UNC defensive leader nominated for prestigious award

While UNC waits for Kaimon Rucker’s return to the football field, Rucker earned a nomination for a prestigious award.

The North Carolina Tar Heels could greatly benefit from the defensive presence of Kaimon Rucker.

Rucker, who led UNC with 8.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2023, has missed the past three games while recovering from a lower-body injury. After generating solid pressure their first two games, the Tar Heels have four total sacks between the NCCU win and JMU loss.

North Carolina’s defense was torched by the Dukes, who won 70-50. A major reason behind that was UNC leaving JMU receivers in wide-open space, but a lack of pressure contributed to JMU’s success, too.

While Rucker is known for his on-field contributions, he was recently nominated for a prestigious off-field award: the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award.

The award is, according to future Hall of Fame NFL tight end Jason Witten’s official website, awarded annually to the college football player who has demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field.

There’s still no definite word on when Rucker will return to the field, though UNC head coach Mack Brown previously said he won’t be out for the season. The Tar Heels could greatly benefit from Rucker’s presence, though – could he be the defensive difference-maker they’re missing?

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