Tag: Cedric Gray

Cedric Gray named to Butkus Award watch list

UNC football linebacker Cedric Gray was named to the Butkus Award watch list ahead of the 2023 season.

North Carolina linebacker Cedric Gray is among the top players returning for the Tar Heels after he had a breakout year in 2022. Gray has developed as a leader for the Tar Heels’ defense, being arguably their best player.

And now ahead of 2023, Gray is receiving some more recognition nationally.

On Thursday, Gray was one of 51 players named to the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award. The award is given out annually to the nation’s top linebacker.

Gray finished the 2022 season with 145 total tackles, a sack, 12 tackles for loss, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and six pass breakups. His play earned him first-team All-ACC honors, one of two Tar Heels to earn that.

This list of 51 players will be trimmed down to semifinalists in October and then finalists in November. The winner will be announced on December 6th.

The award is named after the legendary Dick Butkus who played college football at Illinois and then had a Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Bears.

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Social media chooses what jersey combo Tar Heels should wear in football opener

Tar Heel fans took to social media on Monday afternoon to choose which jersey combo the football team should wear in its season-opener.

Outside of their on-field offensive success and worldwide following, there’s one thing UNC athletic teams are known for ā€“ fresh jerseys.

Whether it’s because of their deal with Nike (thank you, Michael Jordan), the fact that Alexander Julian utilizes that trademark argyle design on basketball uniforms, or the endless combination of blue in several color schemes, it’s tough not to watch the Heels play and say “wow, I wish I could wear a jersey like that.”

The talk of Chapel Hill right now is football. Carolina brings back the country’s best quarterback in Drake Maye, who is a Heisman Trophy contender and projected top overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft, one of the country’s most talented linebackers in Cedric Gray, a running back room full of returners and, of course, head coach Mack Brown.

UNC bolted off to a 9-1 start last year, then a loss to Georgia Tech spurred a streak of four straight. Carolina went from College Football Playoff hopeful to just a bowl game participant, in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

The Heels have a golden chance this year to show the college football world they are back and better than ever. They’ll kick off 2023 on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Bank of America Stadium against neighboring rival South Carolina, who’s had the real Carolina’s number in recent years (38-21 South Carolina win in 2021 Duke’s Mayo Bowl).

One burning question before that matchup: which jerseys should the Heels don? An all-blue combo, blue-top and white-bottom, white-top and blue-bottom, or all-white?

Let’s take to social media and see which come UNC fans voted on:

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Tar Heels football hoping for a stronger finish in 2023

UNC football head coach Mack Brown and star linebacker Cedric Gray are confident defense will lead the Heels to a better finish this year.

The University of North Carolina football team looked like it was going to be the team to finally take down Clemson last year, as it started 9-1 with a slew of impressive wins.

Drake Maye was playing like the best quarterback in the country, putting himself in the Heisman Trophy conversation. Josh Downs and Antoine Green looked like the best wide receiver duo in college football. The defense, though it wasn’t great, played well enough to help Carolina close out games.

A gut-wrenching loss to Georgia Tech changed everything. UNC lost four consecutive matchups, including 28-27 Holiday Bowl thriller to Oregon.

Despite the disappointing end to 2022, head coach Mack Brown is confident about his Heels heading into the Fall. Last week, Brown spoke with Chapelboro’s Michael Koh about the 2023 outlook.

“I think weā€™re gonna be good on defense,ā€ Brown told Koh. ā€œ[Defensive coordinator Gene] Chizikā€™s got another year under his belt, the staff will be good together and I feel like weā€™ll be good. Weā€™ll get tested early. Weā€™ve got a really tough schedule to start the season (South Carolina, App State, Minnesota). So itā€™ll be a great four games to start out, to see if weā€™ve improved like we think we have on defense.ā€

The article highlights Cedric Gray as a key to the Heels’ success. Gray led the ACC and finished third in the FBS with 144 tackles.

