Keeping It Heel
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Top UNC Football players for 2017: No. 17 Cayson Collins

By Brandon Griffin

Sep 24, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Cayson Collins (23) runs onto the field after defeating the Pittsburgh Panthers at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Carolina defeated Pitt 37-36. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Cayson Collins (23) runs onto the field after defeating the Pittsburgh Panthers at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Carolina defeated Pitt 37-36. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-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. 17

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

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

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.

Sure, the NBA playoffs are just now heating up as teams approach the conference finals. That doesn’t mean you don’t need a break for some football action.

And what better way than getting a sneak peek at the future of the Tar Heels.

So let’s get started with player No. 17, a senior who will be counted on to lead the way on defense this season.

Position: Outside Linebacker

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

High School: Berry Academy

Last Season: Collins appeared in all 13 games last season, starting in six of them. He finished with 60 tackles 4 for loss. He also forced two fumbles for the Tar Heels.

The 60 total tackles ranked seventh on the team and fifth among all returning defensive players.

Collins best game came in a win over James Madison. In that game, he had 10 tackles, five solo, and two for loss.

Why he might move up this list: Collins was a big contributor on the team last year. There are only younger guys behind him and no linebackers in the new freshmen class should be an obstacle for playing time.

Collins has good size and the support of the defensive staff.

Why he might move down this list: There isn’t a good reason for Collins not to have another successful season for the Tar Heels. The biggest red flag is he shined best against lower competition.

Two of Collins best games came against the two FCS opponents UNC had last season. Though he also had good showings against Stanford, Georgia Tech, and Florida State as well.

Next: ACC extends football partnership with Notre Dame

Prediction: Collins continues to be a force on the weakside of the defense. He plays strong and finishes in the top five for UNC in tackles.

Collins ends the season with 80 tackles, ten for loss, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

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