Tag: Kaimon Rucker

Kaimon Rucker, Omarion Hampton ranked amongst Top 100 returners

Will Kaimon Rucker and Omarion Hampton have big seasons again for UNC this fall?

Next year is bound to be interesting for the UNC football team.

There’s no more Drake Maye in the pocket, slinging the football at lightning-fast speed or using his legs to evade pressure. There’s no more Tez Walker on the outside, catching insane passes then blazing past the secondary.

Oh – there’s also the transfer portal, which has seen 2023 defensive starters Kedrick Bingley-Jones and Tayon Holloway leave.

There’s two players who you should be excited about next season: Kaimon Rucker and Omarion Hampton.

Rucker made a name for himself by driving the ballcarrier backwards, as he led North Carolina with 15 tackles for loss in 2023. Hampton was tied atop the NCAA leaderboard in rushing yards around Thanskgiving, but that title went to Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II.

With how productive they were last season, both Rucker (59) and Hampton (65) were named amongst CBS Sports’ Top 100 returning players.

Let’s see what CBS sports had to say about Hampton:

“Hampton led the ACC with almost six yards a touch en route to a 1,500-yard, 15-touchdown season,” Blake Brockermeyer said. “The bruising back added another 30 catches for 232 yards and a touchdown. Hampton had 36 explosive runs and excels in the zone scheme where he can cut back at the lineman’s heels. Excellent feet and tough to arm tackle. An area for improvement? He had three fumbles last season.”

Now onto Rucker’s rundown:

“Rucker is somewhat undersized but doesn’t let that keep him from the quarterback (8.5 sacks, 15 TFL in 2023),” Brockermeyer said. “He plays with a demonic edge and is a great team leader. North Carolina has plenty of raw talent on defense, but Rucker is one of the few who has put it all together.

Fans will not get to see Rucker participate in the Spring Game on Saturday, April 20, but there’s a strong chance they’ll see Hampton, who’ll be one of college football’s best backs in the fall.

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Kaimon Rucker to miss rest of Spring practice with injury

Kaimon Rucker will miss the rest of spring practice for the UNC football program with an injured finger.

The North Carolina Tar Heels football program will be without a key defensive player as the spring rolls on.

Outside linebacker Kaimon Rucker is expected to miss 2-3 months after having surgery on Monday for an injured middle finger on his right hand, an injury he suffered in the loss to Clemson last season. The finger did not heal properly and Rucker did participate in a few spring practices this year, but made the decision to have the surgery and miss time.

Rucker is expected to be back in time for fall practices, which is great news for North Carolina’s defense.

“Every time I tried to put my hand in a fist, it would snap down before my fingers could react to it,” Rucker said on Tuesday via Inside Carolina.

The fifth-year senior is North Carolina’s best pass rusher, leading the Tar Heels with 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. Rucker has also developed into a leader with key players like Cedric Greay leaving for the NFL.

The Tar Heels are getting ready for the Spring Game on April 20th and then the long wait to the 2024 season on August 28th begins.

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Kaimon Rucker named amongst nation’s best edge rushers

Can the return of Kaimon Rucker be enough to improve the UNC football team’s historically bad defense?

Defense isn’t an area the North Carolina Tar Heels’ football team excels in, but it has sported a couple of talented standouts in recent years.

One of those standouts is 2023 starting Jack linebacker Kaimon Rucker, who will almost certainly bolster this year’s defense with his return announced earlier this offseason.

Rucker was UNC’s “sack king” last year, as he led the team with 8.5 sacks. Rucker also had a penchant for wrapping up the ballcarrier and driving them backwards, leading North Carolina with 15 tackles for loss. In four seasons as a Tar Heel, Rucker has 16 sacks and 30.5 tackles for loss.

Heading into 2024, Rucker was ranked as ESPN’s sixth-best edge rusher.

“Rucker is one of the nation’s most experienced pass-rushers, having started games in each of the past four seasons,” ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg wrote. “Although he showed the ability to disrupt quarterbacks early in his career, he didn’t have a true breakout year until 2023, when Rucker opened with a career performance in a win over South Carolina.An unheralded three-star recruit out of Georgia, Rucker gives new Tar Heels defensive coordinator Geoff Collins a proven star off the edge in 2024. At 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, Rucker is a bit undersized but makes up for it with his technique and savvy in pursuing quarterbacks. He will be one of the ACC’s most recognizable defenders entering the fall.”

I echo Rittenberg’s statement: Rucker will make things significantly easier for new UNC defensive coordinator Geoff Collins. Rucker will be the star of a defensive unit that lost a few players to the transfer portal, including Kedrick Bingley-Jones and Tayon Halloway.