Defense is UNC’s greatest weakness, with the Heels allowing the sixth-most yards (5,697) to opponents in 2022. Gray thinks that will be a massive area of improvement:

“It definitely leaves a bad taste in my mouth when people talk about our team and how bad of a defense weā€™ve been at times,ā€ Gray said. ā€œEspecially being the leader of the defense, I take that personally. I think now that weā€™ve got a year under our belt with Coach Chizik and this new defense, I think youā€™re gonna see a defense thatā€™s a lot more comfortable and confident in what weā€™re doing.ā€

Carolina and its defense will be tasked with slowing Spencer Rattler, the number one quarterback recruit in the 2019 class, during Week 1 against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Bank of America Stadium.

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Cedric Gray named to preseason watch list for Bronko Nagurski Trophy

North Carolina linebacker Cedric Gray was named to the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

North Carolina linebacker [autotag]Cedric Gray[/autotag] has been placed on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

The decision came Tuesday, announced by the Football Writers Association of America. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is presented to who the committee deems as the best defensive player in the NCAA.

No player from UNC has ever won the reward, with Bradley Chubb being the last player from the ACC to receive the honor when he won in 2017 with NC State.

Last year, Gray was a bright spot on the lackluster defense, leading the team in tackles with 145. Gray also had a nose for turnovers last season, leading UNC in forced fumbles (3) and finishing second in interceptions (2).

This season, North Carolina will be fun, with notable players, such as Gray, Drake Maye, and Drew Little, already claiming watch lists.

The finalists of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be announced on Nov. 15th, with the winner being crowned on Dec. 4th.

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Two Tar Heels make College Sports Wire’s All-ACC team for 2023

UNC football players Drake Maye and Cedric Gray have earned preseason All-ACC honors by College Sports Wire.

It’s finally August and that means college football returns this month with Week 0.

While North Carolina doesn’t play until the first weekend of September, the buzz is back in the air for what we hope is an exciting year. To get ready for the upcoming season, our friends at College Sports Wire put together their All-ACC team for the 2023 season.

And two Tar Heels were named to the first team ā€” Drake Maye and Cedric Gray.

Maye landed as the first-team quarterback, beating out Florida State’s Jordan Travis. Gray was one of three linebackers to earn the honors by Patrick Conn.

Here is what he said about Maye:

Maye is among the Heisman candidates for the upcoming season and is viewed as a top-two caliber NFL draft selection. The team lost the offensive coordinator and top receiver this past offseason but the North Carolina native has more than enough juice to repeat as the top quarterback in the ACC.

In addition to Maye and Gray making the first team, a few other UNC players were named to the second team.

Tight end Bryson Nesbit earned second-team honors behind Syracuse’s Oronde Gadsden II. Linebacker Power Echols also earned second-team honors as well.

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Three Tar Heels among 247Sports’ top 20 football players heading into 2023 season

UNC football players Drake Maye, Cedric Gray and Devontez Walker were all ranked on 247Sports’ Top 20 list ahead of the 2023 campaign.

The University of North Carolina’s football team is expected to take a major leap this year ā€“ and it has all the signs pointing towards that.

The Heels return Drake Maye, arguably the best quarterback in the country, their top two tight ends in Bryson Nesbit and Kamari Morales, plus a transfer who will certainly boost the wide receiving corps. Linebacker Cedric Gray, who anchored one of 2022’s most underperforming units in all of college football, is gaining some NFL Draft hype ahead of his senior campaign. After a year with uncertainty at running back, Carolina brings back its three leading rushers from a season ago.

Just over a month removed from its Sept. 2 season-opener against neighboring rival University of South Carolina, UNC has three players amongst 247Sports’ top 20 ACC players.

Gray slots in at 16. The Charlotte native led Power Five schools and was third in the entire FBS with 144 tackles (82 solo), including a 14-tackle, 1-interception performance in the record-setting, back-and-forth victory over App State.

Here’s what 247Sports’ Chris Hummer had to say about Gray:

“Gray does everything well. Heā€™s a sure tackler, an above-average in coverage for an off-ball linebacker and obviously does well in the box. The former four-star recruit is one of the most balanced and effective defenders in the country.”

