Tag: UNC Football

Drake Maye’s rookie NFL season to continue the weekend before Super Bowl

Drake Maye isn’t done playing football quite yet in his rookie NFL season.

When the New England Patriots selected former UNC football star Drake Maye third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, they hoped to finally secure their first franchise quarterback since moving on from Tom Brady.

While Maye initially began his rookie season on the bench, it only took New England six weeks to name Maye their starter. Given a young roster with a struggling offensive line, Maye played fairly well in his first pro season: 2,276 passing yards, 15 passing touchdown to 10 interceptions, 421 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

The Patriots finished 4-13, last in the AFC East for the second-straight year, but Maye was definitely a rare bright spot for his team.

It turns out, Maye isn’t done playing football quite yet this season

On Tuesday, January 28, Maye was named as an AFC Pro Bowl Games replacement.

Maye and former Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson, the latter of whom is now the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ starting quarterback, were tabbed as replacements for Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.

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Maye’s nod also makes him New England’s first Pro Bowl quarterback since 2021, when now Jacksonville Jaguars backup Mac Jones was a rookie.

The star-studded Pro Bowl Games replacement list goes on, but Maye joins a group that includes Buffalo Bills running back James Cook, a former Georgia Bulldog and Seattle Seawhawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a former Ohio State Buckeye.

With the Patriots earning yet another high NFL Draft selection in April’s 2025 draft, additional help should be on the way for Maye. He has a talented, young wide receiver corps that includes fellow 2024 draftee Ja’Lynn Polk, but no one who’s proven to take over as a WR1.

If you want to watch Maye in the Skills Showdown, you can do so on Thursday, January 30 from 7-8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. If you want to watch Maye in the actual Pro Bowl Championship, which is a Flag Football format, that’ll be on Sunday, February 2 from 3-6 p.m.

Will Maye, the 2022 ACC Player of the Year who threw for 8,018 yards and 63 touchdowns during his Tar Heels career, earn more accolades as his NFL career progresses?

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Kenan Stadium undergoing massive change, UNC announces

Kenan Stadium will look a little different this coming football season

The UNC football program is undergoing some massive changes this offseason, ones that we’re confident are massive victories for the future.

North Carolina’s greatest change came at head coach, when it hired 8-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick to replace Mack Brown. As a result of Belichick’s hiring, the Tar Heels are suddenly a destination for talented recruits – both from high school and the transfer portal.

On Monday, January 27, we learned of one more for UNC – but not within the team.

Kenan Stadium, which installed AstroTurf before the 2019 college football season, will change back to natural grass for North Carolina’s upcoming 2025 campaign.

The Tar Heels previously played on a grass surface from 1927-2018. They now return to a surface much safer for players, as turf is known to cause serious injuries, particularly in the NFL.

UNC will get plenty of practice time on grass, with its first game on grass coming Monday, September 1 against TCU in the season-opener at 7:30 p.m.

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North Carolina heads to Charlotte on September 6, then returns to Kenan on Sept.13 to face Richmond. UNC won’t return to Chapel Hill until October 4, facing what’s expected to be an ACC contender in Clemson, then plays Virginia at home on Oct. 25.

The Tar Heels host ACC newcomer Stanford on November 8, then close out their home sale on Nov. 22 against archrival Duke.

As I mentioned before, I’m excited for the change back to natural grass. It’s healthier for the players and contributes to the overall game experience – how many times have you watched football and said, “man, that turf is really nice?”

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UNC football 2025 schedule released

A look at the full UNC 2025 college football schedule for the upcoming season.

The Bill Belichick era is underway this offseason for the North Carolina Tar Heels as the head coach has been busy on the recruiting trail. While we will get an early look at the roster for the upcoming spring game in a few months, the real action begins in September.

We already know that the Tar Heels will open the season in primetime against TCU on Labor Day and that they will open up at home against Clemson for their ACC schedule in October. But now we know the rest of the schedule.

The Atlantic Coast Conference released the 2025 schedule on Monday, completing the Tar Heels schedule:

Sept. 1 – TCU
Sept. 6 – at Charlotte
Sept. 13 – Richmond
Sept. 20 – at UCF
Sept. 27 – BYE
Oct. 4 – Clemson
Oct. 11 – BYE
Oct. 16/17 – at California
Oct. 25 – Virginia
Oct. 31 – at Syracuse
Nov. 8 – Stanford
Nov. 15 – at Wake Forest
Nov. 22 – Duke
Nov. 29 – at N.C. State

North Carolina’s non-conference schedule includes at home against TCU and Richmond with road games at Charlotte and UCF. They will get a bye before the ACC opener against Clemson and then have a bye right after.

That’s a weird quirk in the schedule to sandwich the bye weeks with Clemson.

