Tag: Noah Taylor

Noah Taylor claimed by Arlington Renegades of XFL

Former UNC football defensive end Noah Taylor has been claimed by the Arlington Renegades.

Former North Carolina Tar Heels’ linebacker Noah Taylor is continuing his football career in the XFL.

After going undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft and not finding a spot on a training camp roster this summer, Taylor was officially claimed by the Arlington Renegades of the XFL earlier this week. He wasn’t selected in the XFL’s 79-player draft either but his rights were officially claimed shortly after.

Anthony Miller of XFL News Hub wrote on the Renegades’ signing of Taylor:

“The linebacker position has been another position the Renegades have been zoned in on in the draft after drafting three linebackers and trading for one more. Taylor will have to battle for a spot, but Arlington has made it clear they are focused on improving the position this offseason.”

Taylor will try to land a roster spot on the Renegades a year after the team won the 2023 XFL Championship Game by beating the DC Defenders.

After starting his career with Virginia, Taylor transferred to UNC for his final season. He had a promising start and was one of UNC’s best edge rushers early on. But he suffered a right knee injury in the first quarter of a win over Pitt in October. Taylor was UNC’s leader in sacks when he got hurt.

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Bad news for two ACC teams

Bad news for a couple of ACC teams, who will be without these key defenders for the remainder of the season. During press conferences at North Carolina and Syracuse on Monday morning, it was announced that Tar Heels jack linebacker Noah Taylor and …

Bad news for a couple of ACC teams, who will be without these key defenders for the remainder of the season.

During press conferences at North Carolina and Syracuse on Monday morning, it was announced that Tar Heels jack linebacker Noah Taylor and Orange defensive back Garrett Williams will both miss the rest of the season due to injuries.

Taylor, who transferred to UNC following four years at Virginia, left the team’s game against Pittsburgh on Saturday after sustaining a non-contact knee injury

The graduate student and Tar Heels’ top pass rusher leads the team in sacks (3.5) and tackles for loss (6.0).

As for Williams, who is regarded as one of the ACC’s top cover corners, he suffered a torn ACL in Syracuse’s game against Notre Dame on Saturday.

The redshirt sophomore ranks tied for third on the team in tackles (36). He is tied for the team lead with two interceptions and is second on the team with three pass breakups.

Clemson of course beat Syracuse, 27-21, at Death Valley on Oct. 22, while it looks likely as things stand now that the Tigers will meet up with UNC in the ACC Championship Game.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Tar Heels lose Noah Taylor for rest of season

The UNC football program will be without defensive leader Noah Taylor for the rest of season after suffering injury against Pitt.

The UNC football program received some bad news on Monday morning as starting pass rusher [autotag]Noah Taylor[/autotag] will miss the rest of the season with a lower leg injury.

Taylor’s injury occurred in the first quarter of UNC’s win over Pitt on Saturday night when he suffered a ‘non-contact’ injury.

“Very, very disappointed for Noah. The transfer portal is good for a lot of things and he has been wonderful for us,” UNC head coach Mack Brown told reporters on Monday. “He’s a tremendous leader. He’s one of the reasons our defense has improved so much.”

Taylor was in his only year with North Carolina after transferring from Virginia this offseason to utilize his covid year. He finishes this season with 28 tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks (team high).

Taylor was among the top projected transfers in the ACC after totaling 169 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 10 pass deflections, three interceptions and two forced fumbles in 35 games at Virginia.

Chris Collins is someone who is expected to get the majority of snaps at the jack position with Taylor out for the Tar Heels.

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North Carolina loses Noah Taylor and Caleb Hood for rest of game

The North Carolina Tar Heels are down running back Caleb Hood and linebacker Noah Taylor for the remainder of the game.

There is bad news early in the game for the North Carolina Tar Heels as they will be without two key players to finish out Saturday’s game against Pitt.

Running back [autotag]Caleb Hood[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Noah Taylor[/autotag] exited in the first quarter and both are listed out for the remainder of this game.

Hood went down after a catch and run of 3-yards with an apparent knee injury. The sophomore was named the starting running back ahead of this game and will be a significant loss for this game. Meanwhile, Taylor headed to the locker room with a non-contact knee injury.

Both were significant losses, with the offense and defense taking a hit.

Sophomore running back Elijah Green will likely carry most of the workload with splashes of Omarion Hampton. As for Taylor’s replacement, UNC will likely mix it up to replicate the pressure and get to Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis.

UNC will need to find a way to fill the void fast as they battle in a challenging Saturday night game against Pitt.

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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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Noah Taylor projected as top-5 impact transfer in the ACC

UNC Football linebacker Noah Taylor was projected as a top-5 impact transfer in the ACC for this upcoming season.

With less than a month to go before the UNC football program kicks off its 2022 season, there are still a few question marks surrounding some of the position battles.

