UNC Football
Complete coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels Football.
Former UNC DB Patrice Rene Transfers To Rutgers
Former North Carolina defensive back
Patrice Rene was a former Rutgers commit and after spending the past five seasons as a Tar Heel, Rene will transfer to Rutgers with one season of eligibility remaining. His other finalist was Auburn. Rene is a native of Ottawa, Canada, and Rutgers linebackers coach Bob Fraser had previously recruited Rene out of Canada. (
247 Sports)
2021 college football rankings: UNC ranked 11th by Sports Illustrated, 10th by Athlon Sports
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.
Hometown Heroes: Mack and Sally Brown
Mack Brown and Sally Brown returned to Chapel Hill two years ago when Mack was hired for a second stint as North Carolina's head football coach. Since then, he’s rebuilt the team into a serious contender in the ACC and capped off the 2020 season with a trip to the Orange Bowl. Sally has been a prominent real estate developer and community advocate. (
Chapelboro.com)
UNC Football Ranked No. 7 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 Poll for 2021
Following Alabama’s win over Ohio State in Monday's college football national championship game, ESPN wasted no time publishing its "Way-Too-Early" top 25 rankings for 2021 - a list that ranked UNC No. 7 heading into next season. The Tar Heels will return 21 of 22 starters from this year’s Orange Bowl in 2021, including quarterback
Sam Howell. (
Chapelboro.com)
Video: THI Podcast - UNC Football Defense Recap & Look Ahead
Staff writer Jacob Turner and publisher Andrew Jones of Tar Heel Illustrated recap North Carolina's 2020 defense and look ahead to the 2021 football season in part three of their four-part UNC football podcast series.
Read More...
Tue Jan 12, 2021
Carolina Insider Podcast: Syracuse Preview, Kevin Donnalley
Jones Angell and Adam Lucas preview UNC's matchup tonight with Syracuse. Former UNC football player, 13-year NFL vet, and Carolina football's Director of High School relations,
Kevin Donnalley, then discusses his role with the Tar Heels, playing more than a decade in the NFL, and tells some great
Mack Brown stories.
Read More...
Tue Jan 12, 2021
Ranking college football's richest, poorest programs
52. North Carolina ($39.3 million): Expect UNC's number to climb substantially next year after
Mack Brown's success on the football field in Chapel Hill. The loss of the NCAA Tournament will be felt nationwide from a basketball standpoint, but the university is in great hands with renovations to Kenan Stadium and a re-energized fanbase thanks to Brown. (
247 Sports)
College football teams on the rise in 2021
Rapid ascension. North Carolina nearly closed out its second season under
Mack Brown inside the Top 10 with a win over fifth-ranked Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl, but it wasn't to be. The statement was made, however. The Tar Heels are here and they're not going away anytime soon. Brown attributed the program's noticeable lift to QB
Sam Howell. (
247 Sports)
2021 college football rankings: UNC ranked 14th by Sporting News, 9th by Stadium, 6th by 247 Sports
Sporting News (
ranked 14th):
Mack Brown led the Tar Heels to a New Year's Day 6 Bowl in his second season — a testament to the quick rebuild. Stadium (
ranked 9th): UNC returns 18 starters, most notably
Sam Howell, the entire offensive line and
Tomon Fox. 247 Sports (
ranked 6th): Is Mack’s third season back in Chapel Hill the breakthrough season?
Khafre Brown, Josh Downs listed among college football breakout players for 2021
UNC quarterback
Sam Howell is going to need more playmakers next season. With the Tar Heels dealing with opt-outs at running back and receiver in the Orange Bowl,
Josh Downs stepped up with four catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns, while
Khafre Brown grabbed two receptions for 40 yards. Both players should be more involved in 2021. (
Athlon Sports)