Preseason honors coming in hot for multiple UNC football players

We're a little less than three months away from kickoff for the UNC Football's 2024 season and preseason honors have already started to roll in, beginning with Phil Steele's All-American and All-ACC rosters.

Six players on the North Carolina football team made appearances on Steele's first, second, and third All-ACC teams, and three players have earned a spot on his preseason All-American roster.

Running back Omarion Hampton leads the charge as the only UNC football player to make Steele's first-team All-ACC roster and first-team All-American roster- but that shouldn't be a surprise.

The six-foot North Carolina native racked up an insane 1,504 yards on the ground in 2023, complemented by 222 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. Hampton finished the 2023 season as a member of the first-team All-ACC roster and was named to the Walter Camp All-America first team. 

Hampton ranked fourth nationally in rushing yards this past season and looks to improve on those numbers in the 2024 season. With Drake Maye and wide receiver Tez Walker out of the picture, the Tar Heels should look to lean on Hampton and the running game even more this season.

Tight End Bryson Nesbit and linebacker Kaimon Rucker earned a spot on Steele's All-American fourth team.  Nesbit ended 2023 with 585 yards and five touchdowns. Walker's departure should also help Nesbit's number, as he should take on a more significant load in the passing game this season.

The trio of preseason All-Americans were all named to Steele's All-ACC first team, and three other UNC football players appeared on his first, second, and third All-ACC team.

Defensive Back Alijah Huzzie is the fourth and final player named to the All-ACC first team. Huzzie was named an honorable mention All-ACC in the secondary and as a specialist in 2023 and looks to make the first team roster this season.

Linebacker Power Echols earned a spot on the preseason second team, and offensive lineman Willie Lampkin appeared on the third team.

The roster will look a bit different than it did a season ago, but expectations are still very high for this year's squad heading into the 2024 campaign.