Tag: D.J. Jones

D.J. Jones enters the transfer portal

North Carolina defensive back D.J. Jones entered the transfer portal after changing from running back position a year prior.

As the North Carolina football program gets closer to playing against West Virginia in the Dukes Mayo Bowl game, their roster continues to get thinner.

According to Inside Carolina, UNC defensive back [autotag]D.J Jones[/autotag] will enter the transfer portal to look for a new playing home for the 2024-2025 season. Jones underwent a position change this offseason for more playing time.

Jones continues the trend of players leaving UNC. However, much like many others who’ve entered the portal, it was predicted. The transfer portal and NIL have created a new free agency-style system for college football, and UNC won’t be the only program taking a hit because of it.

In three seasons as UNC running back, Jones finished with 442 rushing yards and three touchdowns. This past season as a defensive back, Jones finished with 15 total tackles.

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

Tar Heels announce captains for noon football clash against Campbell

UNC announced its three captains for a 12 p.m. ET kickoff against Campbell, which gives the Tar Heels a golden chance to get win number 7.

You know what the best thing about sports is?

After each game – no matter a win or a loss, teams can press the reset button.

You can bet the UNC football program already pressed reset last weekend, the moment after its second-consecutive loss to Georgia Tech. Carolina went from 6-0 three weekends ago, on the outside looking into the College Football Playoff, to having its ACC Title hopes in serious danger.

The Tar Heels have a golden chance to get back in the win column today, as they host in-state FCS opponent Campbell University for a 12 p.m. ET kickoff. You can bet the Camels, who are 4-4 just like Georgia Tech, are looking to shock the college football world by pitching a rare, FCS-over-FBS upset.

Captaining UNC for its Military Appreciation Day game are star quarterback Drake Maye (offense), defensive standout Kaimon Rucker and running back-turned-defensive back D.J. Jones (special teams).

Even though Maye’s Heisman Trophy chances are pretty much shot, due to the Tar Heels losing back-to-back games against sub-.500, unranked opponents, Maye still has his team’s offense among one of the country’s best. Carolina’s 509.4 yards per game is third-highest in the FBS, while his 2,559 passing yards rank him seventh in the FBS.

Rucker is one of the rare bright spots on a struggling defensive unit that, earlier this season, we thought had finally turned a corner. He leads Carolina with 11 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hurries and 7.5 sacks. Even with UNC dropping its last two games, Rucker combined for 11 tackles, showing he was one of the few Tar Heels who could actually wrap up a ballcarrier.

Jones has appeared in all eight games, with his role primarily on special teams. He has five total tackles to his name, including a half-TFL.

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

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.

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

Broncos injuries: TE Greg Dulcich questionable for Thursday

Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich (hamstring) is questionable for Thursday’s game against the Chiefs.

Denver Broncos defensive lineman D.J. Jones (knee) has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Broncos outside linebackers Frank Clark (illness) and Baron Browning (knee) have also been ruled out.

Elsewhere on the injury report, Denver tight end Greg Dulcich (hamstring) is listed as questionable. Dulcich is still on injured reserve, but after releasing wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey on Wednesday, the Broncos now have an open spot for Dulcich on the 53-man roster.

In Kansas City, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (ankle) is listed as questionable on KC’s final injury report.

The Broncos’ complete Wednesday injury report can be seen below.

Player Tue Wed Game Status
DT D.J. Jones (knee) DNP DNP Out
OLB Baron Browning (knee) Limited DNP Out
C Lloyd Cushenberry (quad) Limited Full
DT Mike Purcell (ribs) Limited Full
DB Justin Simmons (hip) Limited Full
RB Javonte Williams (quad) Limited Full
TE Greg Dulcich (hamstring) Limited Full Questionable
OLB Frank Clark (illness) DNP DNP Out
ILB Justin Strnad (back) Limited Full

Thursday’s game will begin at 6:15 p.m. MT and will be available to stream on Prime Video. Denver will aim to snap a 15-game losing streak against Kansas City in Week 6.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

Broncos injuries: Greg Dulcich returns to practice

Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich (hamstring) returned to practice Tuesday and he’s eligible to return from injured reserve this week.

