Darien Rankin ready to start?

Posted Aug 6, 2012
Coming off an excellent spring season and a good summer of quality work in the weight room, where he's added significant muscle mass, redshirt freshman Darien Rankin finds himself running with the starters at free safety as the Tar Heels work through the first week of training camp. (Tar Heel Illustrated)

Related: Football, Football Recruiting

What Bobby Petrino Brings to UNC’s Offense
Bobby Petrino has brought an old-school feel to Chapel Hill during 15 spring practices, emphasizing player development, especially at quarterback. With fall camp — and...
Sun Jul 26, 2026

UNC football QB race has 'no leader in the clubhouse,' coach Bill Belichick says
The competition among Billy Edwards Jr., Miles O’Neill, Au’Tori Newkirk and Travis Burgess is still wide open, the second-year head coach said, and whichever quarterback...
Sun Jul 26, 2026

Kenan Stadium: A century of adaptation and excellence (1927–2026)
Kenan Stadium was designed not as a mere athletic utility but as a picturesque landmark of UNC's landscape. Nestled within the pine-filled enclave of Kenan...
Sat Jul 25, 2026

Commitment season tiers: How college football programs fared on the recruiting trail
One of Bill Belichick's first acts as UNC's head football coach was a grand tour of the state's top high school programs. Eighteen months later,...
Sat Jul 25, 2026