WRAL Sports Fan

North Carolina

3rd pick in MLB draft to report for UNC football

Aug 7, 2009

Tar Heels head coach Butch Davis said on Friday that multi-sport star Donovan Tate, an incoming freshman from Georgia, is scheduled to report to UNC on Saturday.

Tate, a 6-foot-3 quarterback from Georgia, is also a star baseball player. He was the third overall pick in the 2009 MLB draft.

Davis said he understands Tate has until Aug 17 to sign with the San Diego Padres, or he would go back into the draft.

Davis said he has had conversations with Tate, and with Tate's mother and while Tate "is in love with Carolina," he hasn't decided if he will take San Diego's offer or enroll at UNC.

Still, whether Tate ever plays at UNC is uncertain. Will Lingo, editor of Durham-based Baseball America, said Tate is likely to sign and play baseball.

"I think we would still expect him to sign at this point," Lingo said. "It's unlikely the Padres would have taken him at No. 3 unless they knew what it would take to sign him and intended to get there. It may not be $6 million, but it will be a big number."

And even UNC cornerback Kendric Burney said he has been in contact with Tate but does not expect Tate to turn down professional baseball and come to UNC.