CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --- North Carolina redshirt freshman quarterback Cade Fortin will enter the NCAA transfer portal, according to multiple sources. Fortin's decision comes after UNC head coach Mack Brown named true freshman Sam Howell the Tar Heels' first-team quarterback on Sunday.

Last week, UNC offensive coordinator Phil Longo told reporters that Fortin was the "best pure passer" of a three-man quarterback race that also includes redshirt freshman Jace Ruder. Brown added on Sunday that Fortin had a "little bit of a sore arm" in preseason camp, which played a role in the decision. A starter for the season opener against South Carolina on Aug. 31 has not been announced.

“I’m really focused on competing and being the best I can be every single day," Fortin said last week when asked his opinion of a potential transfer after a starting quarterback had been announced. "I’m just taking it one day at a time and really not worrying about what’s going to come next week, next month, throughout the season. I’m really taking it one day at a time and focusing on this practice and this game and all of that. I’m not worrying about what’s going to happen, the question marks on the season. Just focus on what I can control.”

Brown indicated multiple times in the offseason that once a starting quarterback was named there was a good chance one of three quarterbacks vying for the job would transfer.

"The negative is they’re all the same age — either freshmen or redshirt freshmen," Brown said about UNC's quarterbacks in an interview with 247Sports. "We know modern-day with the transfer portal, not everybody’s going to stay, so we’re going to wait until the fall and let the guys compete in the preseason. The guy that wins the job is the guy that gets us in the end zone the most."

Fortin signed with North Carolina as the No. 29 pro-style quarterback in the 2018 class and the No. 675 overall prospect. Fortin picked the Tar Heels after de-committing from Texas A&M.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Suwanee, Ga., native played in four games in 2018 before redshirting. Fortin got his first start against Virginia Tech and threw for 97 yards on 10-of-18 passing to go along with 44 yards rushing before injuring his leg in the 22-19 loss. He returned late in the year and started the season finale against N.C. State, throwing for 276 yards and a touchdown in the Tar Heels's 34-28 overtime loss in Chapel Hill.

Fortin also appeared in UNC's losses to East Carolina and Duke in 2018.

Fortin's decision to transfer from North Carolina leaves the Tar Heels with only two scholarship quarterbacks for the 2019 season. Ruder is now the second-team quarterback behind Howell. UNC has two true freshman walk-ons in Donovan Brewington and Vincent Amendola.

North Carolina has a verbal commitment in the 2020 class from 247Sports Composite four-star quarterback Jacolby Criswell out of Morrilton, AR. Criswell is ranked as the No. 9 dual-threat quarterback and No. 300 overall player in the class.