| Year: | 2023 |
| Team: | North Carolina Tar Heels |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Short Conf: | ACC |
| Record: | 8–5 |
| Conf Record: | 4–4 |
| Head Coach: | Mack Brown |
| Hc Year: | 15th |
| Off Coach: | Chip Lindsey |
| Off Scheme: | Air raid |
| Oc Year: | 1st |
| Def Coach: | Gene Chizik |
| Dc Year: | 4th |
| Def Scheme: | 4–2–5 or 4–3 |
| Stadium: | Kenan Memorial Stadium |
| Bowl: | Duke's Mayo Bowl |
| Bowl Result: | L 10–30 vs. West Virginia |
The 2023 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tar Heels were led by head coach Mack Brown, who was in the fifth season of his second stint at North Carolina and 15th overall season at the university. The team played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium.
After the ACC Championship Game, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Phil Longo accepted the same position at Wisconsin. Offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. followed Longo to Madison after one year in Chapel Hill.[1]
On December 14, 2022, the Tar Heels hired Randy Clements as the new offensive line coach,[2] and would also hire Chip Lindsey to fill the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach vacancy.[3] Along with the new hires, AHC/WR coach Lonnie Galloway added the title of pass game coordinator, and then-TE coach John Lilly added the title of run game coordinator.
Cornerbacks coach and Tar Heel football legend Dré Bly would leave the program in January,[4] and would be replaced in the position by Indiana safeties coach Jason Jones.[5]
In February, John Lilly left to take the TE coach position on Frank Reich's Carolina Panthers staff.[6] He was replaced four days later by former Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens.[7] Kitchens was introduced officially on March 1, in the team's pre-spring practice press conference. Kitchens retains Lilly's former title of run game coordinator as well.
Former Tar Heel letterman and longtime NFL assistant Clyde Christensen joined the staff as a volunteer offensive analyst as well, after several seasons as the quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[8]
The defensive staff was fortified also, as former NFL assistant coach Ted Monachino was hired as a defensive analyst.[9]
See main article: 2023 NFL draft.
The following Tar Heels were selected in the 2023 NFL draft.
| 3 | 79 | WR | Indianapolis Colts | ||
| 5 | 169 | OL | Dallas Cowboys | ||
| 7 | 219 | WR | Detroit Lions | ||
| 7 | 227 | DL | Jacksonville Jaguars |
Per NCAA guidance, players can enter the transfer portal in one of two windows. The first, a 45-day period following the conclusion of the sport's regular season, opened for football in December 2022 and closed in January 2023. A second, shorter transfer period opened on April 15, following the conclusion of spring practice.
Source: [10]
| Name | No. | Pos. | Height | Weight | Hometown | Year | New school | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dontae Balfour | 14 | DB | 6'1" | 180 | Freshman | Charlotte | ||
| Tymir Brown | 28 | DB | 6'0" | 180 | Freshman | ECU | ||
| Chris Collins | 17 | DL | 6'4" | 245 | Graduate | Minnesota | ||
| Ja'Qurious Conley‡ | 0 | DB | 6'1" | 215 | Junior | «» | ||
| Jacolby Criswell | 6 | QB | 6'1" | 225 | Sophomore | Arkansas | ||
| Raneiria "RaRa" Dillworth | 11 | LB | 6'1" | 200 | Sophomore | ECU | ||
| 3 | DB | 6'0" | 200 | Senior | Louisville | |||
| 1 | DB | 6'0" | 195 | Junior | Texas A&M | |||
| Ladaeson Deandre Hollins‡ | 15 | DB | 6'1" | 200 | Graduate | Charlotte | ||
| Bryson Jennings‡ | 19 | DL | 6'4" | 245 | Freshman | Liberty | ||
| Kendall Karr | 82 | TE | 6'3" | 250 | Sophomore | Coastal Carolina | ||
| Cam'Ron Kelly | 9 | DB | 6'1" | 210 | Senior | Louisville | ||
| Jonathan Kim | 95 | PK | 6'0" | 210 | Senior | Michigan State | ||
| Dontavius Nash | 21 | DB | 6'2" | 180 | Freshman | ECU | ||
| Justin Olson | 83 | WR | 6'2" | 200 | Junior | MTSU | ||
| Keeshawn Silver | 55 | DL | 6'5" | 315 | Freshman | Kentucky | ||
| Gabe Stephens‡ | 34 | DL | 6'3" | 220 | Sophomore | Eastern Kentucky | ||
| Jahlil Taylor | 52 | DL | 6'0" | 295 | Senior | ODU |
‡ Entered transfer portal following the conclusion of spring practices.
