Tag: UNC Football

Jahvaree Ritzie speaks highly of Travis Shaw’s improvements in spring action

UNC’s defensive leader Jahvaree Ritzie speaks highly of Travis Shaw’s improvements following Saturday’s Spring Football game.

The UNC football program will be counting on a few players this season, including [autotag]Travis Shaw[/autotag], who is entering his third season.

The five-star recruit has yet to produce the season Tar Heel fans hoped for when he committed to the program in 2021. In two seasons, Shaw has mustered up 29 tackles (1.5 for loss), three pass deflections, and zero sacks.

However, the 6’5, 330-pound defensive lineman has shown glimpses of what he brings to the table, and teammate [autotag]Jahvaree Ritzie[/autotag] echoed that Saturday following UNC’s spring football game. 

“Big Trav been working this spring I ain’t gonna lie.” Ritzie continued “His work ethic has taken off. I am really proud of Travis, because coming in as a young guy, we all have our ups and downs but Trav has been taking off going into his junior year.” 

Ritzie broke down what improved in Shaw’s game this spring, oozing with excitement as he broke it down. 

“His point of attack, him with his hands, his eyes, his base. He looks good out there, he’s running to the ball every single play. There’s been a bunch that he’s improved on that I am proud of him for.” 

Shaw heading into his junior year, can be a difference-maker for this program that is expected to be blitz-heavy behind Geoff Collins. If Shaw can live up to his five-star status, who knows what’s in store for the UNC football program? 

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Where does Touchdown Wire’s latest Mock Draft have Drake Maye selected?

The Minnesota Vikings are in need of a franchise-caliber quarterback. Is Drake Maye their answer?

The NFL Draft will take place on Thursday, April 25.

For the UNC football program, that means all eyes on where Drake Maye, Cedric Gray and Devontez Walker will be selected.

Gray and Walker will likely be Day Two or Three selections, but their play at North Carolina definitely warrants a couple first-round looks.

Maye, on the other hand, will be a Top-5 pick barring draft-altering news.

He’s thrown for over 8,000 yards and 60 collegiate touchdowns, ran for over 1,000 and was named the 2022 ACC Player and Rookie of the year.

There’s plenty of debate as to where Maye lands, but Touchdown Wire’s latest mock draft has him – via a draft day trade – fifth overall to the Minnesota Vikings.

“The Vikings didn’t trade for an extra first-rounder for nothing,” Doug Farrar and Jeff Risdon wrote. “Minnesota needs a quarterback, and Maye’s ties to QB coach Josh McCown and exciting potential make this a predictable selection. For the Chargers, falling back gives the new regime extra choices to rebuild the roster.”

Minnesota would be a perfect scenario for Maye to fall into. He’d be playing with LSU alum Justin Jefferson, arguably the NFL’s best receiver, another former Tar Heel in Ty Chandler, plus a top tight end in TJ Hockenson.

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NCAA Board says yes to immediate eligibility for players who transfer multiple times

This ruling just made it significantly easier for multi-time transfers in college sports.

One of the biggest early-season storylines in college football last year surrounded the UNC football program.

Devontez Walker, a wide receiver who transferred in from Kent State, was denied eligibility because of transferring multiple times (NC Central, Kent State). This was tough – not only because of what he would bring to the Tar Heels with his talent, but because of how other transfers in the portal have been treated.

On Monday, April 22, student-athletes across college sports received some very encouraging news.

The NCAA Board approved immediate eligibility for multi-time transfers, helping the case of future student-athletes who want to transfer twice, like Walker and former college quarterback JT Daniels. This decision also prevents future NIL penalties, like previous ones Miami (FL) encountered with the Cavinder twins.

I am glad the NCAA decided to reverse course, but its ruling makes you wonder: how would this ruling have affected the North Carolina Tar Heels last season?

I don’t think it would have mattered much, as UNC won every game without Walker, but this ruling coming in 2023 could’ve made our offense that much more dangerous.

This ruling will, however, help North Carolina tremendously this year.

Joshua Harris, a Roxboro, NC-based defensive tackle who committed to the Tar Heels on Sunday, April 21, previously transferred from NC State to Ole Miss. Harris, a 6’4″, 325-pound mammoth of a defensive tackle, is crucial to the defensive line help UNC head coach Mack Brown has been seeking.

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Conner Harrell speaks about QB competition

Conner Harrell speaks about QB competition, his bond with Max Johnson, and the strides he’s made since last season following the UNC spring football game.

The quarterback competition is brewing at UNC, but that has not stopped [autotag]Conner Harrell[/autotag] from connecting with Texas A&M transfer QB [autotag]Max Johnson.[/autotag]

Harrell and Johnson are competing for the QB1 spot, a unique situation many programs don’t have, with QB1s often set in stone before the school’s annual spring football game. The uniqueness of the situation is one of many reasons Mack Brown decided to forgo televising the game.

Following Saturday’s spring football game, Harrell spoke about blocking out the noise, ways he’s gotten better, and his connection with Johnson despite competing for the starting quarterback position.

“I tell myself just do the best that I can do. Some things are out of my control…Anything in my control. I have to work the hardest, I have to watch as much film as I can, I have to lead as much as I can…Not try to worry about all the outside stuff too much.”

“We understand we are competing, but we understand we are just people..trying to help each other..”, Harrell on his connection with Johnson. “We are the only two people going through what we are going through. No one else in the country is in this place at this time. So when someone going through, what you going through you kinda bond.”

Harrell wasn’t shy about improvements he made since last season, noting he’s gotten a lot better at his accuracy and pocket presence. As of now, no indicator starts game one, but Harrell did produce bigger splash plays Saturday, including a 68-yard passing touchdown.

