North Carolina Defense Preview 2025: The Belichicks Take Over the Tar Heel D

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2025 North Carolina Preview
North Carolina Offense Breakdown 
Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season 

- The pass rush lost main man Beau Atkinson to Ohio State, but the transfer portal is bringing in the parts. Pryce Yates (UConn) went from bothering the Tar Heels in the Fenway Bowl to likely being the steady star on the UNC edge. He’s on one side, Smith Vilbert (Penn State) and Melkart Abou-Jaoude (Delaware) will be turned loose from the start.

300-pound CJ Mims is a tough nose tackle from East Carolina, D’Antre Robinson is a strong signing from Florida, and it’ll be a battle of young parts for the other tackle parts with Rodney Lora leaving for UCF.

- The linebacking corps is going through an overhaul with Amare Campbell leaving for Penn State. The addition of Khmori House (Washington) and Mikai Gbayor (Nebraska) should make everything okay, and Evan Bennett is a 230-pound young option for the middle.

- It’s possible the secondary will be the most settled part of the defense. Safeties Will Hardy and Kaleb Cost combined for 97 tackles, and corner Marcus Allen tied Cost for the team lead with two picks with 36 stops.

The portal helps with Thaddeus Dixon an elite corner get from Washington - 16 broken up passes over the last two years - to go along with East Carolina playmaker Gavin Gibson at safety. 

Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season
2025 North Carolina Preview
North Carolina Offense Breakdown