was an efficient 14-for-20 for 118 yards and no interceptions against Georgia Southern • Went 20-for-36 for 135 yards and two interceptions against Virginia • Was 11-for-26 for 137 yards and a 40-yard touchdown at Georgia Tech • Went 19-for-24 for 227 yards and two scores against East Carolina • The 79.2 completion percentage marked a career best • Threw TD passes of 16 yards (to Erik Highsmith) and 59 yards (to Jheranie Boyd) against the Pirates • Became just the fifth Tar Heel to pass for 4,000 career yards with 233 yards at Connecticut • Was 23-for-32 with a touchdown and two interceptions against the Huskies • The 233 yards marked his most passing yards since the 2007 Georgia Tech game • Engineered two lengthy fourth-quarter scoring drives to tie the game in the fourth quarter • Went 9-for-20 for 114 yards with two touchdowns versus The Citadel • Tossed TD passes of 18 yards (to Johnny White) and 21 yards (to Greg Little) against the Bulldogs.

2008: Played in seven games and started six • Suffered a non-displaced fracture to his left ankle against Virginia Tech and missed the next five games • Returned to the starting line-up against NC State and started the final regular season game at Duke and the bowl game vs. West Virginia • Passed for 1,168 yards and 11 touchdowns to just four interceptions on the season • Completed 60 percent (81-135) of his passes • In just 19 career games, ranks sixth in career passing yards (3,823) and tied for seventh in career touchdown passes (25) at Carolina • Was leading the ACC and 12th nationally in passing efficiency through three games • Completed 15 of 25 attempts for 211 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against West Virginia in the Meineke Car Care Bowl • Both touchdowns (73 yards and 25 yards) were to Hakeem Nicks • Matched a career-best with three touchdowns on 15-for-19 passing in the win at Duke • Threw for 190 yards in the victory over the Blue Devils • Touchdowns went to Shaun Draughn, Hakeem Nicks and Richard Quinn • Went 10-for-22 for 116 yards and an interception against NC State • Saw first action since Sept. 20 on the final series of the win over No. 20 Georgia Tech • Completed one of three passes for 28 yards against the Yellow Jackets • Hooked up with Hakeem Nicks on a 28-yard completion to give Nicks the UNC career receiving yardage mark • Before leaving with an ankle injury, was 11-for-18 with 181 yards and a TD against Virginia Tech • Went 14-for-22 for 221 yards and three scores at Rutgers • Long play against the Scarlet Knights was a 69-yard TD pass to Brandon Tate • Was 10-for13 over the final three quarters at Rutgers • Passed for 221 yards on 15-for-26 passing against McNeese State • Had a pair of TD passes and one interception against the Cowboys • Long play in the opener was a 71-yarder to Hakeem Nicks.

2007: Passed for a UNC single-season record 2,655 yards and 14 touchdowns • Completed 218 of 365 passes for a 59.7 completion percentage • Finished third in the ACC with 221.2 passing yards per game and eighth with a 123.62 efficiency rating • Ranks fourth all-time among ACC rookie quarterbacks in passing yardage • Also rushed for two scores • Surpassed Darian Durant to set UNC freshman records for completions and passing yards against Wake Forest • Ranked second among UNC rookies behind Darian Durant with 14 TDs passing • Set UNC freshman records for passing yards, completions and attempts • Has two of the top-10 passing yardage games in school history (ECU, UVA) • Joins Durant and Chris Keldorf as the only Tar Heel quarterbacks with two of the top 10 yardage games in school history • Three-game totals of 901 passing yards and nine touchdowns were tops in UNC history • Went 11 for 24 for 75 yards and a touchdown (9 yards to Brandon Tate) in the win over Duke • Passed for 283 yards and went 21 for 35 with a touchdown (14 yards to Hakeem Nicks) and no interceptions at Georgia Tech • Went 22 for 42 for 241 yards and two interceptions at NC State • Threw for 149 yards and a touchdown (30 yards to Hakeem Nicks) in the win over Maryland • Completed 26 of 33 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown at Wake Forest • TD came on an 11-yard pass to Bobby Rome • Passed for 285 yards on a 22 of 42 effort against South Carolina • Threw for one score (18 yards to Greg Little) and ran for another (3-yard keeper) against the Gamecocks • Went 15 for 23 for 208 yards and no interceptions in the win over Miami • Also scored his first career rushing TD on a 1-yard keeper • Threw for 182 yards on 16 of 25 passing at Virginia Tech • Was 11 for 27 for a career-low 85 yards with a career-high four interceptions at USF • Went 25 for 38 for 339 yards and three scores against Virginia en route to ACC Rookie of the Week honors • The 339 yards marked the ninth-best single-game total in school history • Threw TDs of 2 (Quinn), 4 (Nicks) and 53 yards (Nicks) against the Cavaliers • Threw for a career-high 344 yards versus East Carolina, completing 20 of 32 passes with three touchdowns • Ranked as the first 300-yard passing game for a Tar Heel since Matt Baker had 335 yards against Maryland in 2005 • The 344 passing yards is the seventh-highest single-game total in school history and the second-highest by a freshman (behind Darian Durant's 361 vs. Wake Forest in 2001) • Threw TDs of 37 (Nicks), 39 (Tate) and 51 yards (Tate) against the Pirates • Completed 13 of 18 (.722) for 218 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, in Carolina's 37-14 victory over James Madison • Tossed a 65-yard touchdown pass on the first pass of his college career to Brooks Foster • Also threw touchdown passes of 28 yards (Tate) and eight (Foster) yards • Honored as ACC Rookie of the Week for his showing against the Dukes.

Pope High School
Completed 160 of 289 passes (57 percent) for 2,305 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior, his only year on the football team • Also rushed for 292 yards and seven scores • Also punted 34 times for 1,237 yards (36.8 avg.) with a long of 68 • Named first-team all-region and the Cobb County Touchdown Club Offensive Player of the Year • Earned Atlanta Metro First-Team All-Area honors • Ranked the No. 60 player in Georgia by SuperPrep • Coached by Bob Swank • Also played basketball and averaged 18 points, six rebounds and six assists at small forward.

Originally posted by SWAGG-ER:
He'll prob go undrafted but id def take a flier on this guy. Showed a lot of progress this year. He can make all the throws and thats the first place to start when developing a qb.

Originally posted by SF69ers:
I only watched two of his games this year and the word "inconsistent" did come to mind. I watched him tear up Virginia's defense for over 300 yards and 3 TDs, then the following week, look sloppy against Miami with 2 picks and 140 yards passing.

Although, I did like what I saw. He seems like he's got the tools to be better. Maybe in the 5th or 6th round if we don't think he'll go undrafted. We might end up drafting two QBs in this draft.

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Joining representatives from many other NFL teams, San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and college scouting director Joel Patten took in UNC's pro day on Thursday, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.

Though athletes like DT Marvin Austin, WR Greg Little, QB Tyler Yates -- who strangely, yet impressively, threw 112 passes during the session -- and LBs Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter might be in consideration for the Niners and other teams in Round 2 and after, the most-heralded prospect on display Thursday was DE/OLB Robert Quinn.

Quinn, who sat out the 2010 season due to NCAA rules violations, may still be on the board when the Niners pick at No. 7 overall, and could be a nice option to fill their need as a pass-rushing OLB in their 3-4 system, dropping in to rush DE in nickel situations. Coincidentally, he's in the No. 7 spot on ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr's latest Big Board:

- Tim Kavanagh