3 UNC football players who should be replaced on the depth chart for 2024

When Ben Kiernan went down with a season-ending injury, the Tar Heels special teams unit took a MASSIVE hit.

Field position became a HUGE issue for the UNC football program, as the punting unit faced a lot of struggles over the final few weeks of the season. As we all know, field position is critical, as you can't afford to give your opponent a short field to work with, especially when your defense spent the majority of the game on the field.

Tom Maginness had issues punting the football, as only three of his 57 attempts went beyond 50 yards. In fact, two of those three came in the same game, as there was a lot of issues for the Tar Heels when the punting unit took the field.

The answer could be incoming freshman Lucas Osada, who is regarded as one of the top kickers in his recruiting class. Although Osada is likely to be a placekicker at some point in his UNC football career, the return of Noah Burnette could open the door for Osada to serve as the team's punter at least for the 2024 season.

Of course, a lot of elements go into punting, especially with regard to blocking. However, this is an area where the Tar Heels can improve and must make some changes.