UNC is expected to be without one of its biggest defensive weapons again when it opens ACC play against Clemson on Saturday afternoon.
Pete Thamel of ESPN reported early Saturday that Melkart Abou Jaoude is not expected to play, marking what would be his second straight missed game because of a hand/wrist injury. He had already been listed as questionable on the ACC availability report.
Abou Jaoude, a Newton, New Jersey native in his second season with the Tar Heels, made a major impact last year by leading the ACC with 10.5 sacks. He got hurt in the season opener against TCU, briefly returned to that game, and then sat out last week’s win over ETSU.
North Carolina would have loved to have him available for this one, especially with a true freshman quarterback on the other side. Abou Jaoude’s ability to wreck plays in the backfield would have given the Tar Heels a major edge.
Even without him, UNC has reason to feel good about where its defense is right now. After giving up 10 points in the first quarter against TCU in Ireland, the Tar Heels have allowed just three points over their last seven quarters.
The hope is that kind of run continues as ACC play begins, even if the Tar Heels have to lean on the next wave of linemen to keep things moving. That’s been the message all week, and it appears UNC may have to stick with it again on Saturday.
There was some optimism during the week that Abou Jaoude might be able to go, but the injury seems to be more serious than first thought. The report suggests UNC is choosing not to push him before he’s ready.
With a small broken bone in the hand/wrist area reportedly involved, the injury raises a few questions, especially since that kind of issue can sometimes be managed with a club or cast. For now, though, the expectation is that Abou Jaoude will be sidelined once more as UNC heads into Clemson.
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There is enough talent to make the conversation interesting, with transfers Terrence Brown and Neoklis Avdalas joining returnee Jarin Stevenson and freshman Maximo Adams as players expected to help offensively. Still, the projection leaves plenty of room for skepticism, and for UNC the bigger question is whether Malone can turn a newly built roster into something that looks like a true contender before the season starts answering it for him. [Read more 🡒]