Will Rucker’s talent and leadership be enough for the Tar Heels to play better defensively?

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CBS Sports’ Josh Pate has UNC football ranked in top half of ACC ahead of 2024 season

Even with key departures across the board, UNC is projected to be ranked amongst the ACC’s top half ahead of the 2024 football season.

The 2023 UNC football season went a lot like 2022 – promising start that has fans finally thinking, “Have we turned a corner,” only to be followed by another disappointing collapse.

These finishes are frustrating because the talent is there, but it may be a coaching or scheme issue. North Carolina’s defense was a major reason for its 2023 end, allowing Georgia Tech and a struggling UVA squad to combine for over 1,000 yards in consecutive weeks, forcing itself to ultimately change defensive coordinators.

Even with Drake Maye departing for the NFL Draft, there’s still a lot of hope surrounding UNC on the gridiron.

In CBS Sports’ ACC Program Rankings, Josh Pate has North Carolina ranked sixth heading into the 2024 campaign.

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The Tar Heels will be led offensively by star running back Omarion Hampton, who at one point led the country in yards after contact. Their defense, which will play under first-year DC Geoff Collins, is anchored by the return of Jack linebacker Kaimon Rucker.

UNC’s greatest question mark will be at quarterback, but it’s because it has two talented options at the position. North Carolina can either roll with sophomore Conner Harrell, who started the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, or Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson.

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Kaimon Rucker: ‘You cannot let a loss define you’

Kaimon Rucker meets with media following UNC’s 30-10 bowl loss to WVU. Shares emotional statement.

As West Virginia was celebrating with Mayonnaise, UNC felt sorrow not only because they lost 30-10 in the bowl game, but also because it would be the last time some players wear their Carolina blue threads.

One player who felt the emotions from the result was defensive leader [autotag]Kaimon Rucker[/autotag], whose watery eyes painted the picture when meeting with the media. Rucker recently announced his decision to return to Chapel Hill for his fifth season, opting into the bowl game with hopes of sending seniors without eligibility left with a win.

The perfect send-off didn’t happen. Instead, the wheels fell off early as UNC attempted to maneuver around their own mistakes. Following the loss, Rucker met with media outside UNC’s locker room, giving his takeaway from the 30-10 loss.

“I think it’s just one of those situations where the better team won. I’m not discrediting anything that we’ve done. Our defense, I feel like we had a great game plan for it. We had to keep count for the quarterback and running back because they are very dynamic players. They had to make adjustments and that’s exactly what they did. West Virginia has a great team. I don’t feel like there was anything that we did wrong per se, I just feel like they made adjustments just like any other team.”

Rucker took time while speaking with media to express his love for many of the players who won’t be returning, bringing an eye-opening experience of how much the game meant outside of the final score. Rucker expressed how he would process this game and use it for next season.

“You know, it’s just one of those situations where you just need to move on. It hurts. It does. I could probably honestly say that the boys in the locker room are the people I’m going to miss the most. You cannot let a loss define you and control your attitude from here on out. I just have to put it behind me and get back to work.”

Rucker’s leadership oozed through as he expressed how he was ready to get back to Chapel Hill to revamp the mindset while understanding his teammates need time to process the loss before getting things back on track for next season.

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Kaimon Rucker announces return for fifth year in hilarious video

Kaimon Rucker is a leader on the UNC football squad’s largely-struggling unit. Will be see him back in Tar Heel Blue next year?

With the spread formation being commonplace across today’s college football world, it’s become increasingly difficult for defenders to generate pressure on the opposing quarterback.

Established powerhouses, like Alabama and Georgia, have the recruits and athletes to break through the spread. Some teams have quarterbacks who hold the ball too long, which leads to increased sack opportunities for the defensive line.

Early in 2023, the UNC football team actually did a phenomenal job in generating pressure. Carolina sacked South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler nine times in Week 1, rode a few strong defensive performances to a 6-0 start, then collapsed to fall out of fringe CFP and ACC Championship contention.

Despite all the defensive struggles, there’s been one constant within the unit – Kaimon Rucker, the starting senior Jack linebacker from Hartwell, Ga.

Rucker led the Tar Heels with 14 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

Rucker’s play definitely warrants himself a place on an NFL roster, but is he going that route?

He makes you think so, but NOPE!

Rucker teases Tar Heel Nation early in the video, thanking them for a great four years. He then starts to walk off screen and – BAM – he comes back.