«» Indicates player did not enroll at a new school.
Source:
| Name | No. | Pos. | Height | Weight | Hometown | Year | Previous school | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derrik Allen | 7 | DB | 6'2" | 211 | Graduate | Georgia Tech | ||
| Armani Chatman | 9 | DB | 6'0" | 180 | Graduate | Virginia Tech | ||
| Ryan Coe | 40 | K | 6'3" | 225 | Graduate | Cincinnati | ||
| Amari Gainer | 3 | Jack | 6'3" | 237 | Graduate | Florida State | ||
| 28 | DB | 5'11" | 190 | Junior | ||||
| Willie Lampkin | 53 | OL | 6'0" | 275 | Senior | Coastal Carolina | ||
| Antavious "Stick" Lane | 1 | DB | 5'9" | 180 | Graduate | Georgia State | ||
| Tom Maginness | 96 | P | 6'0" | 220 | Sophomore | ProKick Australia | ||
| Nate McCollum | 6 | WR | 5'11" | 185 | Senior | Georgia Tech | ||
| 9 | WR | 6'3" | 190 | Junior | Kent State |
See main article: 2023 college football recruiting class. Source:[11]
North Carolina signed 20 players in the class of 2023. The Tar Heels' class finished 30th in the 247Sports composite rankings, 28th in the Rivals rankings, and 29th in the ESPN.com rankings. Four signees were ranked in the ESPN 300 prospect list.
| North Carolina Tar Heels coaches | ||||||||
| 15th | ||||||||
| 1st | ||||||||
| Run game coordinator/Tight ends coach | align=center | 1st | ||||||
| Randy Clements | Offensive line coach | 1st | ||||||
| Lonnie Galloway | Assistant head coach/Pass Game coordinator/Wide receivers | 5th | ||||||
| Larry Porter | Special Teams coordinator/Running backs | 3rd | ||||||
| 4th | ||||||||
| Co-defensive coordinator/Defensive backs coach | 2nd | |||||||
| Co-defensive coordinator/Inside Linebackers coach | 6th | |||||||
| Tim Cross | 5th | |||||||
| Jason Jones | Cornerbacks coach | 1st | ||||||
| Brian Hess | Head strength and conditioning coach | 5th | ||||||
| Senior advisor to head coach | 5th | |||||||
| Darrell Moody | Senior advisor to head coach | 5th | ||||||
| Volunteer Offensive Analyst | 1st | |||||||
| Senior Defensive Analyst | 1st | |||||||
| Reference:[12] | ||||||||
The 2023 ACC conference football schedule was released on January 30, 2023.[14] [15] The 2023 season will be the conference's first season under a new single-division format. The 3-5-5 model gives each team three set conference opponents to play every season, while playing the remaining ten teams twice (once at home and once on the road) in a four–year cycle. The Tar Heels' non-rotating opponents are all traditional rivalries: Duke, NC State, and Virginia.[16] [17]
See also: 2023 South Carolina Gamecocks football team.
| Statistics | UNC | SC |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 20 |
| Total yards | 71–437 | 70–351 |
| Rushing yards | 39–168 | 31– -2 |
| Passing yards | 269 | 353 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 24–32–2 | 30–39–0 |
| Time of possession | 32:37 | 27:23 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | Passing | 24/32, 269 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT | |
| Rushing | 15 carries, 103 yards | ||
| Receiving | Kobe Paysour | 7 receptions, 66 yards, TD | |
| South Carolina | Passing | 30/39, 353 yards | |
| Rushing | Dakereon Joyner | 12 carries, 23 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | 9 receptions, 178 yards |
See also: 2023 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team.
| UNC -18 | 58 |
See also: 2023 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team.
| UNC -7.5 | 51 |
See also: 2023 Pittsburgh Panthers football team.
