This fall, Tar Heel sports fans will have a bevy of electric teams to cheer for in the stadiums and fields across UNC’s campus.
Whether it’s a team on the rise after a down year or an old juggernaut storming back for another huge season, this year’s fall sports will give students and fans alike moments of cheering, tears and endless energy.
Here's a look at three UNC fall sports teams that deserve close attention.
Football
Through the soaring highs and deep lows that UNC football has grappled with over the last three seasons, two elements remained constant — head coach Mack Brown on the Kenan Stadium sidelines and all-time great UNC quarterback Sam Howell sitting under center.
With Howell now wearing a Washington Commanders jersey in the NFL, though, things are about to change.
Brown and offensive coordinator Phil Longo have two main choices for quarterback — junior Jacolby Criswell and redshirt sophomore Drake Maye. Both signal callers are former 247Sports four-star recruits who showed promise both in practice and on the field last season, and the competition for the start will likely continue up to the beginning of the season.
The defense is being revamped, too. After a loss to South Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, out went Jay Bateman as co-defensive coordinator and in came Gene Chizik as assistant head coach for defense. Chizik has a championship pedigree, coordinating a title-winning defense alongside Brown at Texas in 2005 and winning one as a head coach with Auburn in 2010.
There’s still a lot of uncertainty about how the team will look come August, but they should have the talent to figure it out.
