Peyton Seelmann’s best work came when North Carolina needed it most, and the conference noticed.
After his 16-tackle performance in the Tar Heels’ 24-20 road win at Duke last Saturday, Seelmann was named ACC Linebacker of the Week, the league office announced Monday. The junior linebacker piled up a game-high total and helped anchor a Carolina defense that came through in the final stretch.
Seelmann’s stat line was busy from top to bottom. He finished with seven solo tackles and nine assisted tackles, along with 0.5 tackles for loss, a half sack for seven yards and a quarterback hurry. His impact kept growing as the game wore on: 13 of his tackles came in the second half, including seven in the fourth quarter.
That late push also helped produce one of the game’s key defensive plays. Seelmann’s pass rush in the fourth quarter forced an intentional grounding call against Duke’s quarterback, and the play was credited as a half sack and a tackle for loss. It marked just the second sack allowed by the Blue Devils’ offensive line this season.
The 16 tackles are the most by a Carolina player since Nov. 25, 2023, when Cedric Gray, now with the Tennessee Titans, had 17. For Seelmann, a transfer from Richmond, it was also the highest tackle total of his career against a Power Four opponent. He had previously posted a career-high 20 tackles in a game last year at Richmond.
His outing didn’t just stand out in Chapel Hill. The 16 tackles were the most by an ACC player last week and the second most by an ACC player this season.
North Carolina’s defense also did major work against Duke’s ground game, holding the Blue Devils to a season-low 124 rushing yards. Duke had entered the matchup averaging 226.6 rushing yards per game.
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What made the performance stand out most was when it happened. Seelmanns work in the second half, especially down the stretch in the fourth quarter, helped steady a UNC defense that needed stops to finish the job, and it offered a timely reminder that the Tar Heels may have found a more reliable presence in the middle of the field. For a team looking for answers on that side of the ball, nights like this are the kind that can change the conversation. [Read more 🡒]