2022 season: 9-5, 6-2 in the ACC (first in the Coastal Division)
Head coach: Mack Brown (15th season)
For the first two and a half months of the 2022 season, North Carolina was on fire. Across their first ten games, the Tar Heels amassed a 9-1 record, and redshirt freshman Drake Maye played excellent football, throwing 34 touchdowns to just three interceptions. However, North Carolina fell hard in the final stretch of the season, losing each of its final four contests. In a 39-10 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, Maye did not play up to his usual standard, throwing two picks.
Even with a collapse at the end of the season, there’s still cause to celebrate among the Tar Heel faithful. Maye, the defending ACC Player of the Year, is a dual-threat, NFL-caliber quarterback that has the potential to play even better this year. North Carolina has several incoming recruits as a part of its 28th-ranked recruiting class, including wideouts Chris Culliver and Christian Hamilton. Additionally, All-ACC linebacker Cedric Gray is returning to the team for his senior season.
However, other factors make the Tar Heels a candidate for regression in the ACC. Six of their wins were decided by one score or less, and the Tar Heels’ defense let up an average of 30.8 points per game — the worst in the ACC. While one may have expected a coaching change on the defensive end, it was actually the offense that was shaken up the most from last season. Offensive coordinator Phil Longo, credited for helping develop Maye and his predecessor Sam Howell, departed to Wisconsin and was replaced by Chip Lindsey. Meanwhile, star wide receivers Josh Downs and Antoine Green left North Carolina for the NFL draft, leaving a hole at the position.
Even with these uncertainties, Drake Maye should steer the Tar Heels in a respectable direction on offense, and the team should remain near the top of the ACC for the second-straight year. When Duke faces North Carolina Nov. 11, the two teams will be at their most evenly-matched in years, but the advantage of a home crowd in Chapel Hill should give the Tar Heels a solid advantage. All things considered, don’t be surprised if North Carolina returns back to Charlotte for the second-straight year.
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