Since Mack Brown’s return to Chapel Hill, the UNC football defensive line has seen a vast overhaul.
During Brown’s first season in 2019, co-defensive coordinator Jay Bateman relied heavily upon veterans on the line due to a lack of depth at the position, but the talent level has risen up front for the Tar Heels over the past two seasons.
The Tar Heels return all of their defensive linemen who received snaps in the Orange Bowl loss to No. 5 Texas A&M last season, with senior Raymond Vohasek set to return along with juniors Tomari Fox and Jahlil Taylor. Sophomores Myles Murphy, Kevin Hester Jr. and Clyde Pinder Jr. will also be back.
Sophomore Kristian Varner and redshirt first-year Kedrick Bingley-Jones — who was held back by injuries last season — are also set to contribute in 2021.
Along with the returning talent, the Tar Heels also added two more blue-chip players to the rotation up front in the 2021 class, with talented first-years Keeshawn Silver and Jahvaree Ritzie seeking to earn playing time as well.
The number of bodies up front will not be an issue for the Tar Heels this season, but the onus falls on the less experienced players to step up.
Fox, who is the younger brother of graduate linebacker Tomon Fox, has witnessed the defensive line overhaul first-hand since he stepped foot on campus in Chapel Hill. The Georgia native expects big things from them heading into his third year.
“It’s at a point where we don't have any more pups,” Fox said. “Everybody’s a big dog now, so it’s just a matter of who’s going in first. And you’re probably not even going to notice the change, because even if we swap out, we’re just going to keep coming. There’s not going to be any difference in play.”
Although there are a lot of underclassmen up front for the Tar Heels, having the veterans around has aided the development of some of the younger athletes.
