Greg Schiano continues to do big things for Rutgers via the NCAA transfer portal.

This week, the Scarlet Knights have added a veteran defensive back to their secondary, landing a commitment from former North Carolina starter Patrice Rene. He comes to Piscataway after spending five seasons with the Tar Heels and will have one year of eligibility remaining, thanks to the NCAA’s blanket waiver for all fall student-athletes in 2020.

Rene will have one year of eligibility to use in Piscataway.

During his time at North Carolina, Rene appeared in 44 career games and made 26 starts. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound defensive back totaled 103 tackles, 12 pass break-ups 2 interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

As a high school prospect, Rene was a 3-star member of the 2016 recruiting class. He was ranked as the No. 420 overall talent and the No. 41 cornerback in the class. He had initially committed to Rutgers but ultimately decided against it and headed to North Carolina.

Rene played in 9 games for the Tar Heels during the 2020 season. He is credited with 28 tackles, including two stops for loss. He also broke up 4 passes and forced a fumble.

Rutgers ended the 2020 season with a 3-6 record and was one of just two B1G programs to play all nine contests.