Countdown to kickoff: UNC football's top 10 most pivotal players for 2016
The tar heels face off Saturday afternoon at Kenan stadium.
With the North Carolina football season just around the corner, we're releasing our list of the 10 most pivotal players for the 2016 Tar Heels in the 10 days leading up to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against Georgia on Sept. 3.
Check in at 6 p.m. each night as we reveal our selections, with the No. 1 player revealed on Friday, Sept. 2.
Honorable mentions: Cayson Collins, junior linebacker; Jalen Dalton, sophomore defensive tackle; T.J. Logan, senior running back
No. 10: Nick Weiler, senior kicker
Kickers rarely get any credit for the overall success of the team, but Weiler showed just how valuable he can be during the 2015 season.
After North Carolina’s kickers put together an embarrassingly bad year in 2014 — hitting just 6-of-13 field goals and none longer than 30 yards — Weiler stepped up this past season as one of the most consistent players for the ACC Coastal Division winners. The kicker from Fairfax Station, Virginia, made 20 of his 23 attempts in his junior campaign, including an impressive 16-for-17 mark from within 40 yards.
While Weiler’s impact was overshadowed in UNC’s many blowout wins in 2015, the Tar Heels face stiffer competition in 2016 — which could give Weiler a more visible stage to prove his worth in late-game situations.
No. 9: Donnie Miles, redshirt junior safety
After starting six games in UNC’s hybrid defense in 2014, Miles excelled in a strong safety role a year ago, starting all 13 games and leading the team with 128 tackles.
The junior from Miami, Florida also added two pass breakups in 2015 to aid an improved UNC pass defense — one that will rely more on Miles this season after the departure of veteran free safety Sam Smiley.
And with longtime linebackers Shakeel Rashad and Jeff Schoettmer graduated, Miles’ consistency will be crucial for UNC’s unproven run defense in 2016.
No. 8: Lucas Crowley, senior center
A year after earning third-team All-ACC honors, Crowley will anchor a veteran North Carolina offensive line in 2016.
The center from Ponte Vedra, Florida enters his third season as a full-time starter with the Tar Heels, but this year might be his toughest. With Landon Turner departed and John Ferranto injured, the burden falls on Crowley to provide a veteran presence inside.
UNC boasted one of the best offensives lines in the country a season ago. This season, Crowley could be the lynchpin for North Carolina’s potent rushing attack.
No. 7: Des Lawrence, senior cornerback
As a junior in 2015, Lawrence was a large reason why North Carolina’s pass defense improved so drastically from the year before.
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Often matching up against the opponent’s best receiver, the cornerback from Charlotte held his matchup in check for the better part of most games. Against Pittsburgh’s Tyler Boyd — widely regarded as one of the best receivers in the country — Lawrence tallied four pass breakups to help UNC to a 26-19 win.
In 2016, Lawrence takes over as the senior leader for the “Rude Boys.” If he is able to produce like he did a season ago while acting as an example for his teammates, the Tar Heels should see their pass defense get even better as the season progresses.
No. 6: Mack Hollins, senior receiver
Hollins is easily one of the most vocal players on the team, but he has shown in each of the past two seasons that he's not all talk.
After seeing the majority of his playing time on special teams in his first year in Chapel Hill, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver from Rockville, Maryland blossomed into a legitimate threat in the passing game.
Hollins has led the Tar Heels in receiving yards in each of the past two seasons, and has solidified himself as the team's No. 1 receiver heading into 2016.
The senior will have to sit out the first half of the season-opener against Georgia because of a targeting penalty he received in UNC's bowl game a season ago, but don't expect that to keep him from talking — and making plays when he finally steps onto the field.
No. 5: M.J. Stewart, junior cornerback
While Lawrence was selected as a Preseason All-ACC honoree by the media, his partner in crime in the secondary — M.J. Stewart — was left off the team, a puzzling move considering how valuable the latter was to the turnaround of UNC's pass defense in 2015.
After finishing his first season in Chapel Hill with just 26 tackles, the cornerback from Arlington, Virginia took the ACC by storm as a sophomore. Opposing quarterbacks completed just 31-of-69 passes against Stewart last season, and his four interceptions ranked third in the ACC.
In 2016, Stewart will occupy both the No. 2 corner role and the nickel position. And while the added workload could prove challenging at the beginning of the season, Stewart has shown that he has the athleticism and the football IQ to handle it.
No. 4: Ryan Switzer, senior receiver
Switzer's impact on the Tar Heels can't be understated because of his ability to change the game — both as a receiving threat and as a dynamic return man.
After returning five punts for touchdowns during his first season in Chapel Hill, the receiver from Charleston, West Virginia slowed down a little bit in the special teams department, but was still able to put up respectable numbers as a pass catcher.
He added two more punt return touchdowns a season ago, setting himself up for a possible record-breaking year in 2016. With two more punt return touchdowns, Switzer will break the NCAA record for most in a career — and he seems poised to do so.
No. 3: Nazair Jones, junior defensive tackle
Jones is a force to be reckoned with. In 2015, he totaled 40 tackles and an interception in nine games. He has also forced two fumbles in his career.
The Tar Heels faced defensive embarrassment at the end of the 2015 season, allowing 645 rushing yards to Baylor and 319 to Clemson. Those two losses give the Tar Heels a challenge — proving their status as a defensive competitor.
Jones, who earned 31 votes on the preseason All-ACC ballot, will be critical for UNC as it seeks to redeem its rush defense. As the Tar Heels take on high-powered rushing offenses like Georgia and Florida State, Jones’ performance will be paramount to the team’s continued success.
No. 2: Elijah Hood, junior running back
Hood is the spark to UNC’s offense. The preseason All-ACC running back rushed for 1,463 yards in 2015, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Naturally, North Carolina is dependent on the run game — and Hood — for steady yardage on drives.
Former Tar Heel quarterback Marquise Williams graduated after the 2015 season, leaving North Carolina with one less running option. Williams holds the UNC quarterback record for most career rushing yards (2,458) and most career rushing touchdowns (35).
With Williams gone, the Tar Heels will rely on the Charlotte native even more. As Hood sees more carries, it will be imperative that he continues to excel. UNC’s success will depend on strong rushing, and that starts with Hood.
Come Saturday, the redshirt junior will take the reins of the UNC offense as starting quarterback. All eyes will be on him.
It will not be easy to replace Marquise Williams, the former Tar Heel quarterback who led UNC to win a Coastal Division Championship a season ago and holds UNC quarterback rushing records. But Trubisky is going to try.
The team’s success is dependent on how Trubisky fares in his new role. His fate and North Carolina’s have become intertwined.
