UNC Football: Tar Heels on the rise in latest 247Sports top 25 rankings

UNC football program on the rise, as Big 10, Pac-12 and other conferences call it quits for 2020 season

Over the past week, the Big 10 and Pac-12 are among those to join the MAC in postposing all fall sports until a later date, and because of that, college football programs from the ACC, Big 12, SEC and other conferences are on the rise in 247Sports’ latest top 25 for 2020.

North Carolina, formerly a fringe preseason top-20 team, is among those that have seen the biggest jump in the site’s latest rankings. The Tar Heels are now the No. 12-ranked team in the country. They currently trail just one ACC program, Clemson, and two if you count the opportunistic Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

"“One program with a grand opportunity to make national noise this fall is North Carolina — and Mack Brown knows it,” writes 247Sports’ Brad Crawford. “All those inexperienced starters on last season’s 7-6 team are a year wiser and received a crash course on outcome-deciding moments in a number of competitive games. He’s got Sam Howell too, one of college football’s brightest sophomore quarterbacks. Look out, Clemson. North Carolina could be a factor in the ACC.”"

Mack Brown and the Tar Heels return one of the ACC’s best teams in 2020, and were the overwhelming preseason favorite to win the Coastal Division before the temporary conference realignment brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. 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.

Although the NCAA recently stated that there won’t be any fall championships in 2020, the Tar Heels have a great opportunity to make noise in the ACC. They’re considered by many to be the Clemson Tigers’ top competition within the ACC. The two teams aren’t scheduled to meet this fall, but could meet in an ACC title game upon completion of the regular season.

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