2021 college football rankings: UNC ranked 11th by Sports Illustrated, 10th by Athlon Sports

Posted Jan 13, 2021
Sports Illustrated (ranked 11th): Sam Howell enters 2021 as arguably the nation’s top QB, having thrown for more than 7,000 yards in two seasons. Athlon Sports (ranked 10th): True freshman Tony Grimes is a rising star to watch at cornerback, and this unit will look to get more contributions out of Myles Murphy and Desmond Evans in the trenches.

Related: Football, Football Recruiting

Bill Belichick Assuming Role of UNC Class Monitor This Spring
Bill Belichick arrived at the football center with a clipboard in hand and a massive grin on his face. One so big, Christo Kelly thought...
Fri Apr 24, 2026

UNC Football Odds & Ends: Culture, Bobby Petrino's Offense, Defensive Line & More
UNC Football concludes spring practice Friday with a closed scrimmage. An often-asked question around the program this spring has been about its culture. That was...
Fri Apr 24, 2026

Why UNC’s Michael Malone hire is no Bill Belichick rerun
Given the way UNC’s football coaching search played out, many compared basketball coach Michael Malone’s hiring to Bill Belichick’s. On the surface, the comparison makes...
Fri Apr 24, 2026

Defensive Lineman Leroy Jackson Working to Build on Breakout Season at UNC
Now a redshirt sophomore Leroy Jackson enters 2026 as UNC Football’s third-leading returning tackler along the defensive line, trailing Melkart Abou-Jaoude (47) and Isaiah Johnson...
Thu Apr 23, 2026