Kent State transfer Devontez Walker landed at 11 on Hummer’s list. He’s a guy Carolina fans haven’t seen play in baby blue yet, but has all the signs of being the perfect Josh Downs replacement. Walker nearly eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark last season for the Golden Flashes, catching 58 passes for 921 yards and 11 touchdown.

Here’s what Hummer had to say about Walker:

“Walker is a proven deep threat (29th nationally in catches of 30-plus yards), but also showed a lot of shiftiness in the open field with 12 forced missed tackles on the year. Now that heā€™s set to play with Drake Maye in a pass-heavy offense, his numbers could explode.”

Maye is, without question, the top player on Hummer’s list. The Huntersville (N.C.) native finished fourth in the FBS with 4,321 passing yards last year, led the Tar Heels with 937 rushing yards and played his way into Heisman Trophy contention. Carolina bolted out to a 9-1 start under Maye before losing its final four games, which included its first ACC championship game appearance since 2015. Maye showed he’s a player with poise in the pocket, who can scramble away from pressure and throw on the run, or evade defenders and break away for a long run.

Here’s what Hummer had to say about Maye:

“Itā€™ll be interesting to see how Maye performs in a more pro-style system in 2023 with Chip Lindsey in as offensive coordinator. Either way, Maye seems like a borderline lock to be drafted in the top 10 next spring.”

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Mack Brown, UNC football players to speak Thursday at ACC Football Kickoff

Here is when the UNC football program will meet the media in Charlotte for the ACC Kickoff event.

We are one week closer to the start of the 2023 college football season and the Atlantic Coast Conference will descend on Charlotte for the annual kickoff event this week.

Every team will send a head coach and three players to the event to meet the media and make the rounds as they preview the upcoming season. The event will be split up into three days with four teams on Tuesday, five on Wednesday and five on Thursday.

For North Carolina, Mack Brown will meet the media on Thursday as will quarterback Drake Maye, linebacker Cedric Gray and tight end John Copenhaver. This gives us another chance to hear from the program this Summer as they prep for what we hope is a very successful season in Chapel Hill.

The event will wrap up on Thursday and we will likely get the All-ACC preseason teams as well as record predictions from the media during the event.

To see the full schedule of media availability for every ACC team, check out the list via CBS Sports.

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Cedric Gray deserves more NFL draft hype

UNC linebacker Cedric Gray, the best defensive player on one of college football’s worst units, is an underrated 2024 NFL draft prospect.

NFL teams have used a lot of their early selections in the past two drafts on star defensive players ā€“ the first five picks of the 2022 draft (Travon Walker, Aidan Hutchinson, Derek Stingley Jr., Sauce Gardner and Kayvon Thibodeaux) all play on defense, while top-10 2023 draft selections Will Anderson Jr., Devon Witherspoon, Tyree Wilson and Jalen Carter also play defense.

This year, there’s also a lot of talented defensive players in college football who could hear their name called in the 2024 NFL draft. Florida State’s Jared Verse is among the top defensive ends, while Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is among the best linebackers.

Another defensive player that NFL scouts should be taking a look at is linebacker Cedric Gray, undoubtedly the best player on UNC’s defensive in 2022. Gray led the Tar Heels and finished third nationally with 144 tackles (12 for loss) in 2022.

On3 Sports senior national college football writer Matt Zenitz has Gray as one of his 10 under-the-radar defensive players deserving more NFL draft hype.

Carolina’s defensive unit, as a whole, was one of the worst in college football last year. Opponents racked up 5,697 yards (sixth-most) and score a lot of points against UNC ā€“ teams reached the 28-point mark in all but five games against the Heels.

With a mainstay like Gray in the middle, though, could Carolina’s defense become a reliable unit? It’ll take a lot more than one player, but it’s nice to know there’s a “closer” to count on.

