UNC Football: Tar Heels make top-20 of Athlon Sports’ Top 25

The UNC football program is No. 18 in Athlon Sports’ preseason top 25 poll

The North Carolina Tar Heels return one of the ACC’s best teams in 2020, and the overwhelming preseason favorite to win the Coastal Division. That’s thanks to rising sophomore quarterback Sam Howell, a dynamic duo of receivers in Dazz Newsome and Dyami Brown, as well as a talented back field that includes Javonte Williams and Michael Carter.

Howell threw for 3,641 passing yards and 38 touchdowns through the air last season — the most ever by a true freshman. He also ran for a touchdown, caught a touchdown and threw just seven interceptions on the season. He had a 61.4 completion percentage on the season, and a passer rating of 160.2.

Newsome and Brown combined for 123 receptions, 2,052 yards and 22 touchdowns a season ago. They headline a UNC receiving corp that should benefit greatly from a more experienced version of an already dynamic Howell that will be looking to air the ball out early and often in 2020. Williams and Carter combined for nearly 2,000 yards on better than 5.5 yards-per-carry in 2019, and scored eight of the Tar Heels’ 13 rushing touchdowns. They should have plenty of running room this season thanks to UNC offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s “air raid” attack.

Also in the fold for North Carolina this season is senior linebacker Chazz Surratt. He heads up a UNC defense that should be improved from a season ago, having another year of experience under co-defensive coordinators Jay Bateman and Tommy Thigpen.

Athlon Sports spotlighted the 2020 Tar Heels this week, giving analysis for exactly what makes the Tar Heels the preseason No. 18 team in the country this year.

"“It’s no coincidence that all seven Coastal teams have won the division in the last seven years. The only safe prediction has been chaos, but it’s possible UNC is ready to emerge as a consistent winner. The Tar Heels have tough nonconference games at UCF and vs. Auburn to kick off the season, but their league schedule is favorable with interdivision games at Boston College and at home vs. NC State. If they can successfully navigate a difficult October that features a home game against Virginia Tech and trips to Virginia, Duke and Miami, they should contend for their first Coastal crown since 2015.”"

There’s no doubt that the expectations for the Tar Heels this season are off the charts, particularly for a team that won just five combined games in two years prior to Mack Brown’s return in 2019, finishing in seventh-place both seasons. If the Tar Heels’ offense can be as good or better than it was a season ago, and the defense performs just adequately, they should be in pretty good position to win the Coastal Division for the first time since 2015.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the UNC football program.