Denver Broncos defensive lineman D.J. Jones (knee) was held out of practice Tuesday, putting his status for Thursday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs in doubt.

The Broncos did not practice yesterday, but Jones was also listed as a did not participate on Monday’s estimated injury report.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Denver outside linebacker Barron Browning (knee) is practicing this week and he’s eligible to return from injured reserve. Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich (hamstring) is also eligible to return from IR and he returned to practice on Tuesday.

If the team activates Browning and Dulcich from IR, they will have to make corresponding moves to make room for them on the 53-man roster.

Meanwhile, Denver running back Javonte Williams (quad) missed Sunday’s game, but he’s practicing this week. That seems like a good sign for his chances of returning for Thursday’s game.

In Kansas City, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce practiced Tuesday after suffering an ankle injury on Sunday.

The Broncos’ complete Tuesday injury report can be seen below.

Player Tue Wed Game Status
DT D.J. Jones (knee) DNP
OLB Baron Browning (knee) Limited
C Lloyd Cushenberry (quad) Limited
DT Mike Purcell (ribs) Limited
DB Justin Simmons (hip) Limited
RB Javonte Williams (quad) Limited
TE Greg Dulcich (hamstring) Limited
OLB Frank Clark (illness) DNP

The Broncos will release their final injury report of the week with game statues on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s game in Kansas City.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

4 Browns trade targets if Broncos decide to blow it up

Could the Browns go shopping in the bargain bin of another team’s misery?

While his record as a drafter is still a bit up in the air, the general manager of the Cleveland Browns, Andrew Berry, has been the king of acquiring talent on the trade market for cheap. And as the Denver Broncos have started the season 0-3 with head coach Sean Payton potentially wanting his own guys, could Berry and the Browns look to bargain bin shop in the graveyard of another team’s misery? Could players like offensive tackle Garett Bolles and wide receiver (who the Browns have previously had interest in) find their way to the trade block?

For a team without a first round pick once again in the 2024 NFL Draft, Berry will have to get creative in adding talent to the roster. He has done so by stealing away players like wide receivers Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore, and defensive end Za’Darius Smith, and they will not be the last.

Who could Berry and the Browns target on the putrid roster of the Broncos should they choose to blow it up after a horrid start to their season?

All financial figures used in this article are courtesy of Over the Cap.

WATCH: D.J. Jones opens up about switching to defense

Watch: D.J. Jones opens up about switching to defense while the coaching staff delivers enormous praise for the position switch.

North Carolina Tar Heel [autotag]D.J. Jones[/autotag] made a pivotal move in his playing career, switching from offense to defense during the off-season.

Jones was recruited to UNC as a three-star running back for the class of 2020. Jones switched to a defensive back after playing his freshman, sophomore, and junior years as a running back to help the secondary.

UNC entered the season with one of the best running back rooms in the country while looking for new life in the secondary. Jones appeared in a video package produced by Go Heels, highlighting the position switch with Jones explaining his reasoning.

The change significantly boosted what North Carolina is looking to do this season, with defense being a huge focal point. Jones was a solid back for those three seasons with UNC, rushing for 442 yards on 97 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt.

The move has already shown to be successful, with Jones breaking up a touchdown pass in week one win over South Carolina.

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

UNC running back D.J. Jones leaving crowded RB room for secondary

D.J. Jones, who started at running back in the UNC football team’s 2022 opener, will now join the defensive unit this Fall.

If there is one roster spot UNC is far from a shortage in players, it’s the running back room.

The Heels have eight running backs listed on the official 2023 roster. Four of those eight enjoyed 100-yard seasons last year, led by 558 from Elijah Green.

