Tag: Willie Lampkin

Several UNC football players tabbed Preseason All-American and All-ACC

The North Carolina Tar Heels could surprise some people on the gridiron this coming season.

Roster-wise, the 2024 UNC football season is going to look significantly different.

Gone are 2023 stars Drake Maye, Devontez Walker and Cedric Gray to the NFL. North Carolina will have a new starting quarterback for the first time in three years, a decision that has yet to be made between Jacolby Criswell, Max Johnson and Conner Harrell, while there isn’t a ton of experience in the wide receiver room behind J.J. Jones and Nate McCollum.

The Tar Heels return plenty of stars, though, headlined by running back Omarion Hampton and jack linebacker Kaimon Rucker. Whichever QB wins the starting job should take advantage of UNC’s deep tight end room, including Bryson Nesbit, John Copenhaver and Texas A&M transfer Jake Johnson.

Just over two months away from North Carolina’s season-opener – Thursday, Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. ET in a rematch with Minnesota – several Tar Heels made college football analyst Phil Steele’s Preseason All-American and All-ACC teams.

Hampton, a Preseason First Team All-American and All-ACC honoree, led the ACC and finished fifth in the country with 1,504 rushing yards last year.

Rucker, a Preseason First Team All-ACC and Fourth Team All-American honoree, led the Tar Heels with 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks last season. Nesbit, also a Preseason First Team All-ACC and Fourth Team All-American, paced UNC’s tight end room with 585 receiving yards and finished second overall with five touchdowns.

Alijah Huzzie, a Preseason First Team All-ACC honoree, led North Carolina with three interceptions last year. He also had the Tar Heels’ lone return touchdown.

Power Echols, a 2023 starting linebacker who formed a formidable 1-2 tandem with Gray, recorded 102 tackles last season. That is most amongst returners.

Willie Lampkin, who rounds out the Preseason honors with his Third Team All-ACC Honors, started all 11 games he appeared in last year on the Tar Heels’ offensive line.

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Which returning UNC offensive lineman is amongst the ACC’s best?

Just how good is UNC offensive lineman Willie Lampkin?

Summer is about to start and – in two months – so will college football.

Michigan will try and defend its National Championship, but that won’t be easy to accomplish, as last year’s starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, starting running back Blake Corum and starting receiver Roman Wilson all were selected in the NFL Draft.

Washington, whom the Wolverines beat in the CFP Title Game, also lost last year’s starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and a pair of starting wide receivers, Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk, to the NFL Draft.

Your North Carolina Tar Heels, ranked as high as 10th in the country last season before another late-season collapse, will not have Drake Maye or Devontez Walker on their offense. UNC does return star running back Omarion Hampton, who broke out for 1,504 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, plus a deep tight end room headlined by Bryson Nesbit.

North Carolina will also have a solid offensive line anchored by Willie Lampkin, who earned Third Team All-ACC honors and started all 11 games he appeared in.

Lampkin is also one of the top returning linemen in the conference, as his 76.2 grade is fourth amongst ACC interior linemen.

Lampkin will be blocking for either Conner Harrell or Max Johnson in the fall, as the Tar Heels have not decided on their starting quarterback yet.

Regardless of who starts under center, it’s nice to know UNC has a reliable piece like Lampkin on its line.

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Transfer Willie Lampkin to start Saturday on UNC offensive line

North Carolina transfer offensive lineman Willie Lampkin is set to start this weekend against South Carolina.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are four days away from kicking off its season, and we are now seeing what the starting lineup will look like.

According to Tar Heel Illustrated, Junior transfer offensive lineman [autotag]Willie Lampkin[/autotag] will start at right guard while backing up the center position against the University of South Carolina this weekend.

Lampkin transferred to UNC after spending three seasons at Coastal Carolina, starting 38 consecutive games for the Chanticleers. The move will impact moving forward as the Tar Heels look for consistency on the line.

UNC will be looking to improve on the protection from last season. Drake Maye was sacked an ACC-high 40 times last season, making the Lampkin one of the more crucial transfers this season.

All eyes will be on Lampkin this weekend as the Tar Heels try to kick its season off with a W.

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