UNC Football: 2023 Positional Preview: Defensive Line

Our 2023 UNC football position previews continue with the unit that needs to be a lot better this upcoming season than it was a year ago.

There are no other words to describe it: the UNC football program’s defensive line was one of the worst in the country during the 2022 season.

North Carolina ranked 128th in sacks and 130th in tackles for loss. To put that into perspective, only 131 teams are on the list…

To go along with that, this unit essentially got no pressure on opposing quarterbacks, as pressure in the backfield seemed to be nonexistent. The run defense wasn’t much better, as the unit ranked 86th in the country in that area.

In fact, not one North Carolina defensive lineman had multiple sacks. Three linemen each recorded a single sack, which goes to show you that this unit struggled mightily.

A new season is approaching, and the Tar Heels are hopeful that it brings along much better production from the defensive unit.

What We Know

The good news is that the production from this group can’t get much worse (can it?). Heading into the 2023 season, the defensive line features a lot of depth, as some key returners need to use their experiences from last year to help them improve both individually and as a group.

The addition of Ted Monachino to the coaching staff should help this group continue to improve. Monachino was brought in as a Senior Defensive Analyst, with his main focus being on the outside linebackers and the defensive line.

Without a doubt, the North Carolina coaching staff as a whole must be preaching the importance of creating pressure in the backfield to this group of student-athletes.

The Key Players

If you’re looking for the strength of this group, look no further than the tackle position.

Myles Murphy returns at defensive tackle after starting 12 games a season ago, while former highly-touted recruit Travis Shaw is also a player who could see time at this position or essentially anywhere else on the defensive line. Kevin Hester gained some valuable playing time at nose tackle after Ray Vohasek was lost for the season due to injury, as that experience should help him improve this upcoming season.

Jahvaree Ritzie was the defensive lineman who saw the most snaps during the 2022 season, as Mack Brown and company hope that he can find some consistency moving forward. He showed some flashes, especially against the likes of Clemson and Georgia Tech, but hasn’t fully developed into the player he is capable of being.

After starting the first seven games, Desmond Evans suffered a season-ending injury, and his return should also be a huge factor in this unit. Tomari Fox also returns after he was suspended for the entire 2022 season for testing positive for a banned substance, veteran presence was certainly missed a season ago.

Guys like Jacolbe Cowan, who played in 12 games in his first season with the UNC football program, and Kedrick Bingley-Jones, who has been hampered due to injury, are other players that could see time among the Tar Heels defensive line rotation.

Outlook

In order for the defense to improve, the defensive line needs to step up this year. The UNC football program simply can’t afford to struggle in pass-rushing situations, as it made life easy for opposing quarterbacks to find their open targets.

This group has talent, in fact, there’s a lot of depth to work with here.

If this group can stay healthy, they have players who can help make the talked-about improvements happen. The hope is that this veteran-filled group will be able to get the job done, causing havoc in the opponent’s backfield all season long.

Depth Chart

Nose Guard
Kevin Hester Jr.
Tomari Fox
Travis Shaw

3 Tech
Myles Murphy
Jahvaree Ritzie

Power End
Des Evans
Jahvaree Ritzie
Jacolbe Cowan
Beau Atkinson

Jack
Kaimon Rucker
Amari Gainer

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