UNC does alternate home and road each week including those bye weeks. So they really don’t have back-to-back home or road games this season.

They do close out the season with rivalry games against Duke at home and then at NC State. Let’s hope UNC can get some revenge this season on both of those opponents.

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Bill Belichick visits top 2026 quarterback recruit

Bill Belichick was on the recruiting trail again on Monday night.

Bill Belichick has been very busy on the recruiting trail as of late, working to build the future rosters for North Carolina. With his contract signed, the staff has moved forward in pursuit of top recruits in future classes.

And that includes one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 class.

Belichick was in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday for an in-home visit with five-star quarterback Jared Curtis. The quarterback posted the in-home visit on his social media accounts and it comes just a month after Curtis said he was hoping get interest from Belichick and the Tar Heels’ program.

See the post below:

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Curtis has a total of 38 offers in his recruitment so far, including from all of the big programs. With programs like Georgia, Ohio State, and Oregon among others pursuing him, UNC will have some tough competition.

But it is good to see UNC pursue him and draw interest.

Curtis is ranked No. 4 nationally, No. 2 quarterback and No. 1 player in the state of Tennessee per the 247Sports composite rankings.

It will be interesting to see if the Tar Heels can make up some ground in this recruitment and be a legit contender moving forward.

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Omarion Hampton to reigning Super Bowl Champs in latest USA TODAY Sports NFL Mock Draft

Will Omarion Hampton go to a Super Bowl winner in this year’s NFL Draft?

The North Carolina Tar Heels enjoyed yet another solid offense during the 2024 college football season, though due to consistent injuries along the offensive line and a revolving door at quarterback, it wasn’t the explosive unit we’re accustomed to seeing.

There was one player on UNC’s offense who played a level higher than all his teammates: running back Omarion Hampton.

North Carolina’s star back collected his second-consecutive 1,000-yard season on the ground, finishing with 1,660 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Hampton climbed the Tar Heel record books, collected another 200-yard rushing game and proved why he’s amongst college football’s best.

It should come as no surprise that, due to his sustained success in two seasons as UNC’s starting running back, Hampton is a highly-sought after NFL Draft pick.

In USA TODAY Sports’ latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft, which showcases several media outlets guessing who each team will take, Sports Illustrated has Omarion Hampton 32nd overall (first round) to the Kansas City Chiefs.

“He probably won’t be placed above Iowa’s zone-running standout Kaleb Johnson in most ballcarrier rankings, but Hampton is a tremendous downhill power-gap runner, which fits the direction Kansas City’s offense turned this season. The 6’2″, 220-pound Hampton rushed for 1,660 yards, the third-most in college football, while scoring 15 touchdowns this season.”

Kansas City, which has an AFC Championship rematch with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, January 26, is trying for its third-straight Super Bowl title. The Chiefs currently have Kareem Hunt, Isiah Pacheco, Carson Steele and Samaje Perine, so Hampton would have quite the battle against a solid depth chart.

Outside of Hunt, no one in KC’s current running back room is a home-run hitter. Hampton, who was college football’s best back behind Ashton Jeanty and Kaleb Johnson, would be a nice fit for the reigning Super Bowl Champs.

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Where does ESPN rank Omarion Hampton amongst 2025 NFL Draft prospects?

Is Omarion Hampton the 2025 NFL Draft’s top running back prospect?

It’s tough to find a strong, consistently productive running back in today’s football world – but in the 2025 NFL Draft, there are several top backs who can make an immediate impact from Day One.

One of our favorite running backs prospects, who we watched dominate the college football landscape for the past two season, is UNC running back Omarion Hampton.

A North Carolina native, Hampton took over the starting running back job just two games into 2023. Hampton blossomed even further in 2024, rushing for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns, while climbing the Tar Heel record books.

Hampton is now preparing to play football at the next level. In ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller’s rankings of the top 2025 prospects, Hampton is 46th overall and the third-ranked running back.

“Hampton is rumored to have 4.4 speed to go with his excellent frame,” Miller said. “He has experience in pass protection, and he worked well as a receiver this season (38 catches) while rushing for 1,660 yards (third in the nation) and 15 touchdowns. He bounces off tacklers, and his decisiveness in a one-cut offense has him in my top 50. Hampton is a dream for any outside zone rushing attack.”

British Brooks earned UNC’s starting job ahead of the 2023 season, rushing for over 100 yards in the opener against South Carolina, but a 234-yard performance against App State gave Hampton the job for good.

Hampton picked up right where he left off during the 2024 opener at Minnesota, rushing for 129 yards. Two 200-yard performances, 1,660 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns later, Hampton solidified himself as a top running back in college football – and with tons of NFL potential.

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UNC football adds linebacker to 2025 recruiting class

The UNC football program added another recruit in the 2025 class.

Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels have been red-hot on the recruiting trail over the past week. And that continued on Saturday afternoon.

The Tar Heels landed a commitment from linebacker Lantz Pascal out of Florida, the fifth player to commit to UNC in the 2025 class in the past week or so. With the signing period coming close to an end, UNC has been able to add to their 2025 class which saw some departures late in 2024 before Belichick was hired.

Pascal hails out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and plays at St. Thomas Aquinas.

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker had 8 offers in his recruitment with Kentucky, Bowling Green, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and West Virginia showing interest, His recruitment slowed down just a little bit but after UNC offered him on Thursday, he wasted little time pledging his commitment.

With the commitment, UNC now has 15 players in the 2025 class with 10 of them already signed. That doesn’t include a big transfer portal class either.

It will be interesting to see if UNC can pull off some more commitments before the period ends and they begin Spring practices.

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UNC football to open up 2025 ACC schedule against Clemson

Here is the first game of the 2025 ACC schedule for the UNC football program.

While the 2025 college football season is still months away, the excitement is at an all-time high for the program under Bill Belichick. The head coach is set to make his college coaching debut against TCU on Labor Day in primetime, setting up for a special night in Chapel Hill.

But now we know who the Tar Heels will face in their ACC opener.

The conference announced the opening conference game for each team and North Carolina will host reigning ACC Champion Clemson Tigers led by head coach Dabo Swinney in Week 6. The game is set for October 4th with a time and broadcast information still to be announced.

This will be a tough test for Belichick and the Tar Heels to open ACC play but at least it’s a home game for them. The last time the two teams met was in 2023 when Clemson beat North Carolina 31-20 in Death Valey.

As defending ACC champs, Clemson is expected to be very good again next season with plenty of returners including quarterback Cade Klubnik. They are already a top 10 team in the USA TODAY Sports way-too-early top 25.

The full ACC schedule will be released on Monday, January 27, from 9-11 p.m. ET on ACC Network.  UNC will also have games against Duke, Stanford, and Virginia at home and California, N.C. State, Syracuse and Wake Forest on the road.

The hype will continue to grow for this program, especially after the Belichick hire. Now it’s up to them to handle it and reach those expectations.

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UNC football offers brother of former Duke standout

The latest offer for the UNC football program has a tie to the Tar Heels and Duke rivalry.

Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels have already been able to pull a few players away from the Washington Huskies out of the transfer portal this offseason. But now they have their eyes on a recruit in the state that has a connection to the Tar Heels.

Giulio Banchero, the younger brother of former Duke basketball star Paolo Banchero, announced on social media that he has received an offer from the Tar Heels. Giulio posted pictures of himself and his siblings at a UNC basketball game.

It also shows Paolo in a UNC sweatshirt.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound athlete hails out of Seattle, Washington and plays at O’Dea High School. He’s a 2026 recruit that has just two offers in his recruitment so far with UNC and Montana State being those two programs.

Mondo Hawkins is leading the recruitment of Banchero as he joined the Tar Heels from the Huskies staff.

Belichick and the Tar Heels have a few commitments already in the 2026 class but momentum is picking up in that area. With the staff only being on the job for six months, there is a long way to go and the chance to still make an impact for that class.

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Former UNC football player to referee Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans

There’s going to be at least one UNC football alum in the Super Bowl…

The AFC and NFC Championship games, which will both be played on Sunday, January 26, are going to feature a pair of former UNC football stars in Dyami Brown and Mack Hollins.

If the Washington Commanders and Buffalo Bills win, Brown and Hollins will face off in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 29 in New Orleans.

Even if Brown and Hollins don’t advance, there will be at least one Tar Heel alum in the Super Bowl.

Mike Morton, who played at North Carolina from 1991-1994 under former head coach Mack Brown, was assigned to referee Super Bowl LIX.

Morton will make history with his assignment, becoming the first referee to officiate a Super Bowl after winning one. Morton helped the St. Louis Rams (now Los Angeles Rams) capture Super Bowl XXXIV, his fifth of seven seasons in the NFL and lone year in St. Louis.

Originally drafted by the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders, Morton compiled 183 tackles, two interceptions and a sack in his NFL playing career.

Morton was a part of four winning teams at UNC, highlighted by a win over Mississippi State in the 1993 Peach Bowl. The Tar Heels barely squeaked by in that game, 21-17, a game in which Natrone Means won MVP honors.

Morton’s refereeing history dates back to 2014, when he started officiating ACC football games. Morton’s first NFL game came back on September 11, 2022 when the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons faced off in Atlanta.

Even if you’re not a huge pro football fan, you should watch the next two weeks of postseason football. There’ll be at least one Tar Heel in the Super Bowl.

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