| UNC -7.5 | 50.5 |
See also: 2023 Syracuse Orange football team.
| UNC -9.5 | 59.5 |
See also: 2023 Miami Hurricanes football team.
| UNC -3.5 | 56.5 |
See also: 2023 Virginia Cavaliers football team.
| UNC -23.5 | 56.5 |
See also: 2023 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team.
| UNC -11.5 | 64.5 |
See also: 2023 Campbell Fighting Camels football team.
| UNC -38.5 | 67.5 |
See also: 2023 Duke Blue Devils football team.
| UNC -10.5 | 53.5 |
See also: 2023 Clemson Tigers football team.
| CLEM -8.5 | 59.5 |
See also: 2023 NC State Wolfpack football team.
| UNC -2.5 | 55.5 |
See also: 2023 West Virginia Mountaineers football team.
| WVU -5.5 | 60.5 |
Source:[19]
The following members of the 2023 Tar Heel football team entered the transfer portal in the postseason window.[20]
| Name | No. | Pos. | Height | Weight | Hometown | Year | New school | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kedrick Bingley-Jones | 41 | DL | 6'4" | 305 | Junior | Mississippi State | ||
| Jefferson Boaz | 14 | QB | 6'7" | 235 | Junior | Stephen F. Austin | ||
| Jalen Brooks | 36 | LB | 5'10" | 240 | Junior | Campbell | ||
| Deuce Caldwell | 44 | LB | 6'0" | 230 | Sophomore | TBD | ||
| Chance Carroll | 54 | OL | 6'2" | 295 | Junior | Georgia Southern | ||
| Tychaun Chapman | 0 | WR | 5'9" | 175 | R-Fr. | Marshall | ||
| Sebastian Cheeks | 32 | LB | 6'2" | 230 | R-Fr. | Wisconsin | ||
| Ryan Coe | 40 | PK | 6'2" | 225 | Graduate | Cal | ||
| Elijah Green | 21 | RB | 5'11" | 210 | Junior | Indiana | ||
| Andre Greene Jr. | 1 | WR | 6'2" | 200 | R-Fr. | Virginia | ||
| Tayon Holloway | 20 | DB | 6'0" | 185 | Virginia Beach, VA | R-Fr. | Louisville | |
| D.J. Jones | 26 | DB/RB | 5'10" | 200 | Graduate | Wyoming | ||
| Justin Kanyuk | 74 | OL | 6'6" | 315 | R-Fr. | Georgia Southern | ||
| Cole Maynard | 92 | P | 6'1" | 180 | Sophomore | Western Kentucky | ||
| Kamari Morales | 88 | TE | 6'2" | 245 | Buck Lake, FL | Graduate | Boston College | |
| George Pettaway | 23 | RB | 5'10" | 195 | Sophomore | James Madison | ||
| Diego Pounds | 61 | OL | 6'5" | 330 | Sophomore | Ole Miss |
The following Tar Heel players announced plans to enter the 2024 NFL draft and forgo any remaining collegiate eligibility.
| Name | No. | Pos. | Height | Weight | Hometown | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amari Gainer | 3 | LB | 6'3" | 235 | Graduate | ||
| Corey Gaynor | 65 | OL | 6'3" | 305 | Graduate | ||
| 33 | LB | 6'2" | 235 | Senior | |||
| 10 | QB | 6'4" | 230 | Sophomore | |||
| Myles Murphy | 8 | DL | 6'4" | 310 | Senior | ||
| Spencer Rolland | 75 | OL | 6'6" | 315 | Graduate | ||
| 9 | WR | 6'2" | 200 | Charlotte, NC | Junior |
Following continued defensive struggles under DC Gene Chizik in the 2023 season, both he and defensive line coach Tim Cross were dismissed after the team's bowl game. Senior Defensive Analyst Ted Monachino was elevated to the defensive line coaching position the same day Cross and Chizik's departures were announced.[21]
Former Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins was hired to replace Chizik as defensive coordinator for the 2024 season.[22]
Senior advisor Darrell Moody retired after the season, and was replaced by former Tar Heel and NFL linebacker Brian Simmons in a similar advisory role to head coach Mack Brown.[23] Brown's other senior advisor, Sparky Woods also left the staff in late January.[24]