The UNC football program enters the 2022 season with a lot of question marks following a disappointing 2021 campaign. It’s safe to say that there are questions about the roster and even the talent in some areas.
But even with that, UNC does have some playmakers on this roster on both sides of the ball.
Ahead of the 2022 campaign, ESPN released their annual list of the Top 100 players in college football. This year, two Tar Heels made the list and for one player, it’s his first time on the list.
Wide receiver [autotag]Josh Downs[/autotag] checked in at No. 26 on the list after being unranked a year ago. Downs is coming off a record-setting 2021 campaign and is expected to be the lead man in UNC’s offense again this season:
For the bulk of the 2021 season, every defense the Tar Heels played knew where the ball was going. Downs was not just the No. 1 target, but often the only reliable pass catcher. And even with all that attention from defenders, he still caught 101 balls for 1,335 yards. While UNC will have a new QB for 2022, it also expects to have a better supporting cast for its star receiver, which could make Downs an even bigger weapon this year.
While Downs represented the offense, his teammate [autotag]Tony Grimes[/autotag] checked in at No. 72 overall, up 8 spots from last year’s ranking of No. 80.
Grimes is going into his third season after enrolling early at UNC as a five-star prospect:
Grimes was supposed to still be in high school when he first stepped onto the field for North Carolina in 2020. After reclassifying during the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down high school football in his home state of Virginia, Grimes quickly developed into one of the ACC’s most gifted corners as a true freshman. The 2021 season saw some regression — no TDs allowed in 2020, four in 2021 — but he still held opposing QBs to less than 50% completions while breaking up nine passes.
The duo are the only UNC players on the list this season as they had two last year as well.
UNC will kickoff their 2022 season on August 27th, as they host Florida A&M in Kenan Memorial Stadium.
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