Keeping It Heel
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Top UNC Football players for 2017: No. 13 Aaron Crawford

By Brandon Griffin

Nov 7, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Jela Duncan (25) is tackled by North Carolina Tar Heels defensive tackles Justin Thomason (98) and Nazair Jones (90) in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Jela Duncan (25) is tackled by North Carolina Tar Heels defensive tackles Justin Thomason (98) and Nazair Jones (90) in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Keeping It Heel continues its countdown of the top 25 players on the North Carolina Tar Heels roster with player No. 13

#25 Noah Ruggles | #24 Tomon Fox | #23 Jordan Cunningham | #22 Tyler Powell 

#21 Brandon Fritts | #20 Jonah Melton | #19 Stanton Truitt | #18 Myles Dorn

#17 Cayson Collins | #16 Michael Carter | #15 Tom Sheldon | #14 JT Cauthen

Keeping It Heel is going to continue to help you countdown the weeks until college football season by revealing our list of the top 25 UNC players for the upcoming season.

The college football season kicks off in less than 100 days. Plus, everyone needs something to take their minds off of the Diamond Heels coming up way short in the baseball playoffs

So what better way to get into the football mood than getting a sneak peek at the future of the Tar Heels.

Let’s take a look at player No. 13, a sophomore defensive tackle who may be taking a bigger role than expected this upcoming season.

Position: Defensive Tackle

Hometown: Ashburn, Virginia

High School: Stone Bridge

Last Season: Last Season, Crawford had 42 total tackles, tied for 10th on the team. He also had 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Crawford spent most of last season as depth behind starters Jalen Dalton and Nazair Jones.

Crawford’s best game came in a 41-7 win over the Citadel. In that game, Crawford had 10 tackles and his only sack.

Why he might move up this list: There is a huge hole on the defensive line left by the departure of Nazair Jones who left early for the draft.

That hole has to be filled by someone and at 6-foot-1, 310-pounds, Crawford is an ideal candidate.

A lot is expected of Crawford who made the preseason All-ACC fourth team.

Why he might move down this list: Crawford isn’t the only one fighting for playing time. Despite the loss of Jones, the Tar Heels have quite some depth on the line.

That depth starts with senior Tyler Powell, who can play both end and tackle, and who will probably move inside again this season.

Crawford also has competition from fellow backup, junior Jeremiah Clarke. Clarke not only did more last season than Crawford, he also is bigger (6-foot-5, 315-pounds) and was Jones’ backup last season.

Additionally, Crawford built up large numbers against FCS competition. Eighteen of his 42 tackles came against James Madison and the Citadel. His two best FBS performances came against Virginia Tech and Stanford, both losses.

Prediction: I still expect Tyler Powell to start as the other defensive tackle next to Jalen Dalton. However, that doesn’t mean Crawford can’t have a productive season as a backup, much like he did last year in the rotation.

Crawford finishes the season with 60 tackles, five for loss, and two sacks rotating with Powell, Dalton, and Clarke.

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