Not only will Rucker return for his COVID year in 2024, he’ll also be playing in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl next week. This will be a much-needed reinforcement for a depleted roster, with several players opting out to focus on the NFL Draft.

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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.

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UNC vs. Campbell: Game preview, info, prediction and more

The Campbell Fightin’ Camels provide UNC’s football team a much-needed chance to reset on Saturday afternoon. What exactly will Carolina do?

UNC’s next football opponent, Campbell, couldn’t have come at a better time.

The Tar Heels’ once promising season – they started 6-0 – took a dark turn. UNC lost two consecutive games to opponents it had no business losing to – UVA two weekends ago, followed by Georgia Tech last Saturday. The Cavaliers and Yellow Jackets combined for over 1,000 yards against Carolina, with 576 of those coming on the ground.

This is the same UNC defense that had been shutting opponents down in the second half, sacked South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler nine times in Week 1 and had been generating turnovers seemingly every game.

The Tar Heels return home to take on the Camels at 12 p.m. Saturday. While Campbell’s no slouch at 4-4, it’s an FCS school. When UNC last played an FCS opponent, it pulled away from Florida A&M and hung 56 points on them in the 2022 opener.

Despite the disappointing defensive performances over their past two games, the Tar Heels still have one of the nation’s best offenses. UNC quarterback Drake Maye has thrown for 300+ yards in each of the losses, while starting running back Omarion Hampton has reached over 100 yards in both games.

Campbell could create some chaos in Chapel Hill, though, with four players reaching the 250-yard marker. Those same four players have multiple touchdowns, led by six from NaQuari Rogers.

Camels quarterback Hajj Malik-Williams isn’t too shabby either, passing for 2,085 yards, sporting a 16-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and completing nearly 74 percent of his passes.

UNC’s ultimately going to win this game by a wide margin, but Campbell has the talent to keep it close early.

Kaimon Rucker leads Power 5 Defenders in Quarterback Pressures

Despite how much the UNC defense struggles, it has some individual studs. One of those studs is Kaimon Rucker, among the best edge rushers.

The UNC football team’s defense, as a whole, is underwhelming and has been for quite some time.

That came to a peak last weekend, when the Tar Heels allowed formerly 1-win UVA, to rack up 436 total yards, in a 31-27 upset victory. The Cavaliers, whose rushing offense was struggling in particular, racked up 228 of those yards.

Despite Carolina’s lowly defense, they have a lot of individual talent. Cedric Gray is one of the ACC’s best linebackers, while transfer Alijah Huzzie is undoubtedly the secondary’s best player.

The UNC defensive line is led by another stud in starting Jack Kaimon Rucker, who leads ALL Power 5 players with 39 quarterback pressures.

When college football fans think of schools with defensive stars, teams like Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia might come to mind first.

Yet in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels have the country’s top edge rusher in Rucker. He’s two pressures ahead of Alabama’s Dallas Turner, plus six pressures ahead of Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. – both SEC rushers.

Rucker is tied for sixth in the country with 7.5 sacks, sharing the number with Mississippi State’s Nathaniel Watson. He also leads Carolina with 11 tackles for loss.

If UNC wants to win on the road tonight against Georgia Tech, a school it always seems to struggle against, it’ll need every bit of Rucker in the backfield.

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UNC Football: Helmet stickers for statement victory over Miami

The UNC football team made a statement with its 41-31 home victory over Miami last night. Which players stood out in the convincing win?

How about them Tar Heels?

The 12th-ranked UNC football team is still loving life, this time after a convincing, 41-31 primetime victory over Miami Saturday night in Kenan Stadium.

Trailing by three at halftime, Carolina star receiver Devontez Walker caught his second of three touchdowns and gave his team the lead for good (20-17). Despite allowing 31 points and nearly 500 yards, the Tar Heel defense didn’t allow a second-half score until just over the fourth quarter’s halfway mark. Omarion Hampton enjoyed his first 100-yard outing since Week 2 against App State, as the sophomore from Clayton, N.C. torched the Hurricane defense for 197 yards.

In a larger outlook, UNC’s win might just move it into the AP Poll Top 10. It beat a ranked team, in rather dominating fashion, while 11th-ranked Alabama barely squeaked by a struggling, unranked Arkansas squad and 10th-ranked USC was spanked by Notre Dame.

The AP Poll won’t come out until later today, but it’s always fun to speculate how far up the rankings Carolina moves. Do they even jump an Oregon team that Washington took care of yesterday?

While we wait to find out, let’s take a deeper look into which Tar Heels earned our Helmet Stickers for this week’s victory: