Tag: Antavious Lane

UNC football players chosen for East-West Shrine Bowl watchlist

The UNC football team will be well-represented in January 2025’s East-West Shrine Bowl.

After months of anticipation build for the start of college football, the next season is over just like that.

Teams exceed their preseason rankings and end up playing for a championship, favorites fail to live up to the hype and new stars are born. Bowl season follows a regular-season full of surprises – in 2024, there’s more anticipation due to the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff.

With the departure of Drake Maye, Devontez Walker and Cedric Gray to the NFL, many North Carolina Tar Heel fans are wondering how the football season will pan out in Chapel Hill. There’s plenty of new – and returning – talent on both sides of the ball, highlighted by running back Omarion Hampton and linebacker Kaimon Rucker.

After UNC’s season ends, hopefully in a rare bowl victory, the East-West Shrine Bowl gives future NFL Draft hopefuls one last shot at collegiate gameplay – this time in front of NFL Executives. Recent stars from the Shrine Bowl include 2-time Super Bowl champion Isiah Pacheco and speedy wideout Zay Flowers.

Just over six months away from the 2025 Shrine Bowl, which will be played January 30 next year at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, 12 North Carolina football players were named to the Shrine Bowl 1000.

Desmond Evans, the Class of 2020’s second-ranked player overall, recorded 33 total tackles (18 solo), five tackles for loss and three sacks in 12 games played last year. Bryson Nesbit, expected to be a top tight end taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, led UNC tight ends with 585 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2023.

Rucker will lead the defense this coming season. He returns 61 tackles (34 solo), a team-high 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks from 2023. Power Echols, expected to be another defensive standout, returns 102 tackles (60 solo) and 5.5 tackles for loss.

Nate McCollum, expected to step into a larger starting role this year, caught 44 passes for 469 yards and a touchdown in 2023. Kevin Hester Jr., a starting defensive tackle, brings 30 tackles (12 solo) into the 2024 campaign.

J.J. Jones will likely be the Tar Heels’ top wideout. He led North Carolina with 711 receiving yards last season, plus he added three touchdown. Alijah Huzzie, who transferred in from East Tennessee State before 2023, led UNC with three interceptions last year.

Willie Lampkin is arguably the Tar Heels’ top offensive lineman, as he was named 2023 Third Team All-ACC and started all 11 games he appeared in last year. Antavious “Stick” Lane transferred into Chapel Hill ahead of the 2023 season, recording 62 tackles (33 solo) and three for loss, while NC State transfer Jakeen Harris brings 80 total tackles, eight deflected passes and three interceptions with him from Raleigh.

Last but not least, Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson will be competing for North Carolina’s starting quarterback job with Conner Harrell. He carries a ton of experience and talent with him – 5,853 passing yards, 47 touchdowns, 22 starts and four years of SEC football.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Helmet stickers for UNC’s letdown at NC State

While the Tar Heels disappointed us all again in last night’s football game at NC State, there were a few players who stood out.

There’s not much positive to say about UNC’s regular-season finale on Saturday night.

The Tar Heels lost to NC State, 39-20, scoring most of their points in garbage time. UNC star running back Omarion Hampton never got going, while quarterback Drake Maye was highly inefficient through the air.

Saturday was Carolina’s third straight loss to its greatest football rival, a now, one-sided series that becomes less of a rivalry with results like Saturday’s. I thought the Tar Heels would at least show up and make it competitive, but they sorely lacked that fight.

Give credit to the Wolfpack, who played one of their most complete games of 2023. In its fifth-straight win, dual-threat quarterback Brennan Armstrong threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns. Six different ball-carriers combined for 170 yards and another score.

Even in the disappointing result for Carolina, there were a couple players who shined.

Helmet stickers for UNC-Clemson football

UNC lost to Clemson on Saturday afternoon, a team it hasn’t beaten since 2010. There were a few Tar Heels who shined, though – who exactly?

UNC had to play arguably its toughest opponent of 2023 last night – it resulted in a 31-21 loss at Clemson.

The Tar Heels haven’t beaten the Tigers since 2010 overall, but also since 2001 in Clemson. For reference, that’s before the invention of smartphones and smart TVs.

If you take away the three UNC turnovers, including the two first-half, red zone fumbles, UNC enters halftime with a lead and, possibly, escapes Clemson with a win. Carolina quarterback Drake Maye didn’t play awful, but had his worst game of the season with just 209 passing yards, one touchdown and an interception. UNC’s ground game continued thriving, with star sophomore running back Omarion Hampton rushing for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

The Tar Heels’ ACC Championship Game chances were pretty much over before yesterday began, but they would’ve still been alive with a Miami win. UNC would’ve also had to beat Clemson, a team it seems to struggle with just as much as Georgia Tech.

Despite the loss, there were some positive takeaways. I know it might not seem like it after a loss, as we all want to focus on what went wrong, which I do a lot myself.

Carolina still has the opportunity to notch back-to-back 9-win seasons, something it hasn’t done since 1996-1997. The Tar Heels have to play rival N.C. State, an opponent it has struggled against as of late, on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. ET.