(Photo Credit: Inside Carolina)
Key Players Returning:
WR Kobe Paysour, OC Austin Blaske, OG Aidan Banfield, OT Trevyon Green, LB Amare Campbell, CB Marcus Allen, NB Kaleb Cost, KR Chris Culliver, and PT Tom Maginness.
Key Players Departing:
QB Jacolby Criswell, RB Omarion Hampton, WR JJ Jones, WR/KR Nate McCollum, TE John Copenhaver, OG Willie Lampkin, OT Howard Sampson, DE Beau Atkinson, DE Desmond Evans, DE Kaimon Rucker, DT Jahvaree Ritzie, NT Kevin Hester Jr., LB Power Echols, CB/PR Alijah Huzzie, NB DeAndre Boykins, FS Antavious Lane, SS Jakeen Harris, and PK Noah Burnette.
Top 10 Recruits:
4 Star Recruits: QB Bryce Baker (Kernersville, North Carolina), OT Daniel King (Troy transfer), CB Thaddeus Dixon (Washington transfer), DE Pryce Yates (Connecticut transfer), LB Khmori House (Washington transfer), DT D’Antre Robinson (Florida transfer), LB Mikai Gbayor (Missouri transfer), EDGE Smith Vilbert (Penn State transfer), EDGE Chinedu Onyeagoro (Los Angeles, California), and QB Au’tori Newkirk (Norfolk, Virginia).
2024 Results:
G01 @ Minnesota W 19-17
G02 CHARLOTTE W 38-20
G03 NC CENTRAL W 45-10
G04 JAMES MADISON L 50-70
G05 @ Duke L 20-21
G06 PITTSBURGH L 24-34
G07 GEORGIA TECH L 34-41
G08 @ Virginia W 41-14
G09 @ Florida State W 35-11
G10 WAKE FOREST W 31-24
G11 @ BOSTON COLLEGE L 21-41
G12 NC STATE L 30-35
BOWL vs. Connecticut L 14-27
Misc. Team Information:
2024 Record: 6-7 (12th in ACC)
Home: 3-3
Away: 3-3
Neutral: 0-1
ACC: 3-5
Non-AAC: 3-2
Head Coach: Bill Belichick
North Carolina: 0-0
Bowls: 0-0
Career: 0-0
(Photo Credit: Inside Carolina)
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: None
Rushing: Davion Gause (71 car., 326 yards, 4.9 avg., 4 TD)
Receiving: Kobe Paysour (21 rec., 365 yards, 17.4 avg., 0 TD)
TDs Scored: Davion Gause (5)
Sacks: Amare Campbell (6.5)
Tackles: Amare Campbell (76)
Tackles For Loss: Amare Campbell (11)
Interceptions: Marcus Allen/Kaleb Cost (2)
Pass Deflections: Marcus Allen/Kaleb Cost (4)
Forced Fumbles: Amare Campbell/Will Hardy (1)
Kick Returns: Chris Culliver (5 ret., 242 yards, 48.4avg., 2 TD)
Punt Returns: None
Kicking: Liam Boyd 1-1 fg/fga., 100%, 7-7 xp-xpa., 10 pts.).
Punting: Tom Maginness (45 punt, 1867 yards, 41.5 avg., 10 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters
QB: 00 Gio Lopez (RS SO/TR)
RB: 21 Davion Gause (SO)
WR: 1 Jordan Shipp (SO)
WR: 8 Kobe Paysour (RS SR)
WR: 00 Aziah Johnson (RS SO/TR)
TE: 19 Jake Johnson (RS JR/TR)
LT: 78 Trevyon Green (RS JR)
LG: 68 Aidan Banfield (SO)
OC: 58 Austin Blaske (GR/TR)
RG: 00 Daniel King (SR/TR)
RT: 00 William Boone (SR/TR)
KR: 3 Chris Culliver (JR)
PK: 00 Rece Verhoff (SR/TR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 00 Smith Vilbert (RS SR/TR)
NT: 00 CJ Mims (RS JR/TR)
DT: 92 Rodney Lora (RS SO)
DE: 00 Pryce Yates (RS SR/TR)
LB: 24 Amare Campbell (JR)
LB: 00 Khmori House (SO/TR)
NB: 21 Kaleb Cost (JR)
CB: 29 Marcus Allen (SR)
CB: 00 Thaddeus Dixon (SR/TR)
FS: 31 Will Hardy (SR)
SS: 00 Gavin Gibson (SR/TR)
PR: 31 Will Hardy (SR)
PT: 96 Tom Maginness (SR/TR)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: B
Running Backs: C
Wide Receivers: C
Offensive Line: A
Defense
Defensive Line: C
Linebackers: B
Secondary: B
Special Teams
Kick Returners: A
Punt Returners: C
Kickers: B
Punters: C
Schedule:
09/01 TCU HORNED FROGS | North Carolina leads the series 3-0. The Tar Heels won (31-10) the last meeting in 1997, and they won (27-17) the inaugural meeting in 1994.
09/06 @ Charlotte 49ers | Last season’s 38-0 win was the first meeting between schools.
09/13 RICHMOND SPIDERS | North Carolina leads the series 3-1. The Tar Heels lost (18-27) the last meeting in 1978, and they won (31-0) the prior meeting in 1977.
09/20 @ UCF Knights | First meeting.
10/04 #7 CLEMSON TIGERS | North Carolina trails the series 19-40-1. The Tar Heels are 0-4 since 2015, and their last series win (21-16) was in 2010.
10/17 @ California Golden Bears | North Carolina trails the series 0-2. The Tar Heels lost (17-24) the last meeting in 2018, and they lost (30-35) the inaugural meeting in 2017.
10/25 VIRGINIA CAVALIERS | North Carolina leads the series 67-59-4. The Tar Heels are 5-5 since 2015, and their last series loss (27-31) was in 2023.
10/31 @ Syracuse Orange | North Carolina leads the series 4-3. The Tar Heels won (40-7) the last meeting in 2023, and their last series loss (37-40) was in 2018.
11/08 STANFORD CARDINAL | North Carolina trails the series 1-2. The Tar Heels lost (23-25) the last meeting in 2016, and their only series win was at the inaugural meeting in 1997.
11/15 @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons | North Carolina leads the series 73-36-2. The Tar Heels are 5-1 since 2015, and their last series loss (18-24) was in 2019.
11/22 DUKE BLUE DEVILS | North Carolina leads the series 64-42-4. The Tar Heels are 6-4 since 2015, and their last series win (47-45) was in 2023.
11/29 @ NC State Wolfpack | North Carolina leads the series 68-40-6. The Tar Heels are 3-7 since 2015, and their last series win (48-21) was in 2020.
Predictions:
Home: 5-1
Road: 4-2
Neutral: 0-0
ACC: 6-2
Non-ACC: 3-1
Overall: 9-3 (4th in ACC – Bowl Eligible)
gridironpredictions.net 