Most notably, there is a lot of production that the Tar Heels will try to replace on the defensive side of the ball.

UNC loses a lot of production from the linebacking core, including Jeremiah Gemmel who had at least 70 tackles in each of the past three seasons and Tomon Fox who had at least 7.0 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in each of the past three years.

The Tar Heels found production through the transfer portal this offseason with [autotag]Noah Taylor[/autotag]. The Virginia transfer heads to Chapel Hill as a veteran who has produced a lot in his career.

According to On3.com, Taylor is listed as one of the 10 most impactful transfers in the ACC.

“Noah Taylor was a three-year starter for Virginia and has legit big-play ability. He had 13 sacks, 30 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hurries, three interceptions and 10 pass breakups at UVa. (Worth noting: Taylor had a career-high 12 tackles in a loss to the Tar Heels last season.) UNC was ninth in the ACC in sacks and tackles for loss in 2021, so Taylor’s addition is big. New defensive coordinator Gene Chizik should be expected to put Taylor’s big-play ability to good use.”

Taylor is projected as the No. 5 most impactful. While he won’t be able to do it all himself, Taylor has totaled 169 tackles in 35 games for his career. He also has 28.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 10 pass deflections, three interceptions and two forced fumbles in his career.

Taylor was a huge factor on the Virginia defense and that should carry over to UNC. He has a very good ability to rush the ball and his versatility will give the Tar Heels a good playmaker at the linebacker and pass rushing position.

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LB Noah Taylor named UNC’s top transfer addition this offseason

Linebacker Noah Taylor was named UNC football’s top transfer addition this offseason by 247Sports.

The UNC football program added some key players this offseason from high school and from the transfer portal to contribute in positions of need. Altogether, the Tar Heels have 22 newcomers this upcoming season.

With the transfer portal becoming more important every single offseason, North Carolina added five transfers, with four from power-five programs.

247Sports took a look at the top transfer additions for every power-five program this offseason and tabbed linebacker [autotag]Noah Taylor[/autotag] as the guy for the Heels.

With Taylor in the fold, North Carolina has one of the best linebacker groups in the entire conference. He has the ability to replace either Tomon Fox or Jeremiah Gemmel — the two biggest losses at the position — with his versatility as both an elite pass rusher and quality inside linebacker. Plus he has loads of ACC experience from almost 50 games played at Virginia.

UNC loses a lot of production from the linebacking core, including Gemmel who had at least 70 tackles in each of the past three seasons and Fox who had at least 7.0 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in each of the past three years.

Taylor won’t be able to do it all himself has totaled 169 tackles in 35 games for his career. He also has 28.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 10 pass deflections, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.

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Josh Downs headlines Athlon Sports’ All-ACC Preseason team

UNC football wide receiver Josh Downs headlines one of ten selections to the Athlon Sports All-ACC preseason team.

The UNC football program has landed ten players on Athlon Sports’ All-ACC preseason team for the 2022 season.

The publication released their annual preseason team for the conference, and headlining it for the Tar Heels is junior [autotag]Josh Downs[/autotag]. The wide receiver was one of four UNC players on the list but the only to make the first team in the selections.

Downs had a breakout year in 2021, catching 101 passes for 1,335 yards and 8 touchdowns, averaging 13.2 yards per catch. He was Sam Howell’s go-to guy in UNC’s offense and that should be the case going into this season but with a different quarterback at the helm.

Joining Downs on the team are DL [autotag]Myles Murphy[/autotag] (second team), RB [autotag]British Brooks[/autotag] (fourth team), OL [autotag]Asim Richards[/autotag] (fourth team), DL [autotag]Ray Vohasek[/autotag] (fourth team), LB [autotag]Noah Taylor[/autotag] (fourth team), LB [autotag]Cedric Gray[/autotag] (fourth team), DB [autotag]Tony Grimes[/autotag] (fourth team), S [autotag]Cam’Ron Kelly[/autotag] (fourth team), punt returner Josh Downs (fourth team).

Let’s hope there are more on this list at season’s end and they appear on the first team.

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Five keys for Notre Dame to defeat Virginia on the road

What are your keys for Irish success against UVA?

The Irish have their toughest test on the remains schedule Saturday night, as they travel to Scott Stadium to take on the Cavaliers of Virginia. They boast one of the best offenses in the country, so the Irish will have to score plenty of points to go back to South Bend with a win. Here are five keys for Notre Dame to get a win in Charlottesville.

Know you foe Virginia: Five Cavaliers who could give Notre Dame problems

Lots of solid Cavaliers will be on the field Saturday

The Irish travel to take one of the highest scoring offenses in the NCAA, the Virginia Cavaliers. They are the ACC version of Oklahoma, a high powered passing attack with an average running game and a below average defense. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some solid players on the UVA squad and here are five that could give Notre Dame trouble Saturday night.