UNC will be without D.J. Jones – one of those 100-yard rushers – in the halfback department.

Jones isn’t off the team – he’s instead making a position switch. Last week, Inside Carolina reported that Jones is making the switch to defensive back.

This will be an entirely different ballgame for Jones, who never played defense growing up. He likely wouldn’t be getting many carries and wanted to stay at UNC, so he approached head coach Mack Brown in January about the position switch.

“I feel like I could do more for the team than what I was doing last year,” Jones told 247Sports’ Jeremiah Holloway on Thursday. “I feel like I can do that at any other position than what they had me doing last year. I just told Mack that if there’s any other place that he could see me playing, that I would do that for the team.”

The Heels have enjoyed some success from position switching in the past, most recently with now-linebacker Chazz Surratt, who came to Chapel Hill as a record-breaking quarterback from East Lincoln High School.

Surratt was UNC’s starting quarterback for seven games in 2017, then played just one game at QB the following year. He switched to linebacker in 2019 – earning a First Team All-ACC selection. In 2020, his final college season, Surratt was a Butkus Award (top linebacker in college football) semifinalist.

Surratt is now a linebacker with the New York Jets. He’ll look to find his way into a crowded linebacking corps that includes Quincy Williams and former Alabama star C.J. Mosley.

In Chapel Hill, Jones will be trying to help a Carolina defense that, among FBS teams, allowed the sixth-most yards to opponents (5.697).

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

2023 UNC Football Preview: Running Back

We preview the UNC football team’s 2023 running back room in this story. The Heels have five backs with collegiate starting experience.

The University of North Carolina football back is making a strong case for the title of “Running Back U.”

In the Tar Heels’ football history, there have been 31 instances where a player’s hit the 1,000-yard mark.

Four of those seasons have come since 2019 – Michael Carter ran for 1,003 yards in 2019, Carter (1,245) and Javonte Williams (1,140) each hit the 1,000-yard mark in 2020, while current Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler last accomplished the feat with 1,092 yards in 2021.

Despite all the on-field success the Tar Heels found last year, including a 9-1 start and their first trip to the ACC Championship since 2015, their ground game struggled with finding an identity.

Quarterback Drake Maye, in his first season starting, led Carolina with 698 rushing yards and finished second with seven touchdowns. Maye can easily beat any defense with his arm, but when the offensive line broke down, he used his lightning speed and quick change of direction to make those in pursuit look silly.

UNC had plenty of talent in its running back room last year. Elijah Green emerged as the group’s leader with 558 rushing yards and a team-high eight touchdowns. Omarion Hampton gained 401 yards and added five scores. Caleb Hood, who missed half the season with injury, finished with 250 rushing yards and 5.8 yards per carry (most among running backs). D.J. Jones, entering his graduate year, added 124 yards and a score, while George Pettaway rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns.

All of those guys return for Carolina this year. Let’s take a deeper dive into the running back room and see what each guy brings to the table:

Broncos injuries: D.J. Jones enters concussion protocol

Broncos nose tackle D.J. Jones will have to go through five stages of the NFL’s concussion protocol before returning to game action.

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton played the team’s starters in their preseason opener on Friday evening. Playing starters for at least a portion of preseason to get reps before the regular season seems to be the conventional strategy for most NFL teams. It comes with risks, though.

The biggest risk to playing starters in preseason is the risk of injuries. The Broncos lost starting nose tackle D.J. Jones to a concussion in the first quarter of Friday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Jones, 28, will now enter the NFL’s concussion protocol. Jones will have to pass through four stages of recovery in the protocol before being cleared to play again. Because every concussion is different and recovery times vary, Jones won’t have an exact timeline for his potential return to the field.

The No. 2 nose tackle on the team’s depth chart would be veteran Mike Purcell, but he is currently on the non-football injury list after undergoing surgery this offseason. That leaves Tyler Lancaster as the fill-in nose tackle until one of Jones or Purcell returns to the field.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=620142]