Through two weeks, North Carolina has already started to reveal a little of what this team can and can’t be in 2026.
The Tar Heels moved to 2-0 with a 35-3 win over East Tennessee State in the home opener, and while the competition makes it tough to draw sweeping conclusions, the snap counts still told a pretty clear story. Some of the Week 0 themes held. Others shifted fast.
One of the clearest takeaways is that North Carolina’s rebuilt offensive line has been locked in early. For the second straight game, the starting front played every snap before the first-team group was pulled after the weather delay. That matters for two reasons: the unit has stayed healthy so far, which was a problem last season, and the offseason additions have looked the part.
At receiver, freshman Sadler has wasted no time climbing the depth chart. It took only half a game for the coaching staff to work him in after Trech Kekahuna’s first-half fumble against TCU opened the door. Sadler, listed at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, played 23 snaps against East Tennessee State, the second-most among the wideouts.
He was in the starting lineup and got targeted on the first play of the game. Once ACC play starts, his role should keep growing, and North Carolina’s staff clearly has high expectations for him in the weeks ahead.
Kekahuna’s workload has gone the other direction. After that fumble, his place in the rotation took a hit, and he logged just 15 snaps against East Tennessee State. The top players were already out before the fourth quarter because of the two-hour weather delay, but the bigger point is that Sadler has moved ahead of the Wisconsin transfer.
The backfield has its own hierarchy taking shape, and sophomore June is still near the bottom. He scored three touchdowns on seven carries and finished with 33 rushing yards, but the snaps tell a different story. He was on the field for just 14 plays on Saturday.
That followed a rough Week 0 from a usage standpoint, when the 5-foot-11, 225-pound back didn’t get his first carry until the fourth quarter. The running backs are going to cut into one another’s production, but so far June has been the one stuck in the least favorable spot in the pecking order.
In Other News...
Bill Belichicks UNC Defense Is Becoming The Teams Early Story
North Carolinas win over ETSU was never really in doubt, and the biggest reason was the same one that has started to define the Tar Heels early on: a defense that keeps tightening its grip as the season opens. UNC rolled to a 35-3 victory while allowing ETSU to break through only late, after the Tar Heels had strung together 15 opposing possessions without giving up a score. It was another step forward for a unit that looked sharp again after its strong outing against TCU.
The pressure came from everywhere for Bill Belichicks group, which finished with seven sacks and forced multiple turnovers even without top defensive player Melkhart Abou Jaoude available. That kind of depth matters in September, especially when a defense is already showing the ability to carry stretches of a game on its own. For North Carolina, the bigger question now is not whether the defense has arrived, but how far this early momentum can go. [Read more 🡒]
Belichicks UNC Rotation Just Sent An Early Message Before Conference Play
North Carolinas 35-3 win over East Tennessee State pushed the Tar Heels to 2-0, but the more revealing part of the afternoon came in how Bill Belichick chose to use his roster. After Kekahunas turnover, Sadler saw a bigger role at slot receiver, while the backfield was spread more evenly between Demon June, Benjamin Hall and Jaylen McGill, giving the offense a more deliberate, rotating feel as conference play gets closer.
On the other side of the ball, North Carolina also took a cautious approach with injured pass rusher Abou Jaoude, sitting him out as a precaution. His status moving forward is still uncertain, which leaves a small but meaningful question hanging over a defense that has already shown it will manage personnel as carefully as results. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Basketball Just Showed Why This Program Means More Than Wins
Carmichael Arena turned into more than a basketball venue this weekend as North Carolina hosted the fifth annual Dribble for Victory Over Cancer, an event that brought together the UNC mens and womens teams, other athletic programs and community members in support of cancer research. The day mixed basketball with purpose, starting with a session on the court before shifting into a one-mile walk around campus, all while coaches Courtney Banghart and Michael Malone welcomed a crowd united by the cause.
The event raised more than $143,000, but the number only tells part of the story. Several players shared personal connections to cancer, underscoring why the gathering has become such a meaningful annual tradition for the program and the wider UNC community, with the events emotional weight carrying well beyond the floor at Carmichael. [Read more 🡒]