Tar Heels get 3 back on defense

Posted Sep 30, 2011
North Carolina may be missing starting safety Jonathan Smith (doubtful because of an ankle injury) and starting linebacker Ebele Okakpu (questionable because of an ankle injury) for Saturday's game at East Carolina. But it will have three other defenders back to help try to slow the Pirates' big-play passing game. (Raleigh News & Observer)

Related: Football, Football Recruiting

Xavier Lewis, Derek McDonald Earn ACC Football Weekly Honors
North Carolina sophomore Xavier Lewis has been named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week, while graduate student Derek McDonald has been selected as the ACC...
Mon Aug 31, 2026

Bill Belichick, The Invested Head Coach
There were times last season where Bill Belichick appeared detached. But if you had any doubt that Belichick was invested against TCU, his celebration at...
Mon Aug 31, 2026

UNC tight end Jelani Thurman turns heads, tops last season’s numbers at Ohio State
In one game, UNC tight end Jelani Thurman, who is on the watchlist for the John Mackey Award that goes to the nation’s top tight...
Mon Aug 31, 2026

Video: Locked On Tar Heels - UNC Football Rewrites Season Outlook
UNC Football silenced TCU with a gritty 15-10 victory in Dublin. Is bowl eligibility back on the table? Isaac Schade discusses the Tar Heels’ renewed...
Mon Aug 31, 2026