UNC defense faces tough test against Clemson with loss of Okakpu

Posted Oct 17, 2011
Just when North Carolina’s defense is preparing to face one of its toughest opponents of the season -- undefeated and eighth-ranked Clemson, which is second in the ACC in total offense and points scored – the Tar Heels lose a starting linebacker. Senior Ebele Okakpu has been dismissed for “conduct detrimental to the team,’’ interim head coach Everett Withers announced at his Monday news conference. (Raleigh News & Observer)

Related: Football, Football Recruiting

Bill Belichick, other coaches, call for reforms, but he says fixing tampering ‘above my pay grade’
Five college football coaches sat at the Bill Dooley Pigskin Kickoff on Thursday and covered every corner of a sport in transition: the transfer portal,...
Fri Jul 24, 2026

Steve Newmark Sees Football as 'Anchor' for UNC Athletics
UNC has never quite found its footing in football. To flourish in the new landscape of college athletics, football must be successful and profitable for...
Fri Jul 24, 2026

UNC Football Motivated by Frustrations of 2025 Season
"Nobody likes to lose," Jordan Shipp said Friday. "I wasn’t the only one frustrated. Everybody was frustrated." For Shipp, the former Charlotte prep star, the...
Fri Jul 24, 2026

Detailing Melkart Abou Jaoude’s Offseason
UNC defensive end Melkart Abou Jaoude entered the offseason focused on improving his conditioning. He admitted that last season he sometimes struggled with exhaustion late...
Fri Jul 24, 2026