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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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Where Drake Maye is projected to go in latest CBS Sports mock draft

Will UNC football quarterback Drake Maye land with the Washington Commanders or New England Patriots?

The 2024 NFL draft is now under a week away and one of the biggest talking points continues to be which quarterback will be the second player off the board. With Caleb Williams going No. 1 to Chicago barring anything crazy happening, it’s either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels for the Washington Commanders.

Going into the college football season, Maye was widely thought of as the consensus No. 2 quarterback behind Williams. But a Heisman season from Daniels and a strong offseason have moved him into the conversation and likely ahead of Maye.

For CBS Sports’ NFL reporter Jonathan Jones, that’s the case in his view as he released his only mock draft of the cycle. He has Daniels going No. 2 to Washington and then Maye right behind him at No. 3 to New England:

There’s simply no way in my mind the Patriots move out of this spot and/or don’t take a quarterback. The way the offseason has gone — and the way the last three years have gone — they have to.

Things may be changing, however.

After both Daniels and Maye visited with Washington this past week, there are some rumors swirling that the franchise might prefer Maye to the former LSU quarterback.

Whatever happens, the Commanders have done a good job of keeping this all locked up and not tipping their hand at No. 2 overall.

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UNC football looking to add punter for Fall

Does UNC need another punter for Fall football season?

Special teams might not be the most glamorous part of a football game, but it is undoubtedly the most important.

Teams need to effectively return kicks and set their teams up in strong field position. Acing clutch field goals is difficult, but a needed skill for those who want to play at the next level.

One area of special teams that’s also super important, particularly when the offense is struggling: punting.

Being able to pin a team deep in its own territory can prove wonders for the defense, which realizes it has a lot less field to work with. Defenses can pressure the offense into making mistakes, such as a fumble, bad pass or – worst of all – a safety.

Oh, and also offenses might feel more pressure to execute.

Speaking of punting, the only punter UNC has on its roster is Tom Maginness. He was part of a unit that struggled immensely last Fall, which was near the bottom of the ACC in terms of production.

Ben Kiernan was out with injury last season, but he was also a graduate student, meaning he has no more eligibility.

If you haven’t guessed it by now, North Carolina is looking to add another punter (or two).

The Spring Game kicks off today on Saturday, April 20, so maybe the Tar Heels will find their next punter then. It’s definitely an area to look out for, as the Spring Game is always an opportunity to see positional battles and potential standouts.

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UNC football lands another commitment for 2025 class

A three-star defensive tackle out of Georgia has committed to North Carolina in the 2025 recruiting class.

As the North Carolina Tar Heels are getting set for the annual spring football game, Mack Brown and his staff received more good news on Saturday afternoon.

For the second straight day, the Tar Heels’ landed a big commitment in the 2025 recruiting class. And for the second straight day, it’s on the defensive line.

After Austin Alexander committed on Friday, the Tar Heels landed a verbal commitment from defensive tackle Devin Ancrum. The Georgia native becomes the ninth player in the 2025 class to commit to North Carolina, giving the Tar Heels a top 20 class in the early recruiting cycle.

The 6-foot-2, 295-pound Ancrum is a three-star recruit that is the No. 102 defensive lineman and No. 92 player in the state of Georgia per the 247Sports recruiting rankings.

Ancrum had a total of 16 offers in his recruitment and picked UNC over Duke, Georgia Tech, and NC State. He’s the latest prospect from Mill Creek High to commit to North Carolina, joining 2024 recruits Aiden Banfield and Jaiden Patterson.

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UNC football lands four-star edge rusher in 2025 class

Mack Brown and the UNC football program have landed four-star edge rusher Austin Alexander in the 2025 class.

Mack Brown and the UNC football program received some great news ahead of Saturday’s spring game.

On Friday, four-star edge rusher Austin Alexander pledged his verbal commitment to the Tar Heels. He picked North Carolina over finalists Kentucky, Notre Dame, Stanford, and Wisconsin.  Alexander had a total of 29 offers in his recruitment and was highly sought after.

In the end, it was the Tar Heels that won out to land the Kentucky native and add a big piece to their 2025 recruiting class, boosting the defensive side of the football. It’s also been a long time since UNC landed a commitment from a player in the state of Kentucky, potentially a good sign moving forward.

The 6-foot-3, 243-pound Alexanders is ranked No. 381 nationally, the No. 42 defensive lineman and No. 3 player in the state of Kentucky per the 247Sports recruiting rankings.

He becomes the eighth commitment for UNC in the 2025 cycle, as their class is ranked No. 17 nationally. With a lot of time left to go, it’s a good step forward for Brown and the class with the potential to add a lot more.

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UNC football makes cut for 2026 quarterback

The UNC football program makes the top 10 for a 2026 quarterback as he cut his list down on Thursday.

Mack Brown and the North Carolina Tar Heels’ football program took a step forward in the recruitment for a quarterback prospect in the 2026 class.

On Thursday, Florida native Noah Grubbs cut his list of schools from 24 total offers down to 10 finalists. Grubbs took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that he will focus on UNC, Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Miami, Auburn, Michigan, Texas A&M, Nebraska, and UCF.

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Florida native received an offer from North Carolina in late 2023. With UNC entering the mix, they have made a push for Grubbs and now take the next step in his recruitment.

Grubbs is one of the top quarterbacks not only in Florida but in the 2026 recruiting class.

The news also comes just a few days before Grubbs is set to visit North Carolina this weekend to take in the spring game. He’s also visited Michigan (March 24th), Miami (March 30th), Florida (April 2nd) and Alabama (April 5th-6th).

If the Tar Heels want to land Grubbs, they are going to need to beat out some elite programs in the process. It won’t be easy but a commitment would be a huge get for the future plans at quarterback.

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