ACC Football: North Carolina 2025 Football Season Preview

Key to the Season

Holding up against the run.
Stop the run, and everything else should work. Last year’s team allowed four yards or more per carry seven times, and lost four games. It was 6-0 when allowing fewer than that.

Key Player

Davion Gause, RB Soph.
Omarion Hampton did everything for the offense, including being a top receiver. It’s asking way too much for Gause to be Hampton, but he’s a talented and could be a breakout star.. 

Transfers

Top Transfer In: Daniel King, OG Sr.
A 6-5, 340-pound All-Sun Belt player, he’s a great pass blocker who can play anywhere but center. A tackle for Troy, he’ll likely work as a guard.

Top Transfer Out: Howard Sampson, OT Jr.
The 6-8, 325-pound pro prospect would’ve been a great fit for the Tar Heels, but he’s now at Texas Tech. 

Key Game

TCU, Sept. 1
North Carolina is kicking off the Bill Belichik head coach era this year with a blast of a game against TCU. But thjs TCU team is better than the one who lost to Colorado Buffaloes last year.

Top 10 Players

1. Thaddeus Dixon, CB Sr.
2. Gio Lopez, QB Soph.
3. Khmori House, LB Soph.
4. Daniel King, OG Sr.
5. Kaleb Cost, S Jr.
6. Pryce Yates, EDGE Sr.
7. William Boone, OT Sr.
8. Mikai Gbayor, LB Sr.
9. Davion Gause, RB Soph.
9. Smith Vilbert, EDGE Sr.

2024 Stats

– North Carolina Scoring: 1st Quarter 66, 2nd Quarter 116

– 4th Down Conversions: Opponents 10-of-19 (53%), North Carolina 13-of-27 (48%)

– Rushing Yards Per Attempt: North Carolina 4.8, Opponents 3.9

North Carolina Tar Heels 2025 Season Prediction and Final thoughts

North Carolina has a sneaky-tough schedule.
The Tar Heels get Clemson at home, they don’t play Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, or SMU, and missing Boston College, Pitt, and Virginia Tech isn’t bad.

The toughest road game is probably NC State. The back half of the schedule has a run of four games in five weeks against teams that are coming off losing seasons.  There are holes on this roster make no mistake, but there’s not a game they can’t win. There’s no excuse not to push for 10 wins which would be the first since 2015.