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Tar Heel linebacker Gray named to PFF’s Preseason All-ACC Defensive Team

Cedric Gray, the UNC football team’s leading tackler from a year ago, earned a spot on Pro Football Focus’ Preseason All-ACC Defensive Team.

It’s no secret that defense is not a bright spot for the University of North Carolina football team.

Opponents tended to have field days against the Tar Heel defense last season, racking up 5,697 yards (6th-worst total allowed in the FBS). UNC allowed 28 points in all but five of its games (Florida A&M, Virginia Tech, Miami (FL), Pitt and Georgia Tech)). What seemed like easy tackles for Carolina turned into long runs and touchdowns.

There was a constant for the 2022 defense who returns for his senior season ā€“ linebacker Cedric Gray, who will be a focal point the Heels continue relying on in hopes of closing out close games.

As a reward for his solid junior campaign, Gray was named to Pro Football Focus’ Preseason All-ACC Defensive Team.

Gray finds himself as the lone Tar Heel on PFF’s Preseason All-ACC Team with a duo of Seminoles, Tigers and Blue Devils, plus a quadruplet of Hurricanes. Florida State is expected to contend for the ACC crown with UNC and usual winner Clemson, while Miami hopes to creep its way into ACC Championship contention as well.

Gray made his living last year as a physical, strong tackler. He compiled 144 tackles, third-most in the entire FBS, 82 of which were solo tackles. Gray reached the 10-tackle mark in six of his 14 starts.

The linebacking corps should be one of the Tar Heels’ most talented groups, as Gray is joined by Power Echols, Gio Biggers and DeAndre Boykins (combined 239 tackles, 11 pass breakups, four sacks, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble).

Carolina’s secondary and defensive line have plenty of talent, but are question marks ahead of the season. If UNC wants to stop opponents from racking up yards at will, they should lean on Gray and the rest of its linebackers.

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Gray and Maye among ACC’s top players heading into upcoming season

UNC football stars Cedric Gray (11) and Drake Maye (1) made their way into the top College Football News’ Preseason Top 30 ACC players list.

When you have arguably the top quarterback and one of the best linebackers in college football, chances are you’re going to be pretty good.

In this case, that top quarterback is Drake Maye and that talented linebacker is Cedric Gray, both key parts of the UNC football squad.

Because of their on-field success in 2022, Maye and Grey were named to College Football News’ Top 30 ACC Players list.

Maye is CFN’s top-ranked player, while Gray is the second-ranked linebacker at 11th.

Maye came into last season as Sam Howell’s replacement and ended it as one of the best players in college football. He and his Tar Heel teammates bolted off to a 9-1 start, including wins over in-state rivals App State, Wake Forest and Duke. Maye’s 4,321 passing yards were fourth in the FBS, while his 937 rushing yards led the Heels.

The stats are impressive, but Maye goes far beyond the numbers. He’s a type of player who can sit pretty in the pocket and pick apart a defense with his accurate, rocket arm, scramble and find a receiver on the run or, if the play breaks down, can escape pressure and sprint pass the secondary for a long touchdown.

Among the likes of USC’s Caleb Williams, Oregon’s Bo Nix, Texas’ Quinn Ewers and Florida State’s Jordan Travis, Maye is one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy this season.

Cedric Gray was one of the anchors of an otherwise-unreliable UNC defense last year, one which allowed the sixth-most yards (5,697) among FBS schools.

Gray, named UNC’s defensive MVP according to his player bio, finished third in the country last season with 144 tackles. He won ACC Linebacker of the Week for his 14-tackle performance in the win against Georgia State, a game-high 13 tackles in the loss against Notre Dame, plus a career-high 16 tackles in the close, 31-28 victory over Virginia. In the postseason against Clemson and Oregon, Gray totaled 15 tackles (three for loss).

Though he’s known for his ability to find the opposing ballcarrier, Gray can drop back to help the defense in coverage. Gray forced three fumbles and deflected eight passes in 2022.

If Maye and Gray play to the best of their abilities, Carolina could be a very dangerous team in the Fall.

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