Tag: Corey Gaynor

Tar Heels announce captains for primetime football clash vs. Miami

Corey Gaynor, Cedric Gray and D.J. Jones were named the UNC football squad’s captains ahead of its primetime ACC clash against Miami (FL).

There’s been anticipation building all week in Chapel Hill.

The UNC football program is ranked 12th in the entire country. Carolina hasn’t been that far up the AP Poll since 2021, when it had a 10 next to its name before the opener against Virginia Tech.

The ranking is exciting in itself, but the opponent taking on UNC at 7:30 p.m. tonight is equally as exciting. 25th-ranked Miami (FL), a team which the Tar Heels have four consecutive wins against, is looking to avenge a heartbreaking loss against Georgia Tech last week.

To sum it up, UNC beating a ranked team would go a long way towards winning an ACC crown and, possibly more.

As we prepare to kickoff in front of a national audience on ABC, let’s take a look at the Tar Heel team captains: starting center Corey Gaynor, starting linebacker Cedric Gray and running back-turned-defensive back D.J. Jones.

Gaynor is part of an offensive line doing a stellar job protecting Drake Maye, as opponents have sacked Maye just 13 times through five games.

There’s a lot of different players on this year’s defense who you could consider the “leader,” but the unit’s clear-cut, top dog is none other than Gray. He leads the Tar Heels with 42 tackles – half of which are solo, has a team-leading six quarterback hurries, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 of his team’s 11 sacks.

Jones has appeared in all five games for Carolina this year. He has four tackles and 0.5 for loss.

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UNC Football names captains for home opener

Corey Gaynor, Kaimon Rucker, Ben Kiernan and suspended wide receiver Devontez Walker are game captains for UNC’s home football opener.

There’s no feeling for a college football team that compares to its home opener.

The players spend all offseason thinking about this moment – running out of the tunnel to thousands of cheering fans. Teams build the anticipation by swaying back and forth in their tunnels, the PA announcer channels the hype music and – BOOM – here comes your favorite team.

We’re already three weeks into the college football season and it’s now UNC’s turn to host its home opener.

The Tar Heels take on Appalachian State at 5:15 p.m. today, within the friendly confines of Kenan Stadium. When these two in-state rivals matched up last year in Boone, a combined 124 points were scored, most in an FBS matchup since UCLA’s 67-63 triumph at Washington State in 2019.

Adding onto the excitement of their home opener, the Heels named their game captains: center Corey Gaynor, jack linebacker Kaimon Rucker, punter Ben Keirnan and an honorary captain, the young man who has been wronged countless times by the NCAA, Devontez Walker.

Rucker was an absolute stud last week, generating two of the Tar Heels’ nine sacks and a game-high 5.5 tackles for loss.

Gaynor helped pave holes for a UNC ground game that combined for 168 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Kiernan only punted twice, but racked up 85 yards on his punts for a 42.5 yard average.

There’s no doubt that Walker will be cheered for the loudest when Carolina takes the field this afternoon. Expect to hear several “Free Tez” chants break out and for UNC players to be sporting those words on warm-up gear. You can best bet that if the NCAA is mentioned over the loudspeakers, fans will join in a chorus of boos.

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Why are Corey Gaynor, Kobe Paysour and Gio Biggers so crucial to UNC football’s success?

UNC football players Corey Gaynor, Kobe Paysour and Gio Biggers are all team veterans. They’ll be counted on for success this year.

The UNC football team is entering its second week of Fall camp, putting it one week closer to its Saturday, Sept. 2 season-opener against the University of South Carolina in Bank of America Stadium.

Players show coaches why they are deserving of starting spots, while others might be fighting just to make the roster. We know a couple of offseason storylines already – Drake Maye is the best quarterback in the country and should be a Top-5 pick in next year’s NFL Draft, Bryson Nesbit and Kamari Morales return one of the country’s top tight end duos, Cedric Gray is one of the most talented linebackers in the game and there are sky-high expectations for the team.

Let’s take a look, though, at some under-the-radar guys who are going to be key parts of UNC this Fall.

Corey Gaynor, who will turn 25 next week, is playing in his seventh college football season because of past injuries and his COVID year. He’ll be entering his second campaign in Chapel Hill after spending his first five years at University of Miami (Fla.).

Gaynor started all 14 games at center last year, earning Honorable Mention All-ACC and team captain honors. He played 1,050 snaps and allowed just two sacks.

Gaynor told TarHeelIllustrated why he chooses to still play college football, even at his older age:

“A lot of people think different reasons why you play football and you come back when you’re as old as I am, (but) I want to pass on my knowledge and make sure that my teammates – my younger guys – are getting every resource possible out of me,” Gaynor said in an interview with TarHeelIllustrated’s Andrew Jones.

It’s almost a given that wide receiver Kobe Paysour will be leaned on heavily this year for offensive production, as the Heels lost Josh Downs and Antoine Green to the NFL Draft. Paysour started 4/12 games last season, tying for fourth on UNC in receptions (29) and finishing sixth in receiving yards (324), while adding four touchdowns.

