Football in the Carolinas, Power Ranking: No. 5 North Carolina
The Tar Heels open the season at the bottom of the power rankings with question marks galore
Ahead of the 2026 college football season, I’ll be dropping my preseason power rankings for the five major teams in the Carolina, including Clemson, Duke, NC State, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Today we begin at the bottom of the power rankings with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Last season was nothing but a train wreck for North Carolina last season under head coach Bill Belichick. The Tar Heels lost five of their first seven games and never recovered en route to a 4-8 finish and missed a bowl game for the first time since 2018.
Belichick aggressively reshaped his operation this season, starting at offensive coordinator. Replacing offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens with former Arkansas and Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino should inject some creativity into the playcalling. It’s fair to question the hire given Petrino’s past, but from purely an on-field perspective this is an upgrade.
The roster also saw significant turnover this offseason with 61 new players entering the program. Whether it works is impossible to know, but it was certainly necessary after missing on several evaluations last season.
The biggest key for North Carolina will be finding capable quarterback play after a roller coaster season with Gio Lopez, who’s since transferred out to Wake Forest. Billy Edwards Jr. appears to be the favorite to start for the Tar Heels in his sixth season. After spending four years at Maryland, including starting in 2024, Edwards played at Wisconsin last year but suffered an early season injury. While not an elite athlete, Edwards showed the ability to be a capable game manager in 2024 with Maryland. It’s also worth mentioning that if things don’t click with Edwards, the Heels have Travis Burgess, a six-foot-five freshman who was highly touted coming out of high school.
While North Carolina didn’t have a star back last season, they do return Demon June and Benjamin Hall as a potential running back by committee. June exploded for over 100 yards against both Richmond and Syracuse last season, but was otherwise inconsistent against tougher competition. I’d expect him to factor in as a pass catcher and speedy runner. Meanwhile Hall never had a true breakout game, but can be a safe, early down runner.
Wide receiver Jordan Shipp was one of the few bright spots last season. Posting 671 yards and 6 touchdowns last season, Shipp is a reliable outside receiver. I was particularly impressed with his route running which should help Edwards have a reliable first option. Opposite of Shipp, Mason Humphrey, a Lehigh transfer, is the most promising option. A six-foot-four receiver who can win jump balls, Humphrey produced for three years at Lehigh showing statistical improvement each season. However the jump from the FCS to the ACC is massive so it may take Humphrey time to adjust to bigger and faster competition.
The offensive line was an area of weakness last season, consistently struggling with penalties last year. The Tar Heels injected some new talent into the right side of the line with guard Andrew Threatt and tackle JacQawn McRoy. Threatt is another FCS star who will need to adjust to the ACC, while McRoy is a six-foot-eight physical beast from Arkansas who did not see playing time. For now, it’s impossible to say whether the line will be improved, but the bar is low.
Defensively, Carolina struggled despite Belichick’s defensive success at the NFL level. The biggest reason for optimism however is the defensive line which improved throughout the season last year. If the Tar Heels are going to take a step forward, the defensive line will need to be the anchor that steps up throughout the season.
Defensive tackle Leroy Jackson impressed as a redshirt freshman last season, posting 36 total tackles and proving himself as a run stopper. Jackson will need to step up as a pass rusher after failing to get a sack last year, but is a safe bet to be the Tar Heels anchor inside on early downs.
Helping in the pass rush is edge rusher Melkhart Abou Jaoude, who racked up an impressive 10.5 sacks. Earning Second Team All-ACC honors last year, Abou Jaoude will be needed in the pass rush. His presence will also be valuable in opening up opportunities for the rest of the defensive line to get to the QB, which is especially key given the unproven nature of the rest of the pass rushers.
Belichick has a long track record of success with linebackers, including Jamie Collins who coaches Carolina’s linebackers. There is virtually no returning production in the linebacker room, making it a challenge for the Tar Heels however as they’ll need players to gel quickly. The top transfers Carolina brought in include Syracuse’s Derek McDonald and Richmond’s Peyton Seelmann. McDonald is a tall, experienced run stuffer who missed most of last season due to injury, but contributed in his first few years with the Orange. Meanwhile Seelmann was a do it all standout at the FCS level with 120 tackles and 2 picks last year, but is undersized and will need to adapt to the ACC, a familiar theme for many of Carolina’s transfers.
Like linebacker, the secondary is also a major question mark. One of Carolina’s biggest recruiting wins was cornerback Kenneth Dopson III, a four star cornerback who flipped from Miami. Known for his impressive man coverage ability, expect Dopson to challenge for a starting role. The Tar Heels also reeled in four star safety Jakob Weatherspoon who could earn playing time. With multiple freshmen potentially seeing the field and other spots still up for grabs, the Carolina secondary has a wide range of outcomes. However, experience is always valuable for defensive backs and right now the Tar Heels lack that, which is a concern for me.
The bottom line for North Carolina is that the Tar Heels need results now. After investing heavily in Belichick and his entire operation, another 4-8 season won’t cut it. The schedule however is very unforgiving with five of the top seven teams in the ACC Preseason Poll on Carolina’s schedule. That doesn’t include TCU, who UNC will face in their season opener in Ireland. Given the schedule, the numerous question marks across the roster, and instability of Belichick’s operation, it would be surprising to see Carolina reach bowl eligibility even if the Tar Heels show improvement from last season.