North Carolina Football Tries to Match the Success of Basketball and Baseball Teams

Almost every collegiate athletic program is geared to have the football team be the marquee squad. The athletic directors set their budgets based on the revenues generated by the success or failure on the gridiron. Fans plan major life events around anticipated kickoff times against long-time rivals. Increased applications tend to spike in the wake of football championships. For North Carolina football, no matter the level of success, they will always operate in the shadow of the iconic men’s basketball program. It is both a blessing and a curse. Failure is frequently overlooked. Winning is never adequately applauded.

This is the reality Head Coach Mack Brown has navigated in two stints leading the Tarheels. His task in winning over the hearts and minds of Carolina faithful was made more difficult with the 2023-2024 play of the baseball team and their appearance in the College World Series. But Brown is not a man who’s self-worth is defined only in wins and losses. He takes equal pride in teaching the game, and life lessons, to his charges. Even in his contentment, he is a competitor. Brown bristled at his team’s 4-4 ACC conference record, which tied the Tarheels for sixth. He certainly did not care for ending last season with an 8-5 overall record and a 30-10 loss to West Virginia in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The season did produce one noteworthy achievement, the selection of star QB Drake Maye 3rd overall by the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Maye was not the only key contributor to leave Chapel Hill after last season. The NFL drafted two other players, LB Cedric Grey was taken by the Tennessee Titans with pick #106 in the fourth round, and WR Tez Walker was drafted in the same round, seven picks later at #113 by the Baltimore Ravens. Five North Carolina players signed with NFL as priority undrafted free agents. The Las Vegas Raiders signed a pair of Tarheels, LB Amari Gainer and DT Tomari Fox. The Arizona Cardinals brought in DT Myles Murphy and the Houston Texans inked RB British Brooks. The final North Carolina signee was OL Spencer Rolland who joined the Minnesota Vikings.

Brown saw 14 former players leave via the transfer portal. For the most part they were players buried on the depth chart seeking a fresh start. Among the departed were two receiving targets who had moderate success. WR Tychaun Chapman produced seven receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown in 2023. He hopes to add to those numbers with Virginia. TE Kamari Morales is taking his 11 catches and 158 yards with him to Boston College. Designated kickoff specialist Ryan Coe averaged 64.0 yards on his kickoffs which resulted in eight touchbacks. He will now be used in that role with one of the ACC’s new members, the Cal Bears.

Recruiting is still the lifeblood of every football program. Brown has been at the recruiting game a long time and must deal with the obstacle of convincing young men to play football at a traditional basketball powerhouse. He most do that while recruiting against the nation’s most recognizable and popular programs. His hard work paid off with the nation’s 26th best class according to 247sports.com. Brown’s class was surpassed in the ACC by Miami, Clemson, and associate member Notre Dame. He netted the Tarheels six four-star recruits and 21 three-star recruits.

Recruiting classes rarely offer an immediate boost to the roster. In the short-term, holes need to be filled in the transfer portal. Brown and his staff were able to bring in 10 players into the fold. Several transfers have already slid into the top two spots on the depth chart. Graduate transfer and former highly rated quarterback Max Johnson, who arrived in Chapel Hill from Texas A&M by way of LSU, will battle fellow graduate transfer Jacolby Criswell, formerly of Arkansas, for the starter’s job. On defense, one time NC State S Jackson Harris is penciled in as the starter. After these three imports, the other seven are expected to provide needed depth and the ability to play meaningful minutes in the case of injury or ineffectiveness.

North Carolina does no longer possesses an elite talent like Maye on its roster. It does have multiple prospects that with a good year should reasonably be expected to be selected during the 2025 NFL Draft’s seven rounds. The best of the bunch is RB Omarion Hampton who is currently the 44th overall best prospect according to nflmockdraftdatabase.com. A pair of grunts, one on offense, one on defense, are the next to appear in the Mock Draft Database Top 200. DL Kaimon Rucker rates #114th overall, while OL Zach Rice is listed at #166th. The final Tarheel in the Top 200 heading into 2024 is TE Bryson Nesbit who is #172.

The following North Carolina players are on pre-season award watch lists:

DL Kaimon Rucker – Bednarik, Lombardi, Nagurski, Senior Bowl

LB Power Echols – Butkus, Senior Bowl

RB Omarion Hampton – Maxwell, Walker, Senior Bowl

TE John Copenhaver – Mackey

K Noah Burnette – Groza

TE Bryson Nesbit – Mackey, Senior Bowl

WR Kobe Paysor – Comeback Player of the Year

The following North Carolina players were named to the Senior Bowl watch list:

QB Max Johnson, DB Marcus Allen, WR JJ Jones, OL Willie Lampkin, LB Desmond Evans

Losing a record setting talent like Maye always presents a challenge in improving a team’s performance the next year. Brown is hoping that either Johnson or Criswell might finally realize their immense potential. Until he can determine which quarterback gives him the best chance to win, he will rely heavily on the talented legs of Hampton grinding out games behind his rebuilt, veteran laden, offensive line. Unlike the men’s basketball and baseball teams, there is little expectation of the Tarheels football team reaching the playoffs. That does not mean North Carolina should expect a dismal, disappointing season. A realistic goal would be for them to finish in the top half of the ACC standings and a berth in a bowl game.