Paysour will likely be Carolina’s number three wideout, as head coach Mack Brown brought in Kent State’s Devontez Walker (58 receptions, 921 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns) and Georgia Tech’s Nate McCollum (60 receptions, 655 receiving yards, three touchdowns) from the transfer portal.

Hear what Paysour had to say about competing for playing time with his new teammates:

“I seen it as a competitive thing, a competitive spirit,” Paysour told TarHeelIllustrated. “Just like any offensive coach, they’re going to try to get somebody that’s better than you. You feel me? They’re going to try to recruit somebody that’s better than you. So, I just see it as a competitive spirit. I’m always going hard every day.”

Giovanni “Gio” Biggers started all 14 games at defensive back for the Heels last year. He was one of the unit’s more productive players, registering 69 tackles (one for loss), two pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Biggers’ most productive game came in the 63-61 thriller over App State, as he recorded 10 tackles.

Biggers goes by Gio to everyone expect for his loved ones, who call him Giovanni.

“Miss Sally, my mom and my girlfriend call me Giovanni,” Biggers told TarHeelIllustrated.”

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UNC football lands 12 players on Phil Steele’s Preseason All-ACC List

The UNC football program has 12 players make Phil Steele’s Preseason All-ACC team in his magazine.

Mack Brown’s North Carolina football program is one of the more interesting teams going into this Atlantic Coast Conference season.

After starting 9-1 a year ago, they finished 9-5 and lost four-straight games including the ACC Championship and the Holiday Bowl. But with Drake Maye back for another year, expectations are high in Chapel Hill.

As we sit here in June, Phil Steele has finished putting together his annual preview for the upcoming season. The guide is one of the best that is available and breaks down each team across the country.

For North Carolina, they landed 12 players on Steele’s Preseason All-ACC team, headlined by Maye, linebacker Cedric Gray and punter Ben Kiernan as first-team selections.

Joining them on the list are :

  • LB [autotag]Power Echols[/autotag] (2nd team)
  • LS [autotag]Drew Little[/autotag] (2nd team)
  • WR [autotag]Nate McCollum[/autotag] (3rd team)
  • OL[autotag] Corey Gaynor[/autotag] (3rd team)
  • RB [autotag]Omarion Hampton[/autotag] (4th team)
  • WR [autotag]Devontez Walker[/autotag] (4th team)
  • DL [autotag]Myles Murphy[/autotag] (4th team)
  • DB [autotag]Alijah Huzzie[/autotag] (4th team)
  • K [autotag]Ryan Coe[/autotag] (4th team)

North Carolina had just seven players make the preseason team last year in Steele’s book.

The talent is certainly there for North Carolina to make a run but they have to find consistency. They will be tested early on with a season opener against South Carolina and then non-conference games against Minnesota and Appalachian State before opening up conference play.

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Tar Heels announce captains for Week 0 against Florida A&M

Mack Brown and the UNC football program named the three captains for the Week 0 game against Florida A&M on Saturday.

The UNC football program is still prepping for Week 0 as they host Florida A&M this Saturday in Kenan Memorial Stadium. But before the two teams kick off their season, the Tar Heels have set their captains for the game.

Mack Brown and the Tar Heels announced on Tuesday that they will have three captains for the game: Defensive back [autotag]Obi Egbuna[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Cedric Gray[/autotag] and offensive lineman [autotag]Corey Gaynor[/autotag].

Both Egbuna and Gray saw playing time last year for the Tar Heels while Gaynor joined the team as a transfer from Miami.

The Tar Heels will rotate captains for every game this season and it likely will be based on how the week of practice went for the team and who stood out for them.

Kickoff for Saturday’s game is set for 8:15 p.m. ET and will be broadcasted on the ACC Network.

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UNC’s transfer class ranks top-5 in ACC

The UNC football transfer class that Mack Brown put together ranks in the top-5 of the ACC entering the 2022 season.

It’s game week for the UNC football program and that means a lot of new faces will be seen in a Tar Heels’ uniform for the first time this season.

While some are returning players with little playing time experience, others are looking to be impact transfers from the power five level.

After losing some key pieces from last year, Mack Brown hit the transfer portal to secure commitments from players who would step in immediately and play a significant role.

According to Rivals writer Russ Wood, UNC’s transfer class is ranked in the top-5 of the ACC.

ACC opponents will be familiar with [autotag]Noah Taylor[/autotag](Virginia), who had 13 sacks as a three-year starter for the Cavaliers. He was third on the team in tackles (65) last season. UNC will used him at Jack, which should lead to Taylor making more game-changing plays. Defensive lineman J[autotag]acolbe Cowan[/autotag] (Ohio State) returns to his native North Carolina. He redshirted in 2020 as a true freshman. In 2021, Cowan saw action as a backup DE. [autotag]Corey Gaynor[/autotag] (Miami) and [autotag]Spencer Rolland[/autotag] (Harvard) provide experience and depth to the offensive line.

The Tar Heels brought in five players through the transfer portal, most notably Noah Taylor. But, all five are expected to have roles — in some capacity — this season.

UNC gets its season underway this Saturday, Aug. 27, at 7:15 pm against Florida A&M.

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