North Carolina Offense Preview 2025: The Tar Heels Rebuilt Fast
Offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens has been around for a few years, and he has plenty of interesting parts to work with.Last year's Tar Heel offense struggled with its consistency. The passing game didn't do much on a regular basis, the pass protection was lousy, and the O scored 24 points or fewer five times. But the ground attack was solid, the transfer portal cranked up the depth, and this should be a steadier season.
X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN2025 North Carolina Preview North Carolina Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season - The offensive front is undergoing the biggest overhaul. It lost star tackle Howard Sampson to Texas Tech, but three starters are back. Trevyon Green is a 6-7, 340-pound tackle on one side, Austin Blaske is an NFL-sized center, and Aidan Banfield is a promising young guard.Daniel King (Troy) and William Boone (Prairie View A&M) are massive prospects among the several new prospects to work around this fall. This group will pound for the ground game, but …
- Omarion Hampton is off being a Los Angeles Charger after running for over 3,000 yards with 30 scores over the last two years. A top receiver, he did it all for the offense, and now it's up to No. 2 and Davion Gause to rise up after running for 326 yards and four scores. He and Caleb Hood will form more of a rotation. The ground game will get help from …
- Gio Lopez was the big get from the transfer portal. The South Alabama quarterback threw for over 3,000 yards with 22 scores and seven picks, and he ran for over 600 yards with nine touchdowns. He's not big, but he's a dangerous baller.Max Johnson was the big transfer last year, but he got knocked out for the season early on with a bad leg injury. He'll still get his shot this fall. - The offense will spread the ball around, but the receiving corps is a question mark. Aziah Johnson is a deep threat from Michigan State, but Kobe Paysour is the leading returning receiver with just 21 catches for 365 yards. South Carolina's Connor Cox will rotate in at tight end. North Carolina Defense Breakdown2025 North Carolina Preview Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season
© 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
11 minutes ago
- USA Today
Notre Dame commit Chaston Smith heads to Five-Star Showcase
Future Fighting Irish corner to join over 100 other players .@chastonsmith_4 ✈️ RIVALS FIVE-STAR4⭐️ Chaston Smith is officially LOCKED IN to join 100 of the best prospects in the country to compete in Indianapolis on June 23-24 🔥 Notre Dame commit Chaston Smith is heading to Indianapolis to take part in the Five-Star Showcase next week. The four-star corner cornerback from the class of 2026 will be one of 104 high-school players gathering at the Indianapolis Colts' practice facility on June 23-24. The event is a chance for these players to show off their skills. Players will compete in various events such as fastest man, a bench-press challenge, individual one-on-ones, a lineman challenge and 7-on-7 competitions. Former NFL players will coach the young prospects. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Tim on X: @tehealey
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former NFL, Ohio State offensive lineman Kirk Barton charged after fatal crash in Ohio
Former Chicago Bears draft pick Kirk Barton, shown here in 2008, has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide following a fatal crash early Saturday in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo by Getty Images) Former Ohio State offensive lineman Kirk Barton has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide following a fatal crash early Saturday in Dublin, Ohio, according to NBC4. According to the City of Dublin, Barton, 40, is suspected of driving a Ford F-150 Raptor pickup truck "at a high rate of speed" before entering Historic Dublin, where he crashed into a Lexus on West Bridge Street around 3 a.m. Advertisement The driver of the Lexus, 24-year-old Ethan Perry, died on the scene, according to the city. Barton sustained non-life-threatening injuries. He was eventually released from Riverside Methodist Hospital into Dublin Police custody, the city said. Barton was then moved to Franklin County Jail. NBC4 reported Saturday that Barton was charged with a second-degree felony count of aggravated vehicular homicide while operating a vehicle under the influence, according to Franklin County court records, which also show Barton has been charged with multiple traffic-related offenses in the past. Barton is scheduled for an arraignment Monday at 9 a.m., per NBC4. Advertisement Once a 2008 seventh-round NFL Draft pick of the Chicago Bears, Barton bounced around the league during his three-year pro career. In addition to the Bears, he also spent time with the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. Barton played at Ohio State from 2003-07. He earned first-team All-American honors at right tackle in 2007. That season, the Buckeyes went 11-2 and finished No. 5 in the AP Poll. Ohio State was ranked the No. 1 team in the country before losing the BCS championship to LSU 38-24.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Steelers Defensive Tackle Derrick Harmon Named to Preseason All-Rookie Team
Steelers Defensive Tackle Derrick Harmon Named to Preseason All-Rookie Team originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As coach Mike Tomlin said before the draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers had an "extreme urgency" to upgrade the defensive line, and that's exactly what they did. Advertisement By passing on a quarterback at No. 21 overall, general manager Omar Khan solidified the Steelers' defense-first mentality. Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon's selection might've given Pittsburgh an easy transition for when Cameron Heyward decides to hang up his cleats. Harmon was just named to Preseason All-Rookie Team as selected by writer Gennaro Filice. "Typically, this is the time of year when NOTHING is guaranteed. Coaches constantly stress that rookies -- no matter how highly they're drafted -- must earn their keep before even thinking about filling a starting slot. Apparently, though, the Steelers aren't doing that whole song and dance with Harmon. Instinctive and versatile with a well-rounded skill set, the first-round pick is the kind of defensive lineman who thrives in Pittsburgh. Advertisement "Harmon racked up an eye-popping 55 pressures in 2024 -- 12 more than any other FBS interior D-lineman, per PFF -- and now he gets to learn from a 15th-year pro with a doctorate in disruption, Cam Heyward." After rookie minicamp, voluntary OTAs and mandatory mincamp, Harmon is already impressing his coaches. "He goes out there with the ones," defensive line coach Karl Dunbar said last week, via "He's our left starting defensive tackle. You can write that." Harmon led the FBS last season with 34 quarterback pressures and as a defensive tackle, was second with a 10.7 percent pressure rate. Advertisement Last year, the Steelers' run defense collapsed en route to an 0-5 finish to the season, including the Wild Card loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Harmon should help prevent that this upcoming season. Related: Guilty Plea Results from Drone Incident During Steelers-Ravens Wild Card Game Related: Steelers Rookie QB Describes 'Good Vibe' with Aaron Rodgers This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
