The Tar Heels’ 15-10 upset of TCU in Dublin gave Bill Belichick’s team an early-season jolt, and the first PFF breakdown of the year shows exactly where Carolina made its biggest hay. The numbers back up the feel of the game: UNC got real production from a handful of new faces on offense and a defense that lived in TCU’s backfield.
Start with Xavier Lewis, who was the highest-graded Tar Heel on either side of the ball at 82.4. In 54 defensive snaps, he piled up 7 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. PFF credited him with a team-best 78.4 in run defense, a 45.4 tackling grade and a 75.4 mark in pass-rush situations.
Melkart Abou Joude wasn’t far behind at 80.1, and his line reads like the kind of disruptive day coaches dream about. He finished with 4 total tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss and a forced fumble that Jaylen Harvey recovered. His PFF splits were 58.7 in run defense, 75.4 tackling, 87.6 in pass rush and 66.1 in coverage.
Coleman Bryson also showed up in a big way in the secondary. His stat line was modest - 2 tackles and a pass broken up in 34 defensive snaps - but the grading tells a fuller story. Bryson posted a 62.7 in run defense, an 80.2 tackling grade and an 82.0 in coverage.
Harvey’s debut as a Tar Heel had plenty of juice too. The Penn State transfer finished with 5 total tackles, 1 QB hurry and the fumble recovery, and PFF gave him a 67.8 in run defense, a 62.0 tackling grade, a 61.9 pass-rush grade and a 77.3 in coverage.
Greg Smith rounded out the top five on defense with a 71.5.
On offense, Jelani Thurman wasted no time making his presence felt in his UNC debut. The tight end caught 4 of 8 targets for a team-high 94 yards, with a long of 35 and 73 yards after the catch. PFF graded him at 71.7 overall, with a 75.4 on passing plays, a 70.1 as a pass blocker and a 56.1 on run-blocking snaps.
Jordan Shipp was right behind him at 70.9. The junior wideout led Carolina with 5 catches, picked up 18 yards after the catch and played 56 snaps overall, including 33 passing downs and 23 rushing downs. His grades came in at 70.5 on passing plays and 60.0 on running plays.
Demon June made a short outing count. The sophomore running back played only 9 snaps but carried the ball 6 times for 25 yards, averaging 4.2 per carry with an 8-yard long. PFF gave him a 69.0 overall, including a 58.5 on passing downs, a 70.5 on rushing downs and a 60.0 in run blocking.
Jaylen McGill earned his spot in the opener after a strong camp, and he delivered with 5 carries for 33 yards and Carolina’s lone offensive touchdown. He played 25 snaps and was graded at 67.2 overall, with a 53.4 on passing plays, a 77.7 pass-blocking grade, a 70.5 in rushing plays and a 59.9 in run blocking.
Shamar Easter completed the offensive top five at 66.6. He was limited to 12 snaps, catching 1 of 2 targets for 9 yards, and his grades were 67.8 on passing downs and 57.3 on run plays where he was asked to block.
In Other News...
Carson Bertagnole Gives UNC An Early Chance To Make Noise In Knoxville
Carson Bertagnole has given North Carolina a promising opening at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate, where the Tar Heels spent Friday hanging around the top of the board after a steady start in Tennessee. Bertagnole sits one stroke off the lead after rounds of 66 and 69, and his play helped UNC card a 3-under-par first day while staying within reach of the tournament front-runners.
The Tar Heels posted a 2-under 278 in the morning and followed with a 1-under 279 in the afternoon, leaving them five shots behind co-leaders Chattanooga and Memphis. With the field still early in the event, UNC has positioned itself for a weekend push, and Bertagnoles start gives the team a chance to make some noise if the scoring stays within reach. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Already Faces Early Pressure In A Major 5-Star Recruitment
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For UNC, the challenge is simple enough to see and difficult enough to solve: Henry has a long list of heavy hitters around him, including Ohio State, Kentucky, BYU, UConn, Arkansas and Kansas. Louisville coach Pat Kelsey is also said to be making a major push in the recruitment, which adds another layer to a race that is only just beginning to heat up for the Tar Heels. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Found A Defensive Lineman Fans Never Saw Coming
Xavier Lewis was never the obvious name to watch when North Carolina started sorting through its defensive line options, but he has become one of the more intriguing success stories on the roster. A sophomore who was lightly recruited out of high school, Lewis had just one Power 4 offer from UNC and otherwise heard from smaller programs before initially signing with Austin Peay. He later took a preferred walk-on spot in Chapel Hill after Bill Belichick arrived as head coach, and the move has already started to pay off.
Lewis has since turned that opportunity into a scholarship and real defensive production, the kind of rise that speaks to both persistence and fit. His strong showing against TCU stood out as another reminder that UNC may have found a player who was easy to overlook at first but is becoming harder to ignore now. [Read more 🡒]