On Wednesday night, the Atlantic Coast Conference released the initial injury report for this weekend's contests. UNC (along with other ACC schools competing in conference play) will release updated availability reports at 8 p.m. each day leading up to game day, with its final report due two hours before kickoff.
The initial report revealed that both Duke and North Carolina have significant injury concerns just days before their annual rivalry matchup on the gridiron.
The Tar Heels' injury picture is taking shape ahead of rivalry weekend
We already knew Tre Miller would be sidelined after suffering what is believed to be a potential season-ending injury. While none of the other ruled-out players are surprising, a few updates on this list provide clarity.
Duke star tailback Nate Sheppard is questionable for the UNC game. pic.twitter.com/LegQFkHoTb
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 15, 2026
For starters, Kaleb Cost is listed as "doubtful" following the scary injury he suffered against Pittsburgh. With UNC considering him "week-to-week," it seemed the Tar Heels planned to be without the senior defensive back at least for this week's action.
A major concern is Greg Smith appearing on the injury report for the first time this season. The star safety is listed as questionable, and his status will be closely monitored leading up to kickoff on Saturday afternoon.
Fellow starters Isaiah Johnson and Jordan Hall are also listed as questionable, as North Carolina would love to have both of them ready to play. They'd also love to see Jordan Washington, a transfer tight end who has yet to make his UNC debut because of an injury he suffered before the season, play in this one as well.
For Duke, the big storyline is star running back Nate Sheppard, who is listed as questionable. Tar Heel fans remember him well, given he nearly ran for 100 yards against UNC a season ago in Chapel Hill.
Of course, this is subject to change. At this point, the guys to keep close tabs on are the ones who have that questionable status attached to them. Those players tend to have the most movement on these injury reports, and the hope is that those guys who wear Carolina blue will all trend more toward the probable side of things rather than toward not being able to play.
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